Magnum

Whoh its been a while since posting here im just glad I remembered my login..

What does Cedar Point have to do to un winterize magnum, becides checking every car, what do they do?

Im sure they have to close the air bleed valves, and turn on the power breakers but is there any thing else?

That question strikes my curiousity. What special care is given to the now 19-year-old Magnum?

*Looks around for RideMan* :)

Well magnum is getting old so in the moring magnum gets it daily oatmeal and then takes it medicine :P haha

The trains are stripped down and rebuilt every year. I assume the track is inspected as well. I'm sure all of the mechanical systems are checked and/or rebuilt.

I love how everybody is ripping on Magnum for being 19 years old when Blue Streak is the oldest rollercoaster in the park. Haha! :)

I'm not ripping on Magnum, it's just hard to believe how much time has passed since

it opened.

ohhh. Haha! I wasn't even around yet when it opened... I was around for Raptor and Mantis I think but I was little.

Don't forget about the problem they have with it sinking.

MAGNUM!!!! :)

19 in human years is 95 in rollercoaster years. I'm sure it takes Geritol and drinks it's prune juice. Hee.

The trains come off, get stripped down to the bare chassis, and the chassis and all of the critical components are inspected and NDT'ed. Cedar Point is unusual among parks, as I understand it, because they have the facilities to do their own radiography as well as the less exotic NDT methods (most often magnetic particle testing). I've actually seen a film of Magnum pins, and if you've seen an X-ray of human bones...well, steel pins are a whole lot harder to examine on film.

Anyway, a lot of parts get replaced, those that don't get replaced get inspected and found to be OK (if they weren't OK, they got replaced...). The trains get put back together and are ready to go as if they were new, although that doesn't explain why it always seems that about half of the lap bars fail during Opening Weekend.

Out on the track, it's a good opportunity to check the torque on any bolted connections, and to inspect the track, track ties, and structural components. it isn't possible to walk Magnum on a regular basis, but there are companies that specialize in doing difficult inspections of this kind; for instance if you visit Remote Access Technology you'll see a bunch of photos of them working on Dragster. During the off-season is also a good time to overhaul, test and inspect the ride's other mechanical systems including the chain, lift motor, chain guide, sprockets, reducing gear, lubricator, and motor control system including the prox switches that tell the motor control how and when to ramp up and down. Apart from inspecting and testing switches, the safety system doesn't require a whole lot of maintenance, but the mechanical systems that it controls deserve quite a lot of attention. Brake calipers need to be inspected for wear and for cracking, not to mention proper attachment to the structure (I'm looking at you, Wild Thing...) they may need to have their linings, springs, or air bladders replaced. Magnum's brakes are pretty simple, but they have metal linings, fabric air bladders, and hose connections that all have to be working properly. Further back in the system, the solenoid valves and quick-exhaust valves need to be tested or replaced, along with all of the plumbing, and it's not a bad idea to check the tanks for cracks, leaks, rust, or corrosion. After all, another word for "corroded air pressure tank" is "compressed-air bomb".

Of course, a lot of this stuff is normal maintenance, inspections that go on throughout the operating season. But the off-season is a good opportunity to kick things up to the next level, actually dismantling components and getting inside to make sure they are in good shape, rather than just inspecting for proper function.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Disclaimer: I don't do this stuff for a living. This information is based largely on comments and presentations given by people who do.

Your link does not work.

http://www.rat.ca/

The link should work now. It got munged by the forum software in the first edit. And the first edit was because I didn't close it right. Sorry about that!

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

They also devote a lot of time on figuring out ways to make it more difficult for the Ops to run the ride. From what I hear, aside from standing behind pillars to give their clears, this year they will be expected to wear "drunk goggles" while checking restraints.

What exactly are "drunk googles"?

They're goggles that look almost like normal science lab goggles, except that when you put them on, it simulates vision while intoxicated. Police often use them at seminars with students to show them how impaired their motor skills are while intoxicated.

Let's just hope that a certain major personnel change that happened recently sets some of the operational issues back on a more sensible course, particularly on Magnum and Gemini, m'kay?

Here's hoping...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I'm with you there.