getting stuck
About the midcourse thing. Last year, when we were waiting in line for mantis, and one of the trains was stopped at the midcourse. Needless to say, the trip from the midcourse back to the station for those people had to be terrifying. The train absolutely CRAWLED through the turns and the corkscrew. Everyone in line was watching it, and gasping in horror, because it really looked like it was going to have a rollback, or soemthing. I knew it would make it through, since they have to plan those things out, but it was pretty freaky.
Clarkbar said...
"...one of the trains was stopped at the midcourse. Needless to say, the trip from the midcourse back to the station for those people had to be terrifying. The train absolutely CRAWLED through the turns and the corkscrew. Everyone in line was watching it, and gasping in horror, because it really looked like it was going to have a rollback, or soemthing. I knew it would make it through, since they have to plan those things out, but it was pretty freaky."
Or as they call that on the Vortex and Outer LIMits at Kings Island..."Normal Operation."
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
"...one of the trains was stopped at the midcourse. Needless to say, the trip from the midcourse back to the station for those people had to be terrifying. The train absolutely CRAWLED through the turns and the corkscrew. Everyone in line was watching it, and gasping in horror, because it really looked like it was going to have a rollback, or soemthing. I knew it would make it through, since they have to plan those things out, but it was pretty freaky."
Or as they call that on the Vortex and Outer LIMits at Kings Island..."Normal Operation."
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
Once when my friend and I rode the Mine Ride a single lady in front of us forgot to fasten her seat belt. All of the sudden on the ride we heard a clicking sound and I saw the seat belt swinging in circles because it had fallen out of the train and was hitting the track repeatedly. My friend and I were laughing so hard it was so funny because she realized it and didn't know what to do. They stopped us on the second hill and made her fasten her seat belt.
This isn't really getting stuck, but one time I rode the Raptor when they had a brake failure. I had been waiting in line about an hour, and just as I was next to get on, they shut down the ride for about 30 minutes. There were 2 groups of riders waiting to get off behind this empty car! They didn't give any explanations, but it was pretty obvious what was wrong when they sent us through. At one point in the ride there is this little plateau with a bunch of brakes... well, we just FLEW right through that thing. It was more fun than usual up until most of the blood in our collective bodies were trying to exit forcefully through our toes. Oh, and the literally screeching halt at the end... I'm suprised nobody sued for whiplash... they had to apply the brakes much longer than usual.
'twas fun, though. :-)
'twas fun, though. :-)
That's not a brake problem. Those brakes are there at the midcourse to stop a train if the train ahead hasn't entered the station. Using them to trim speed is more of a secondary function. I don't know what the guidelines are or how they're set, but some days they don't touch the train, other days they nearly stop it.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
"And he says 'I'm goin' crazy up there at the lake...'"
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
"And he says 'I'm goin' crazy up there at the lake...'"
People like to talk about coasters getting stuck, but most of the time that simply isn't the case. Most of the time rides do not get stuck. They are sometimes stopped unexpectedly, and sometimes the crews are unable to restart the rides, but really they are not stuck, but stopped.
That said, rides do occasionally get stuck. Like the two Vekoma SLC's (one at Kentucky Kingdom, one at Opryland) that got stuck on the lift when the lining of the chain guide jammed against the chain and kept it from moving. Or the Demon at Great America...that was truly stuck. Someone once told me about a Huss Condor that was stuck so bad at the top of the tower they had to use a crane and a winch off a Boomerang to get the ride down.
I can remember two incidents at Cedar Point where rides got stuck. One was the Blue Streak. A seat belt buckle had been dropped between the running board and the platform, and it caught against the platform edge and literally wedged the train into place. As I recall, the crew had to push the train backwards to get it loose.
The other occasion was caused by unruly riders swinging a gondola on the Sky Ride. The gondola came into the station at the idler end and failed to align with the track, instead jamming into place. Even worse, it jammed before the rope clamp released, so it also jammed the wire rope and presumably pulled the whole ride to a halt. I didn't see the incident happen, but I did see the whole maintenance crew working to get the cabin unstuck as I was hiking down the midway, marvelling at the Sky Ride gondolas on the cable, loaded, and not moving.
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
Who usually leaves this kind of stuff out of his trip reports...
That said, rides do occasionally get stuck. Like the two Vekoma SLC's (one at Kentucky Kingdom, one at Opryland) that got stuck on the lift when the lining of the chain guide jammed against the chain and kept it from moving. Or the Demon at Great America...that was truly stuck. Someone once told me about a Huss Condor that was stuck so bad at the top of the tower they had to use a crane and a winch off a Boomerang to get the ride down.
I can remember two incidents at Cedar Point where rides got stuck. One was the Blue Streak. A seat belt buckle had been dropped between the running board and the platform, and it caught against the platform edge and literally wedged the train into place. As I recall, the crew had to push the train backwards to get it loose.
The other occasion was caused by unruly riders swinging a gondola on the Sky Ride. The gondola came into the station at the idler end and failed to align with the track, instead jamming into place. Even worse, it jammed before the rope clamp released, so it also jammed the wire rope and presumably pulled the whole ride to a halt. I didn't see the incident happen, but I did see the whole maintenance crew working to get the cabin unstuck as I was hiking down the midway, marvelling at the Sky Ride gondolas on the cable, loaded, and not moving.
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
Who usually leaves this kind of stuff out of his trip reports...
I was stuck on the Manis lift once.
Also, I was stuck right before the loading station on Magnum. It had been raining lightly for a while, and was picking up. Apparently the ride automaticlly shut down. Everyone on my train and the one behing us were stuck out it the rain! It was the best ride i've had, even though it felt like pins were hitting my face. Eventually they dried off the sensors with a mop of something and they were unable to unload us. It took about 5 to 10 minutes. I don't know why, but they wouldn't unload us there.
Also, I was stuck right before the loading station on Magnum. It had been raining lightly for a while, and was picking up. Apparently the ride automaticlly shut down. Everyone on my train and the one behing us were stuck out it the rain! It was the best ride i've had, even though it felt like pins were hitting my face. Eventually they dried off the sensors with a mop of something and they were unable to unload us. It took about 5 to 10 minutes. I don't know why, but they wouldn't unload us there.
The real fun starts when Raptor breaks down in mid course. They get out the real big airbag and (hopefully) place it right under the train. Your shoulder harness becomes unlocked, and you get to ride CPs secret ride called "Bombs Away". Yet people still complain and want there free front of the line ticket. Some people are never pleased.
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"And now for something completely different" MPFC
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"And now for something completely different" MPFC
At the bootom of Raptor Lift hill there is a tram that is about 6 ft long. That tram can be pulled up the lift. The would then beable to let the people of and wlk down the stairs. Also there is a a floor(under the riders feet) on Raptor mid course brakes. There is also a stairs down from Raptor's mid course. So robby5150 they is no way that would happen.
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Andrew
http://hammer.prohosting.com/~coasterz
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Andrew
http://hammer.prohosting.com/~coasterz
:-) Just a little bit of humor for ya Drew. I don't think any park would trust the riders to jump any higher then 5 feet of there seats...thinking about it, I don't think they would take any chance of having a rider hop out of there seat if it was stuck. The chance for lawsuit is pretty high if someone breaks something. Just adding a little humor to the place
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Thank you I'm here all week!
"And now for something completely different" MPFC
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Thank you I'm here all week!
"And now for something completely different" MPFC
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