It CAN Happen

Heh, Thats pretty cool that you found that villageidiot. Definatly, I looked at all the times from 3:59 to 4:11 and i returned to the beginning by hitting back and then hit forward really fast, you see the train stopping. Pretty cool.

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- Dennis
When I die, They'll read this And say a genius wrote it.

Does anyone know why I can't view the Cleveland.com's Cedar Point cam but, all I get is an X where the photo should be, I think it might be from my firewall but i'm not sure, I also live in Canada if that has anything to do with it.

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Can't wait to be at the Point!
2003 coaster count:47

I guess it is the cynic in me but I have learned to never say never.

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No matter where you go, there you are.

http://www.bholcomb.com/ttdstuck.gif

I saved and animated the images for you all. You can clearly see the elevator going up and then down. You can also, if you look closely, see that the train is on the top and then it isn't.

I was going to get ice cream at the front of the park, and I looked back and saw the Dragster train at the top of the hill. It sat there, and sat there. They must have pushed it over while I was eating my ice cream because when I went back out, it was not at the top any more.

I will admit, that it seemed that the trains had been cresting the top fairly slowly.

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Q: What does Top Thrill Dragster have in common with Walmart?

A: Rollbacks

When I was there on the 30th I also noticed the the trains were barely making it over the top.

A lot different ride since early June, which was the last time I was there before the 30th.

bholcomb said:
http://www.bholcomb.com/ttdstuck.gif
I saved and animated the images for you all. You can clearly see the elevator going up and then down. You can also, if you look closely, see that the train is on the top and then it isn't.

Good job on the animation. It made the Skyride cars seem like they were launched by the TTD motors, Wouldn't that be a trip. LOL

Wow, TTD sure does have a rollback problem. Do you think they should've bumped the launch speed up just 5 mph to ensure there wouldn't be one single rollback? Of course it has made it over the top at 120 mph, but rollbacks should only be a rare occurance.

I think they wanted it to rollback occansionally. I see that as part of the ride, but they probably didn't plan on having this many rollbacks. Oh well, all we can do is be glad it's still working on a consistant basis.

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Cedar Point here I come
~!~Augest 3~!~
*** This post was edited by riordan11688 8/1/2003 8:02:39 PM ***

Here's a GUESS...

The amount of force required to launch a train to 120 MPH varies with the weight of the train, and with the current ride conditions.

The launch system fires the trains down the launch track and monitors the train speed, so that when the train reaches its top speed, the launch system is basically shut down. But in order to minimize forces on the riders, the launch system is constantly tweaked to maximize the distance required to reach top speed. So ideally, the train will hit top speed at the end of the launch track, not down in the middle someplace. But if that tweaking is off just a little, the train won't reach top speed before it runs out of launch track, and the result would be a slow launch and hence a rollback.

That's my guess, anyway..!

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

We arrived at the park right around 4 on the 31st and there she sat(gold train) on the tophat. We ended up getting in line at around 10:30 pm or so(the line was closed for some time up to that point). Every single train was absolutely creeping over the top and we saw two rollbacks with fully loaded trains. The energy in the station was cool. Everyone shouting "Go! Go!" hoping she would make it over the top. After an hour or so wait we boarded the gold train, I joked and said "We better be careful, she likes it up there". We crept so slowly over the top, I had time to check out the view and then look my buddy in the eye for a second or two while we both were yelling our heads off. Very cool and definitely my best launch yet.

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Millennium Force Laps-116
**Vertigo Launches-21**
Dragster Launches-8

*** This post was edited by macho nachos 8/2/2003 12:26:44 AM ***

Thanks for letting us all know that TTD's trains are female.

Everybody always talks about how they'd like to be on a rollback...personally I think getting stuck up at the top by freak occurance would be even better! When you're up there during a normal launch you have no time to see what's going on but getting stuck would afford you the time to soak it all in.

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This ain't no book you you can close, when the big light hits your eyes. Cropduster-Riot Act-Pearl Jam

untrimmed and needless quotation removed.

I doubt that there is even so much as a monitoring system for train speed. It was announced, way before the motor was installed, that it would launch at 120mph. I'm guessing that it just starts winding until it reaches it's "top end". Whether or not it reaches it's "top end" is dependent on the given conditions for that launch. And, if it happens to get there at the half way point, it just can't possibly go any faster. But, that's just my guess, you know. Not tryin' to offend you, Dave.

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If I win the lottery, I promise not to quit my job. Although, it may not take very long for me to be fired.
In the immortal words of Socrates, "I drank what?!"
*** This post was edited by Jeff 8/3/2003 10:14:17 PM ***

That's not a very good guess. It's not just a motor that you can switch on or off. Jasper has said many times to the press and enthusiast groups that they shoot for a certain speed. That control doesn't come from "on" or "off" when the system is capable of 10,000 hp even. That's not the magic number to launch a train that weighs "x" number of tons to 120 mph.

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Jeff - Webmaster - GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

I think if they would have made the coaster 410 feet tall instead of 420 feet, there would be far less problems with rollbacks. Lol.

On the Speed show on TLC recently I was interested to see that on Dodonpa they weigh each train to provide the proper amount of thrust. I think Dueling Dragons weighs each train prior to departure to get them to crest the lift hill at the same time.

Do they weigh the TTD trains?

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No matter where you go, there you are.

Nope, they don't weigh Dragster trains. The Dragons are actually weighed on the lift where the adjustment is made.

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Jeff - Webmaster - GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

You know something Dave.. You're pretty darn smart.. ;)

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June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82

We were actually there on the 31st and watched as the "test train" stopped at the top on TTD. We were staying at the Breakers and actually video'd the elevator going up and then watched as someone (who couldn't be seen from my angle) pushed the train down the hill. An employee at the hotel said it was only the second time it had happened, with the first one being before the park opened for the season. It was pretty cool to watch. I would love to see a pause incorporated at the top on each ride...only managed to squeeze in one ride.....what a rush!

We make the 9 hour drive every year to the best park on the planet!
*** This post was edited by CarolinaSteve 8/5/2003 8:58:14 AM ***