Mauer Shone X-Coaster Music Cedar Point 2011?

Cutting edge rides (aside from STR...I still don't understand how that could be messed up)= risk = some kinks to work out

^^Exactly, if you're the major coaster maker and the one pushing the envelope more than others, then you're going to see some changes and unexpected faults. Computer programs, models, and tests only go so far, when it comes to a real world situation things can and will change. Unless you want to run a coaster with no one on it for a year while it sits in the park not open to the public to determine wear issues, restraint cylinders, etc then maybe you'll see a perfect maintenance record. Yes it's a coaster but it's also a machine, things wear, break down. It's still way safer to ride one of these than it is to just drive to the park.

I just want to slip in here for a moment and address something someone said on the 2nd page...

coolkid2345 said:
^The software is supposed to make sure that each riders lap-bar is secure against their bodies. If I am not mistaking, that is why on El Toro they have to squeeze the bar down as far as possible. If they don't, they can not dispatch the train.

Ah. Here, there is a bit of a problem.

What you are suggesting is something that a mechanical system is incapable of doing.

The use of an adjustable restraint is intended to open access to a ride to a wider variety of people-sizes by allowing riders of various sizes to be adequately secured.

Unfortunately, there is no practical way for a mechanical and electrical system to determine whether a restraint is positioned in such a way as to adequately restrain any particular rider. If we assume that smaller riders must have a tighter restraint, then a restraint positioned to adequately secure a large rider will not adequately secure a smaller rider. For this reason, prior to the adoption of the relevant language in the design standard, manufacturers did not use any form of interlock based on restraint position. Even the Arrow Launched Loop coasters, which do have a "launch abort" function based on detecting the control pedals for the shoulder bars, do not detect the restraint position, only its locked/unlocked status. It is possible, on most coasters, to dispatch a train with the restraints in the OPEN (albeit locked) position.

Now, there is a suggestion (in fact a requirement for some rides) that the restraint should somehow detect when it is positioned correctly. The fact of the matter is, while the bar position can be easily detected, the relationship of that position to the rider cannot. For that reason, the new standard (making the same assumption as before) is that the LOOSEST allowable position must provide adequate restraint for the SMALLEST person permitted to ride. In other words, the ability to adjust the restraint has become pretty much a pointless exercise.

Because this requirement did not exist until just a few years ago, most rides built before about 2006 did not have any form of position checking or position-related interlock. That includes the Ride of Steel coasters.

That said, I am pretty sure there was a design defect in the Ride of Steel train, a defect which was corrected by the time Millennium Force was built.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

That is interesting. I just thought software issue meant detecting the bars.

Mr. Althoff, I find myself once again in awe of your industry related knowledge.

Well done, sir.

An Intamin discussion in a line really got going....

Ejections: 4: SROS at DL, SROS at SFNE, Perilous Plunge at KBF, Hydro at Oakwood (Wales)

Brake Problems: 3: SROS at SFNE (train hit the other), SROS at SFA (empty train sailed through brakes, alert crew sent it through station so other train wouldn't hit it), KK at SFGAD (brake or cable, not sure)

Cable Problems: 3 on coasters: MF at CP (thank God the station was empty), TTD at CP, Xcelerator at KBF

Towers: 4: The Edge (1st gen), Drop Tower at PCA (2nd gen) with ejection, both ages ago. Hellevator AKA Superman Tower of Power at SFKK. Frayed cable found on similar ride at Carowinds.

Roz

Wait Millennium Force? "Thank god the station was empty" Please explain. I do not recall an incident where Millennium Force's cable snapped and the train rolled back into the station. And isn't that what anti-rollbacks are for?

As far as I know, no train has ever rolled back into the station on MF. Probably because, as you stated, the lift hill is designed to prevent just such an event from happening.

And even when the cable snapped and the lift dog slammed back into the station, it failed as expected. It made a loud noice, but everything operated as it was supposed to during a cable failure. So I don't see what the issue is.

And cable failures are an expected wear part like the brakes on your car. So that's not really the "fault" of the ride manufacturer.

So that never happened? I didn't think it did, but he had me wondering. It just didn't make sense that happened.

The train on MF has never rolled back into the station. However there was damage that required quite a bit of repair before the ride reopened.

Also: The ride was not yet open.

All the ride ops were on board the red train, stuck at the top of the hill. They enjoyed the ride down in the little cart.

Dispatch had to be in the booth, and co-dispatch in the back of the station. I'll bet they're sworn to secrecy.

The blue train did not advance from Unload to Load. The yellow train was on the transfer track, probably ready to be added.

Therefore there was little opportunity for damage to persons or trains in the station. I'm no engineer: you guys take it from here!

I could be completely off base here. But, in regards to the Milli Cable Break, I thought I remember something about the cable piling up in the station. Does this sound familiar to anyone else?

Are we talking about this? From 2001

If I do recall correctly, Millennium Force did have some damage to the station when an object totally rambled through it during the cable malfunction. No one was hurt so it really is forgivable.