Iron Dragon Blocking

Saw this in one of the Facebook groups... You've got a train not fully in the station and another entering the brake run/transfer table.

Technically the train in the station is clear of the transfer table, so perhaps not a block violation, but unless it's been sitting there for a while I would have expected the back train to have been stopped on Lift 2. Makes me wonder what would be happening in the station for a train to get stopped short for long enough for another train to fully complete the circuit.

Perhaps the loading or unloading of a handicapped individual.

You can't load/unload the train in the station if it is stopped in that position.

Logically it's not a block violation The default stopping position of the final brake run is fully clear and the train has plenty of room to make a safe stop. But I'm surprised 2026-era Cedar Point didn't stop the back train on the second lift as a precaution,.

Looks like they stopped the train ahead as it was entering the station but after it checked out of the transfer table. Otherwise the trains would not be that close together. Because that uptrack brake is the transfer table, it stands to reason that the block would end at the track joint, meaning the station block actually starts well uptrack of the station. After all, you would only want to allow the transfer table to move if the train is fully within the limits of the table. Since that brake is being used as a block point, it makes sense to end the block at a point where the train has not yet cleared the downtrack end of the table.

Iron Dragon has block points in the station, on the transfer table, on the second lift, at the base of the second lift, and on the first lift. I presume the extra brake just before the second lift is there for timing reasons, as the ride has never had more than three trains and therefore needs (according to 1987 blocking rules) only four blocking points.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I do recall riding ID many years ago (during 3 train operation) and getting stopped on the brake at the base of the 2nd lift while the train ahead was stopped on the 2nd lift. So at least at some point in time that brake section was indeed a blocking point.