Gemini

Winter of 1988-89.

I'll agree that Gemini doesn't really need to run six trains anymore. But that shouldn't give them license to stack routinely with four. And it isn't entirely because of the seat belts and the gates. I forget what year the seat belts were added, but that was expected to be the death of six-train operation. It wasn't...after running a month with Magnum-style seat belts, the belts were changed to the present configuration, which enabled 6-train operation. Adding the gates didn't help either, but if gates are operated properly, they should have no effect at all on operational speed, and in fact in some cases may actually speed things up by giving a signal to the people in line that it is time to start moving into the train. The gates themselves have really had no effect at all on operations at Magnum, for instance. Other things have been problematic over there, but the gates really aren't an issue.

The real problem on Gemini is a combination of a change in staffing level, a major change in dispatch procedure, and the co-dispatch button and the configuration of the exit gates are complicating factors. Crews used to unload, reload, and dispatch two trains, in sync, in less than 30 seconds. Now they can't seem to do it in under three minutes. THAT is a problem.

As for Iron Dragon...that's probably the fastest loading ride in the park even though people do have to climb over the sills to get in and out. It's a long ride, so the interval is a little longer than on other rides, but at the same time, it's about the simplest for loading and unloading procedure, so it loads so fast that most of the time the train has to wait, ready to go, for the block to clear before it can go.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Touchdown said:
Ideal Spots on the coasters

Anywhere, doesnt matter: MF (although at night, back,) DT, Iron Dragon, Mine Ride, Mantis, Wildcat, Maverick

I will disagree with the "anywhere on Iron Dragon" if you aren't in the first two cars they don't swing as much as they do in the front of the train and isn't that the hole point of the design of the ride, swinging cars?