In my opinion Gemini is one of the greatest rides at CP. Probably the greatest at any other park. But one thing that could make this rideeven better is if it was smoother . it is relatively smooth now, but just a little jerky at many spots throughout. could CP fix this by Retracking it or putting new trains on? I think it would help alot. Gemini is such a good ride because it has a great rider capasity it never is too long to wait!
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CP4ME
Gemini is, and always will be my favorite ride. It was my first coaster and when I am old and senile I hope it is around to be my last.
For its age, it is probably the smoothest Arrow coaster around, so what more do you want? I am no expert, but You cant really "re-tack" tubular steel, like wooden coasters. You can re-profile but re-tracking would most likely mean scraping the entire track and putting in a new one. There is nothing really wrong with the trains either, Arrow has a knack for Mine Trains. The only thing it could use is maybe a lower second hill so the trains wont rollback so often, and for more speed.
One thing I have noticed is I dont recall Gemini having the wheel underneath the track (like Magnum),just an upstop. When the rear of the train is empty and you are trailing in the Race, its fun to see the back of the other train fly up a good 2 inches and catch the upstop. Does Gemini have those wheels like Magnum or no?
Gemini does NOT have upstop wheels. It does have upstops, but they are steel arms positioned below the rail, faced with a bit of brake lining material. In fact, that's one thing that might make for a slightly smoother ride...if the park would update the upstops in the same way that they did on Magnum. The clearance between the upstop and the track is about the same in either case, but on Gemini you can feel a certain amount of violence when the upstop hits the track, making a kind of a banging, scraping sound. A little like the track-seek sound made by certain old Apple "Disk ][" floppy drives. :)
Anyway, Cedar Creek Mine Ride, Gemini, and Magnum XL-200 are mechanically all very similar and probably share a lot of parts. They are all Arrow Runaway Train coasters. Of all the Runaway Train coasters ever built, I'm pretty sure that Magnum XL-200 was the first anywhere to use wheels for the up-stops. And anybody who has ever seen and heard the original Magnum between-rails POV video knows that on that tape you can hear the upstops...which weren't wheels when the ride opened...banging away against the undersides of the hill peaks.
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
I knew RideMan would send my wheels in the right direction. I was pretty sure about Gemini just having the upstops but then you learn so much here. I always thought that Magnum Always had the wheel upstops. Guess I was Wrong.
Since it is not A safety Issue, and there is only 5(?) or so places on Gemini were the undersides would hit the hill peaks I would still have to doubt CP will get off the couch and do this simple sounding procedure, though it would be nice and I would like to see it. The Mine ride would not need it since the Load bearing wheels probably never leave the track. I am guessing the pads on the upstops for MR. hardly need replaced. They should defiantly not do that to the Mine Ride. Save the money on the wheels at let the park be open till ten the first week of June.
What kind of weirdo's are we anyway, looking under the skirts of trains to see their undersides? I enjoy doing that. You can call me a coaster peeping tom.
I think a little jerky is good for a Coaster.
Mean Streak is like that to.
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http://members.aol.com/Joshua2098/RollerCoasterPunk.html go vote for the best Coaster MF or SOB :):):):)
I've seen some crazy stuff in my time, but that... was... AWESOME!!! But, sorry about your car, man
Joe E, you should have seen me in the parking lot behind Gemini a couple of summers ago poking around underneath the Gemini cars they had parked out there. One of these days I'll put up those photos. Actually, the picture of a Gemini car on my "How Coaster Cars Work" page (the one showing the axes of rotation) was taken in that parking lot... :)
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
Joe E, the Mine Rides upstops do get a little action when your heading back to the station. Just before and after the turn into the helix, where an old block brake used to be, the load bearing wheels leave the track. You can actually feel it if you look for it.
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Monster Ride Host for 2 Years
3 Years Total @ CP