Magnum

Dose any one know if maggie got gates put in this season because it was rumored to us a few week ago?????
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Matt
Marion, Oh
Point Fan and soon to bee Employee next season (2002 Lifeguard)

That is something they will not announce...they will just be there when you get there....I am tending to think however there will be airgates...
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Gina
Magnum 2001
ATL Magnum 2002

Grrr.  Why change something that has been working fine for 13 seasons?  Airgates might prevent the disaster of someone falling/jumping out onto the track as a train is coming through, but they'll cause more injuries by people getting caught in them and such.  Rideman has brought up some interesting points about this issue.  As long as they're timed so that they open up right as the train stops, there shouldn't be any negatives in terms of capacity I guess.

-Matt

2001 Magnum Crew

As sensitive as Magnum is to setups, I think that would be a really bad idea.

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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

Well, if they did put them up, maybe it would prevent the station from getting overcrowded like it does.
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ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR DAY HERE AT CEDAR POINT...AMERICA'S ROCKIN ROLLER COAST. *CLEAR*

What the heck do air gates have to do with the station being crowded?  The crowd in the station is controlled anyways, thats why Magnum's line moves in large bursts.
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"Well I heard that guys with long signatures are just trying to make up for a shortage in their pants..."

Get used to some kind of gate, folks...my understanding is that the State of Ohio is going to require some form of gate on all the coasters by 2003. :(

I know that the ones they put on Iron Dragon this season caused all kinds of consternation. Or was it the new co-dispatch; I know they always seemed to be in the way when I was up there. The ones on Millennium Force aren't too bad; I rather like the double-sided arrangement 'cause it's faster and doesn't block the platform.

At least on Magnum they won't have to move the yellow line back any, at least not if the gates are short enough, as they can tuck in along the pillars.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

air gates have nothing to do with the station being crowded...the station is usually crowded so we can get our numbers!
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Gina
Magnum 2001
ATL Magnum 2002

What do these air gates look like???
By the way: They did announce Iron Dragion's gates! 
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Wicked Twister Rocks
*** This post was edited by crashoverride on 1/30/2002. ***

*** This post was edited by crashoverride on 1/30/2002. ***

I didn't remember any announcement of air gates being added to ID...

I see no point in announcing air gates. If they show up, I don't mind.  I would feel better knowing someone wasn't getting injured.

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3rd shift trash(yuck) - 2001
Witches' Wheel triangle - 2002

It was on the Official site on a news topic similiar to : Cedar Point gets ready fo opening week?

any pics of "AIRGATES"

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Wicked Twister Rocks

When I first heard the rumor I was concerned with the timing of the gates.  They have to be set to open the second the train stops.  If they rely to open the gates manually then that might cause a problem.  The crew is under enough pressure to get the train dispatched they don't need a few more seconds wasted with a gate.
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DanielHaverlock
Magnum Count: 2166
www.spiritofthepoint.com

Well put, Dan. If we get air gates on Magnum, rumor from the 'electrical controls' people is they will have 2 modes: Auto and Manual. Auto mode will open the gates when the train is properly 'parked' in the station and the lap bars are released. I believe they're supposed to close when the lap bars are locked. Also, wiring is in place for a 'Dispatch enable' button on the back end of the load platform, but I don't know if they will hook it up...
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2000 - Cedar Downs, WildCat crews
2001 - ...too many to list :0)
2002 - Wave Swinger - Swan Boats TL

I think airgates would be a good thing for the magnum. There are many rides at Cedar Point that have them and they are good for safety reasons. The magnum especially. You have no idea how many times I have been up in the magnum platform and heard the workers telling some 10 year old to get off the yellow line. Even some teenagers do it to be funny. I know everyone here reading this has at least heard someone being told to get off the yellow line while waiting in line for magnum. With airgates in place, the workers would be able to worry less about someone getting to close to the train and I don't think there would be many problems with them. I personally think that all rides should have them. It's a good safety feature to have for any ride. I mean come on. The Iron Dragon even has them. It's no where near the magnum's speed or height. All the big coasters should at least have them for safety reasons.

Raptor Rider, in 2001, the only Cedar Point coasters to have boarding gates were Mantis:TCFKAB, Millennium Force, and Iron Dragon. That leaves Blue Streak, Mine Ride, Corkscrew, Gemini, Magnum, Mean Streak, and Raptor with no station control.

In spite of all the yelling about yellow lines at CP, I'm not convinced that having the gates are any safer than not having them, as I've seen many more people get crushed or pinched by gates than I have seen even come close to injury without them. Not to mention the delays they cause in loading and dispatch times...I suspect that Iron Dragon got the first retrofit set simply because it's the only coaster in the park where making interval doesn't require a superhuman effort on the part of the crew to begin with.

The place where I'm really gonna hate to see gates go in is on Gemini. There used to be some evidence that Gemini was supposed to have them when it opened, but that they were removed before they had a chance to do any damage. They can barely make interval right now on that thing as it is. Perhaps if they eschew motorized gates (which are always too darned slow) in favor of push-gates it won't be so bad...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Ride Man, you are correct again! Gemini never had the gates in place at all even though the ride was "Fitted" for the gates. There was NO WAY to operate the gates quick enough to enable the crew to hit the intervals needed.

Your statement earlier of the State of Ohio REQUIRING the gates is the problem I have with government over regulating life. I would agree with you that "gates" will cause more problems than they will solve...If it ain't broke don't fix it.

As I have said on this board and others previously, Let's leave the running of the Park to the EXPERTS.

Who makes these rules that govern amusement rides in the sate of Ohio? Is it just the department of Agriculture setting guidelines and regulations or does the Ohio General Assembly/Senate actually vote on them? Either way, we don't have much say who even gets into theses office's.

The change, as I understand it (from a conversation with John Dodson, actually...) is that Ohio is shifting from simply "compliance with manufacturer's specifications" to "compliance with ASTM standards." I don't have the fencing requirements handy, but that's where the gates are coming from. Some time ago I remember visiting Geauga Lake and standing on the (then gate-less) Serial Thriller platform and listening to two Ohio inspectors argue about whether the ride should have gates or not: One said it was OK because of the turnstile...riders on the platform were effectively 'on the ride' and the fencing was OK. One said no, there needs to be a gate at trackside. Fortunately, debating gates was not the purpose of that visit. But the key is that the rides are going to have to comply with the ASTM standards, and there may be interpretation issues yet to be sorted out. It will be interesting to see how those issues are interpreted. For instance, rides are supposed to have exit gates, too. Notice that Millennium Force has one. It's clear down by the midway, but it's got an exit gate.....!

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Funny,
I mentioned a new law or standard a month or so ago and people laughed at me and. Ohh well..

Sad thing is, once they are installed, I'd have to agree, we'll never see Gemini run 6 trains again.
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VertiGo Rides - 82 (2001)
And looking forward to more!!!

*** This post was edited by Red Garter Rob on 1/31/2002. ***