MF and rain

Here's a stupid question, but I'm curious. Prompted by the gloomy weather in NW Ohio this evening.

CP usually closes coasters when there is significant rainfall. I've always assumed this was due to potential problems with a wet braking system, but I don't know anything about friction or physics. (Rideman?)

Would rain be at all a factor with the magnetic braking system? *** This post was edited by Western Cruiser on 3/28/2000. ***

Oh, I imagine it will be the same with Millennium Force. If the rain is heavy enough, most people 1) Won't ride 2) Not profitable 3) Saftey

They arn't going to take any risks so don't count on running to Frontieer Trail when Heavens Floods come down.

I don't think rain would feel to well on your face at 92 mph.

I don't think it's braking at all. (At least on the newer coasters) I've been on several coasters (Raptor, Mantis, etc.) when the rain was pouring. I think they only shut down when there's lightning because of the obvious of being struck.
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RockDown's Favs
1. Raptor
2. Mean Streak
3. Magnum XL-200

Water doesn't bother magnetic brakes...

Mantis is bothered by rain 'cause it makes the train slip on the advancing wheels. Why they didn't just put brakes in the station I will never know. The argument usualy given is that the optical switches on the course occasionally malfunction in the rain. There are some problems with that explanation, particularly on rides such as Mean Streak which only use optical switches in the station, but that's their story. The only rides I can think of off hand where rain would interfere with braking would be Wildcat and Disaster Transport.

While Millennium Force's brakes may not have any trouble with water, I expect that the ride will use advancing wheels in the station, and those may have problems when wet.

I wonder if I will ever get an answer from Cedar Point as to why some of the coasters close for light rain, though...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
*** This post was edited by RideMan on 3/29/2000. ***

I think that, as stated earlier, rain falling on your face at 92 miles per hour will sort of hurt?

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Later,
Dave

Then again I have rode Iron Dragon in the pouring rain. The ride ops didn't care and seemed to be having a lot of fun. I was sure surprised.

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Millennium Force will be the next to sink!

I thought i heard somewhere that water on the tracks makes the rides go significantly faster (10 mph). this could cause safety problems but i dont know if im right or not about this its just what i heard

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HA HA HA, MELLENIUM FORCE, YEAH BUDDY!

Well, it could cause the ride to go faster at certain points...but the max speed would not be affected much, as the theoretical maximum speed for MF is about 95 MPH. But perhaps it would be going too fast around, say, the overbanked turn at the end, or through the bunny hop.

Jman

Too fast because of rain? Mean Streak, perhaps, but it shouldn't have that much of an effect on the other rides...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Besides, I doubt that CP (or anyone else for that matter) would be foolish enough to build a ride that would cause a safety hazard if it started to rain and sped up the trains. It just seems to risky.

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Last year on opening day at PKI I rode the beast in a pouring rain...it was excellent. Stinging rain on my face the whole 7000+ feet. A friend of mine was at Frightfest at SFGA a few years back and it was snowing and he got to ride American Eagle through that! Wasn't snowing hard, but just imagine. Anyway, I always thought that rain would slow a coaster down. Is there more friction or less with water on the rails? Anybody know for sure?

Consider that the train is *rolling*, not sliding, most of the time anyway. So the problem of friction between wheel and rail should be a static friction problem anyway. In theory, rain on the track should make very little difference to most steel coasters.

With wood coasters, particularly twisters like Mean Streak, the situation is a little different because the trains do not track the curves...they slide through them. For that reason, there IS a sliding friction element to a wood coaster, and when the track is wet, that friction is reduced, making it easier for the train to go around the curve, causing the train to lose less energy in tracking the curve, making the coaster go faster when wet.

Of course, if the track is normally lubricated anyway, it shouldn't make that much difference.....

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Well put. By the way, what is a MELLENIUM force?:)

Nice photo FunPhantom! *** This post was edited by Evan on 3/30/2000. ***

Rideman-
Not to be a wise guy, but how would rain interfere with braking on Disaster Transport? If the coaster is enclosed, is there a leak somewhere in the roof that causes problems?

Disaster Transport will break down if it is raining out trust me.
Also how fast do you thing rain travels to earth. I don't think rain drops will hurt.

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Millennium Force Ride Count:0

Rain drops hurt. Trust me.

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"Carnies built this country, the carnival part of it, anyway." - Homer

"Rain Drops hurt"

This brings back memories of a Pearl Jam concert I attended some time ago, and I was standing still!!..But thats a story for another place :)

I have to say though, that I have been to CP many, many times, and have yet to ride in the rain.

I like the way MF looks in the fog, will they run the ride when the cloud tops cover the top of the lift hill, (if it's not raining of course) ?

First of all, Disaster Transport has had a leaky roof for a couple of seasons now...Rumor has it that they fixed it last year.

The point is, if the brakes on Disaster Transport get wet, they won't work right. Fortunately, the ride is enclosed, so, in theory at least, the brakes and track should not get wet. My pet theory is that this is one of the reasons for converting Avalanche Run in the first place: to eliminate the frequent weather-related ride shutdowns.

If the roof is fixed, then Disaster Transport will run in the rain. But it will not run in the thunder.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.