Gemini

I noticed that we havnt even talked about Gemini's rehab!

So let's talk! She deserves a little recognition.:)
I'll start:
Anybody have an idea how this will affect the ride? Like will it make the ride experience smoother? And does anyone, by chance, know how long it takes to do this?

And can I be as bold as to ask if anybody knows how much has been done so far?

*** Edited 2/16/2006 1:55:41 AM UTC by TTD 120mph***

If I’m not mistaken, they do a little rehab every off season. I don’t think it makes much of a difference in the ride experience though because most of what they work on it just replacing wood in various places around the structure.

I for one hope they put some focus on the 2 helixes.

Ya the helixes can be a little rough but that's one of the reasons that it's fun. And to go with what 99er said they do this every off season so I wouldn't expect much.

I really think you make Gemini much smoother you lose part of the effect of the ride.

I think it's fine just the way it is. But if I had to say, I'd say that the bottom of the drop and the helix could use a bit of a fixin up. Other than that, great ride! *** Edited 2/16/2006 3:33:23 AM UTC by TTD 120mph***

I love Gemini as much for the fun ride as for the nostalgia. I waited in line 2+ hours to ride it when it debuted (1978?), and it was quite a rush, being the largest at the time. It's hard to believe I get on it in a fraction of the time and still have as much fun, but with my kids now. Some think it's rough, but I don't notice until the helix when they don't hit the brakes.

When I rode it, the one thing I noticed is that at almost every dip it went all *bump.bump,bump* and it made my ass hurt.

I also rode both sides and I think the Blue Side hurt more through the Helix.

Let me share a ride experience from each of the past two years. Y'all have already touched on the points of the ride that "hurt" me. In '04, my kids were still too short to ride all but DT and Dragon, so I was on Gemini while the wife and kids ate french fries. I caught just enough air that...let's just say I "shifted" in my shorts...when gravity did its work I thought I popped my right testicle. In '05 I was on the red train with my arms up through the helix and darn near dislocated my left shoulder. My wife was in the car ahead of me and knew from the sound I made (normally I laugh start to finish on a coaster!) something had gone wrong. My shoulder pretty much hung limp for a while after that. That said, I haven't stopped riding Gemini, I just understand what the "old people" were talking about when they said Gemini was rough 25 years ago.

You've definitely got to brace yourself for that final helix, especially if the trim brakes are off. It's surprisingly forceful. At one point, they had light-up signs on the platform that indicated whether or not the trims were on, so you might have some warning before you get on the ride.

That being said, it's still one of my favorite coasters in the place. It's right up there with Maggy in terms of my length of time waiting in line to enjoyment ratio.

Those light up signs are still there Hoosier.

As long as they replace the wood to ensure Gemini will stay with us longer, then I be fine. Gemini is one of those rides I often overlook when thinking about CP, much like DD was before it went up for sale. Gemini is a classic ride, a trip to CP without a ride on the great figure eight racer would feel wasted. I love the ride start to finish. It's even better if they run both sides.

a_c_e_c_h_m said:
That said, I haven't stopped riding Gemini, I just understand what the "old people" were talking about when they said Gemini was rough 25 years ago.

I don't understand what you mean by this. I've ridden Gemini since 1978 and it was never rough. The ride really hasn't changed at all, still just as smooth as it always was.

I don't claim to know too much about rides but I have a question. The upstops on Gemini are what appear to be "pads" of sort to me. If they changed them to the newer form of "wheel" upstops would this have any effect on the ride in terms of how rough it is?

The same upstop mod done with Magnum's trains years ago.

Gemini would look cool if painted white. The station got new colors a few years back, and now stands out from the rest of the coaster. Paint the rest of it white! ;)

Gemini can be a lot of fun when there's a close race. I usually pass on it when it is not racing though. I've been kind of disappointed with the operations of that ride over the past two seasons. It has gone from being the most ridden ride in the park to being quite a ways down the list, well behind Magnum and Raptor and it's not uncommon to have to wait through a full queue on a busy day. For a ride that used to run with six trains and move 3,000 people an hour, why is it so hard for the crew to run four trains without stacking?

I guess maybe it's because they seem to be double checking every seat now. I'm not really sure why this would be necessary on Gemini and not other rides too (I better not give them any bad ideas!). I mean Magnum's trains are practically identical. Even doing the double checking, I still think stacking with two trains per side is pretty pathetic.

I doubt the wood replacement will have any noticable impact on the ride. Some of the trains getting some work would probably have a more noticable impact.

Pete, I can remember older members of my family complaining how "rough" Gemini was in 1978. I was 8 years old then and loved the ride, but I can remember my dad and uncle, in particular, complaining the ride was too rough on them. I thought they were crazy then, but I'm obviously starting to feel that ride the next day.

kylepark said:
Gemini would look cool if painted white. The station got new colors a few years back, and now stands out from the rest of the coaster. Paint the rest of it white! ;)

Yeah it would look for a season or two, but then after that forget about it. I'm not a fan of painted wood coasters. It works on smaller coasters like Blue Streak but not on the bigger ones. Then again if Pete could jump in here Blue Streak was unpainted when it first opened, not sure what year it was painted.

1964 was the only year Blue Streak wasn't blue.