Maverick (Bad Noise) 5-30-10 6:42

Ok, so I was in line for Wave Swinger at 6:42 yesterday. I know because I was on the phone at the time. As a train came out of the tunnel and went around the lake it was making a noise I never hear it make. Imagine a cap gun but a lot louder and shooting in rapid fire mode. It made this noise continuously for as long as I could see/hear it. I assumed the ride would be down for mechanical at that point. But, a couple minutes later another train crested the lift. 3 more trains soon followed. None of them making the same noise. So, the questionable train must have made it back to the station. Then the wait began. About 15 minutes later, operation started back up. I'm assuming the train in question was removed. That's all I know. It happened so fast, I didn't have time to try and see what train it was.

Not that it is at all related. But, Maverick seemed to have a higher than normal amount of downtime this weekend. Down several times each day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some long and some short. But, I just don't recall a time where it was down so much. Perhaps this one train was the culprit.

If anyone is visiting the park, I'd be interested to know how it runs today.

The sound you described makes me think it was a bad wheel. I have heard that sound on coasters before and it usually means a wheel needs to be looked at. Magnum would make the same noise coming down the drop, at which point I would call and let them know about it so Maintenance could take a look.

Could the sound also be compared to a playing card being picked along the spokes of a bicycle wheel, Jason? Because that is the sound I usually hear in reference to a bad wheel.

Before anyone else says it, lol Intamin.

Sounds like a blow-out.

With plastic wheels, the plastic is such a good insulator that the heat generated by the flexing of the plastic can't get out. Some is able to migrate to the hub and get out that way, but an awful lot of the heat ends up liquefying the center core of the tire. This is normal for a roller coaster wheel.

What is not normal is what happens if the tire fails either along its edge (typically through the rolling surface) or less frequently at the bond joint where the tire is bonded to the wheel. This causes two Bad Things™ to happen. First, it allows the molten urethane to flow out of the center of the tire. That robs the tire of its inherent structure and makes it go "flat". Second, because the urethane has squeezed out of the middle of the tire, it has gone somewhere, typically making a mess of the tire surface.

Either way it means a rough ride and a lot of noise. It's also a pretty normal failure for a polyurethane tire.

(adapted from "Be Safe: Know Your Wheels", a presentation from UREMET :) )

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Another informative and entertaining post from RideMan.

Thank you!

Based on the pace of the noise, I figured it was wheel related. Thanks Dave. The Wave Swinger ride op made a call to let someone know right after it happened. But, I'm sure the guests on the ride would have said something too. I'm suprised a topic like this hassen't come up in the 7+ years I've been going to the Buzz sites.

I always seem to learn something new everytime I read one of Dave's posts. :)

Every once in awhile this would happen in 2007 when I worked on Thunder Canyon. We would call over to Maverick when we heard this noise. The noise does not make It only happened a hand full of time during the summer that I know of.

EvilChameleon09 said:
Before anyone else says it, lol Intamin.

B&M's are prone to bad wheels too.

Nonsense. B&M's are the greatest thing on earth. :)

JPS said:
Every once in awhile this would happen in 2007 when I worked on Thunder Canyon. We would call over to Maverick when we heard this noise. The noise does not make It only happened a hand full of time during the summer that I know of.

It happened a lot more then just a hand full of times. It's a blown wheel and was happening quite a lot before they changed to a different material of wheels.

^^So I'll see you on Mantis then? ;)

Dvo said:
^^So I'll see you on Mantis then? ;)

or Iron Wolf lol

Dvo said:
^^So I'll see you on Mantis then? ;)

There are some things even I won't ride. ;)

It's something that happens on any ride that uses plastic-tire wheels running at high speed. At Cedar Point, that means every coaster except for [Blue|Mean] Streak. It applies on a lesser degree to some of the other rides as well, such as Matterhorn and Himalaya.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I realize that all but the Streaks have plastic wheels. But, I don't think we have much to worry about on Jr. Gemini when it's cruising by at a bone rattling 6mph. :)