Magnum Trim Brakes Off?

I haven't made it to the park yet this season but my family has gone a number of times and reported that the trim brakes have been off many times just before the pretzel turn on Magnum. Anyone noticed? If true, you'd swear it was Coastermania ERT night!

The Amazement Park

Nope, well at least not for the 7 days I was there.

I havent seen them off once this year and you watch it alot while at the wave pool.

Sometimes they turn them off in the morning. Was up there a couple of weeks ago on a saturday, got two rides on it. 1st ride of the day, brake off...2nd ride the day (mid-afternoon), brake was on.

So, it's 50/50 on whether they're on or off

"What we do in life, echos in eternity."
Top 3 Wooden Coasters: The Voyage, Thunderhead, The Raven.
Top 3 Steel Coasters: Griffon, Magnum XL-200, Apollo's Chariot.

To the best of my knowledge the trims being on or off have to do with weather. Chilly weather means that they will be off.

Millennium Force Laps-168
**Vertigo Launches-21**
Dragster Launches-52

I love the pretzel so much better without the trims. A whole lot better.

The Magnum trims are usually off if there are high winds, or if the train is lightly loaded. In other words, the brakes are shut down if there is a non-zero chance they would cause the train to not make it back home again.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

When I was there on June 9th, for my 1st ride of the day, which was a literal walk-on, the trims were off. This was about 10:05am. The pretzel was great! For the second ride, minutes later, they were on. They were on the rest of the rides I took. (7 in a row).

Tank
Magnum: 187.5... Walkdowns: 1...Walkoffs: 1...$9W:0

I can't say I've seen the manual for the ride in probably five years, but I could swear that if the ride takes longer than a certain number of seconds to go from the top of the lift to the safeties, you're supposed to turn the trims off.

Jeff - Advocate of Great Great Tunnels™ - Co-Publisher - PointBuzz - CoasterBuzz - Blog - Music

When I was there the 2nd week CP was open I got on Magnum 2 times at about 12:00 and both times the trims were off. The car was only half way full both times too.

When i was there on memorial day they we off most of the day. You can really feel the difference.

Something I was wondering that's probably been answered before. Is it the ride op in the control room's job to turn the trims on and off, or is it something maintenance has to do? I wanted to look at my friend's manual earlier this season when she had it, but I didn't get a chance to before she had to turn it back in. I did read the Power Tower manual front to back though :)

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

I know that this normally does not happen very often, but whenever there are only two trains running, I have noticed that the trims are always off as well.

Most of the time trims are used to give more time to load and unload cars. {Thats why they were used on Mantis}

Goodbye 2005 season!!!!

Really? I have had some very heavy trimming on two train op, if I remember right. I think it has to do with the time, as Jeff said. Also, I have felt the trims heavier some rides than on others. Since I think it is maintenance that sets the trims, and the trims are set based on timing of the train, I would bet that some days you can get rides only lightly trimmed, while on other days, heavily.

I would just expect heavy trimming on hot days.

EDIT: I would also like to add that I think that some of my trimmed rides have been better than some of the untrimmed ones. On my last visit, when it was wet, windy, and gloomy, the trim-less rides did not seem as fun as some prior rides on sunny days, with the trims on.

-Sam *** Edited 6/16/2004 4:41:50 AM UTC by Avalanche Sam***

John McCain: The Ride

Being Mavericky since 2007!

Some rides are longer then others so they have to trim more or less, and also how long it takes for everyone to get in the car.

Goodbye 2005 season!!!!

The actual pressure of the trims apparently has to be set by maintenance, so the operators have two settings, on or off. More often than not, if they're off, the ride is running slow in the first place.

Jeff - Advocate of Great Great Tunnels™ - Co-Publisher - PointBuzz - CoasterBuzz - Blog - Music