Mantis 3rd train?

Does anyone know why the 3rd train never ran (I think) this year?  I was there about 6 times and it was never running, even on July 4th.

Because they "supposedly" couldn't hit the right interval...which it total BS because they were able to hit it during 1999 and 2000. A little stacking can be expected on a stand-up, but altogether yanking the train from operation just wasn't a good idea, in my opinion.

From what I've heard thats mostly correct.  With 3train-op in 2000/1999 they were getting the same/less capacity as with 2train operation this year, so why not take it off and save afew dollars on Maintenance?
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Corey
"Joei!! WO!!"

Maybe it's just me, but lately the lines for Mantis seem to have been longer than normal.  I assumed it was due to two train op.
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I love fall...
The cool, brisk air...
The brightly colored leaves...
The amusement park announcements...

The long lines is from 2 train op, thats one reason I only ride Mantis a couple times in one trip, thats why Raptor tops Mantis

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CEDAR POINT YES, SIX FLAGS NO! GOD BLESS AMERICA, THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE! Vertigo Launches 71

Actually, the rumor was that every train was used during the season. So it isn't really a question of maintnence.
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MF Laps: 2
Raptor Laps: 3
Magnum Laps: 2
Power Tower Launches: 1
Power Tower Drops: 1

*** This post was edited by ddogg on 11/13/2001. ***

...no, they really never used it [in operation] at all last year...Mantis ride ops can vouch for that.

Mantis opened in 1996 and to the best of my recollection it has ran three trains every year up until this season. Now how is it that after five years, all of a sudden CP feels they need to resort to two train operation? On the surface it looks like a bad move. Every time I was there this year, the lines were horrendous and moving quite slow which prompted me to ride it only once in all my visits. Not cool by CP standards. It seems to me that if a small coaster like the Corkscrew can have three trains running constantly, then a big coaster like Mantis can surely run three.

I don't think we will ever see three trains run on that track unless one of three things occur

A.  An unload station is built with a covered transfer area.

B.  The type of trains are chagned and the station is reprofiled to fit a sit down or floorless train.

C.  The seatbelts are removed.

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Daniel "PING" Haverlock
Magnum Count: 2166
"You look like Richard Gere"

And chances are.. two of those three will never happen Dan....

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One of us.. One of us..
"MIKE WAZOWSKI!!!!"
"Call me mint jelly, because I'm on the lamb.."
June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100

They better not retrofit it to be a sit down, that would blow big time, i love the big bug just the way it is.  I think they should've ran the third train, stacking or not. Mantis is my alltime favorite coaster after The Force, and the line can seem like an eternity.  That's why when the line is short I power ride it nonstop, much to my friends dismay(they all hate it).

But why bother havin ga 3rd train and stacking if your capacity is the same as when you're running two??

If you think that makes sense, to run the 3rd train, I have a bridge I like to sell you..

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One of us.. One of us..
"MIKE WAZOWSKI!!!!"
"Call me mint jelly, because I'm on the lamb.."
June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100

I think they should run it simply because its there.

I understand what some are saying about the stacking up and the possibility of the same amount of riders, but, the lines seemed twice as long this year, compared to the last couple.  So how is it possible that it is the same amount of riders?  Would the Raptor have the same amount with only 2 trains?  I really can't imagine that.

Raptor doesnt' stack as often because you don't have to worry about the heights of the seats and the constant re-setting they have to do of rows.

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One of us.. One of us..
"MIKE WAZOWSKI!!!!"
"Call me mint jelly, because I'm on the lamb.."
June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100

The loading process for Raptor and Mantis are significantly different.  On Raptor you just sit in the chair, pull over the horse collar and fasten the seatbelt.

On Mantis, the height of your "seat" must be adjusted to your physical characteristcs.  Many people sit on the bicycle seat, lowering it and requiring it to be readjusted. 

I don't think you can fairly compare the cycle times of the two rides.  Cedar Point has always studied capacities very carefully and if they feel it is no help to run 3 trains vs. 2 then I would tend to believe them.

Quite honestly I'm not believing CP on the issue of three trains vs. two on Mantis.  Last year, Mantis gave 1,444,817 rides while running three trains.  I doubt they'll get much over say 1.2 million this year.  I couldn't believe how slow that line moved this year compared to previous years.  They constantly had a line of over 90 minutes for a good portion of the summer.  I'm pretty sure someone from their crew said that 900 people per hour was a good hour this year.  I'm not buying the "capacity is the same" argument.  It is possible that they eliminated the third train for guest comfort.  When Mantis stacks all three trains, the stop for the third train is very abrupt and can cause some discomfort.  However, even with two trains, the stop (well, slow down actually) is still pretty harsh.  Perhaps CP will look things over this offseason, realize that their experiment didn't succeed, and act accordingly.  There are very few things as far a capacity that CP does wrong over the long haul.  I don't think this issue will be any different.

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-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew

Yes, they do stack and there is a longer wait then, but what about the 50% (or so) of the time when it isn't stacking? The line still moves faster then.
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...That was Schwabinchen' awesome!!

Paul

I think Mantis would make a killer sit down coaster.  The only regular one I have been on is Kumba and the only floorless has been Batman.  Mantis has a very interesting design and it is well paced like Raptor and I think its popularity as a sitdown would be HUGE. 
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Daniel "PING" Haverlock
Magnum Count: 2166
"You look like Richard Gere"

I totally agree, Dan! I'd love to see it as a Floorless :)

Mikey

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