Mantis Train

Going against the grain here, I actually like the trim on MANTIS because it adds some wonderful hang time in the loop.

Am I right in assuming that not only is the drop trim off, but the block brakes are hitting less as well -- ie very awesome ending?

If so, June 7 can't come soon enough!

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#1 Steel -- Nitro
#1 Wood -- Legend
Track Record -- 353

Why weren't the trims turned off last year when they were only running two trains? Why suddenly this year do they decide to turn them off. I hope it just wasn't an opening day thing.

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Michael McCormack CP '02: 1
Magnum XL 200: 2
Millennium Force: 1
Wicked Twister: 2

Mantis train #3 wrapped for your protection.

"What About The Side Effects?Their Fun."

The trims were off when I rode it last year with the two train operation.

I can't see at all how the trim on the first hill could have anything to do with anything. It didn't slow you down enough to help with blocking and it certainly shouldn't have had any bearing on whether you could have a 3rd train running or not.

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I was super before Superstew was cool!

Wanna bet? I could eyeball how much faster the train completed the first half of the course on Sunday. It easily gained 5 seconds or more, and that does make a difference.

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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"

You're right. I wasn't thinking about the momentum factor. You would gain several seconds, or lose depending on how you look at it.

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I was super before Superstew was cool!

But Jeff, I thought "trims are all psychological." ;)

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#1 Steel -- Nitro
#1 Wood -- Legend
Track Record -- 353

...not when you can distinctly feel them grabbing the train after it has picked up a lot of speed. Another way to they that they aren't "psychological" is to as a non-enthusiasts if they felt anything grab the train on the way down. If they did, and they weren't expecting it, you know the trim was grabbing pretty hard.

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Snoopy Rocks! On Ice starts June 22--Do you think they'll let me drive the Zamboni machine?

I want to drive the Zamboni!

CP_bound, you're preachin' to the choir. I was just teasing Jeff because he always says how enthusiasts fuss about trims and that it's all psychological. I personally think they do much more than that on some rides.

Just some good natured fun, is all.

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#1 Steel -- Nitro
#1 Wood -- Legend
Track Record -- 353

Yeah, sometimes I do think it's psychological because some enthusiasts try to point out everything wrong with a ride. Mantis just isn't one of those cases.

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Snoopy Rocks! On Ice starts June 22--Do you think they'll let me drive the Zamboni machine?

I want to drive the Zamboni!

Mid-course trims are very different, and I never felt that Mantis (or Raptor, Montu, Kumba, Alpengeist, Apollo, Nitro, etc.) were adversely affected by mid-course trimming. The first-drop brake is an entirely different matter.

Mantis now lacks the hang time in the first three inversions, but the speed is a nice trade-off.

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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"

I would rather have the speed than the hang

I disagree about mid-course blocks affecting Montu and Alpengeist (the rest, I agree, they don't affect it at all). I feel those two are braked to the point where you can tell the rest of the ride was *not* supposed to feel that slow.

About Mantis, I *really* loved the intensity the first season. Then, last year, they trimmed it so hard on the drop that I thought we'd rollback in the first two inversions, it was amazing! To make up for it, the second half was blazin', there was NO block brake application on the train (this lasted like two visits last year, I believe it was in June). That was the ultimate Mantis ride, I think.

However, if there is no trim and it's hauling butt again throughout the first half, I will definitely take that, too! When the trim was applied, the only adversely affect it had for the first half was the carousel turn over the station -- that was taken too slowly.

With all this extra speed now, is the block brake applied harshly, or about the same strenth as Riddler's Revenge, Nitro, Apollo, etc? Those just touch the train to check the speed and I don't feel as if they hamper the ending at all.

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#1 Steel -- Nitro
#1 Wood -- Legend
Track Record -- 347

It's just a minor tap, about what you'd expect on Raptor.

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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"

I was definitely suprised at the speed. Mantis was well down on my list because it seemed to drag through the course. But on Sunday it flew, and the mid course break was, as Jeff says, just a minor tap. We weren't even going to ride it except we noticed virtually no line when we checked it out around 4:30 pm.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

That's just what I wanted to hear! Thanks for the great news, it looks like Mantis has been given a "second chance." :)

CP seems to have sprinkled some magic dust on some of their coasters this past offeason! With Blue Streak getting rave reviews, Mantis' trim a memory, and Disaster Transport spruced up, I am really looking forward to a fantastic year. Wicked Twister ain't too bad either. :)

The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the MF station music being lost. I never would have expected that. :(

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#1 Steel -- Nitro
#1 Wood -- Legend
Track Record -- 353

Ok so I hate to be the bringer of HORRIBLE NEWS, but...
THe trim on the first hill is now turned on, and at a rther strong level at that. During morning test runs, the train is just making it through the loop and dive loop, kinda scary IMHO, all i can think of is ROLL-BACK! =(

But yes the trims are on and the ride is once again back to it's slow self!

WHY? The only good thing that I can see come out of this is if they change the the MF music back since they changed this back.

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Snoopy Rocks! On Ice starts June 22--Do you think they'll let me drive the Zamboni machine?

I want to drive the Zamboni!