Noon opening this week
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Word around the camp fire is that MF won't open til noon this week so they can work on the ride. So instead of running to the Force go run to Magnum. Remeber that they did that last year with Camp Snoopy.
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daniel j. haverlock
'00 Magnum Count: 023
'00 M. Force Count:043
spiritofthepoint.com
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daniel j. haverlock
'00 Magnum Count: 023
'00 M. Force Count:043
spiritofthepoint.com
How does friday sound on the crowds side?, I know there will be more than the rest of the week, since it's a friday. Also, Friday is their Music Appreciation thing, because my aunt's choir from PA is coming to compete, but I still asked about the crowds, because I've never heard anything about how big CP's music day is.
Tuesday MF did not run until noon, and that was advertised on signs at every entrance. The folks at Park Ops told me that that would be the case until at least Thursday. It looks like MF will be a three hour wait this week no matter what time you arrive.
The crowds on Tuesday were much better than Monday, but still bigger than a typical weekday in May. Lots of folks were taken out of circulation for hours waiting for MF though, so the rest of the park was fine.
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Dave McWilliams
The crowds on Tuesday were much better than Monday, but still bigger than a typical weekday in May. Lots of folks were taken out of circulation for hours waiting for MF though, so the rest of the park was fine.
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Dave McWilliams
They told me today that the noon openings will continue on weekdays until the three train operation problems are solved. There are now four Intamin engineers staying there and working in the mornings on the rollback problem with the yellow train as well as looking at rewriting the software to allow stacking with three trains. One of the ride ops said they haven't been able to get anywhere close to decent timing and that stacking looks like the only way. For some reason slowing the lift isn't an option.
I agree with the stacking situation. (that's a first) the last thing I want to see is trim brakes on this ride. So we are sitting on the brakes, we know one thing we won't come to a sudden stop like on raptor or especially mantis or any friction brake ride. I like the lift speed just the way it is. I would not want to see it slowed down. I like moving up to the top fast, it gives that ride a whole different meaning going that fast. if they can get an interval right for stacking not to be a problem great, i like that, but otherwise go for stacking. It will make the que line even better. :)
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Raptor Flights: 5
Force Rides: 4 *** This post was edited by Hooper on 5/17/2000. ***
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Raptor Flights: 5
Force Rides: 4 *** This post was edited by Hooper on 5/17/2000. ***
I just had a thought on as to why the lift can't be slowed down. I wonder if the mechanism that keeps the anti-rollbacks disengaged needs the speed in order to work? From what I understand, a wheel rolls on the lift sled track, to generate a magnetic field, to keep the anti-rollbacks up. If the lift is slowed the magnetice field may not be strong enough.
Right on Pete... I would guess that if the wheels that create the current (or whatever) keeping the things disengaged didn't turn fast enough, they wouldn't work.
The bigger problem is this: If you have all three trains on, one in load, one in unload and one in the brakes, you have to move the back two up before the first train crests the lift. If you don't it creates a blocking violation because the brakes are part of the block that includes the circuit. You can't override that because if the kicker wheels failed at the brakes with a train in them, the next train would crash in to it. Crashes are bad.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 23
The bigger problem is this: If you have all three trains on, one in load, one in unload and one in the brakes, you have to move the back two up before the first train crests the lift. If you don't it creates a blocking violation because the brakes are part of the block that includes the circuit. You can't override that because if the kicker wheels failed at the brakes with a train in them, the next train would crash in to it. Crashes are bad.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 23
I've been thinking about the three train problem. I agree with Pete that the lift probably can't be slowed due to the rollback system. A train can't come off the course/brakes until the unload is empty. To avoid setups, my guess is that they won't dispatch until both the load and unload stations are ready. Once those trains roll ahead, the brakes will clear while the dispatched train is still on the lift. The optimal situation would be to roll the unloaded train into the load station while the loaded train starts the "launch" out of the station so both move at the same time. The only problem is that there would be some sort of block violation with two trains in the load station. Same goes with the braked train and the unloaded train. To remedy this problem, divide the stations into multiple blocks by installing more kicker wheels. So instead of having one load station block you would get two or three load station
blocks, but you can ensure that a block would always remain open between trains.
I guess another option, farfetched as it is, would be to install another set of kicker wheels and replacing some of the static position magnets with the retractable version at the end of the first line of brakes thus creating another block. This would give the ride a stacking block that could be used if a train can't advance from unload to load.
The real problem is the loading time. The longest part of the loading process is fastening seatbelts. The system they chose for MF is easy to attach. The problem arises when a rider fastens the belt over the side bar of the seat as opposed to under it. When there is a problem the ride op has to unfasten the belt, feed it under the side bar and attach it to the belt. I'm with Dave "RideMan" Althoff when he says that they should come up with some system to keep the female end of the buckle on the correct side of the seat's side bar.
The other problem I see with the seat belt system is that the belts usually need adjustment between riders. I know I'm gonna get flak over this statement, but why not install retractable seatbelts a la the Morgan hypers? That way all a rider has to do is extend the belt and buckle it. If there is no rider in a seat for any given cycle, the belt is already in a stowed position giving more time to the ride ops to attend to riders' needs. Regarding the ride with these new belts, the restraint touches you in the same basic area as the seat belt so loss of ride sensation (read as airtime) should be minimal.
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Scott W. Short
sshort@mediaone.net
http://welcome.to/midwestcoastercentral
blocks, but you can ensure that a block would always remain open between trains.
I guess another option, farfetched as it is, would be to install another set of kicker wheels and replacing some of the static position magnets with the retractable version at the end of the first line of brakes thus creating another block. This would give the ride a stacking block that could be used if a train can't advance from unload to load.
The real problem is the loading time. The longest part of the loading process is fastening seatbelts. The system they chose for MF is easy to attach. The problem arises when a rider fastens the belt over the side bar of the seat as opposed to under it. When there is a problem the ride op has to unfasten the belt, feed it under the side bar and attach it to the belt. I'm with Dave "RideMan" Althoff when he says that they should come up with some system to keep the female end of the buckle on the correct side of the seat's side bar.
The other problem I see with the seat belt system is that the belts usually need adjustment between riders. I know I'm gonna get flak over this statement, but why not install retractable seatbelts a la the Morgan hypers? That way all a rider has to do is extend the belt and buckle it. If there is no rider in a seat for any given cycle, the belt is already in a stowed position giving more time to the ride ops to attend to riders' needs. Regarding the ride with these new belts, the restraint touches you in the same basic area as the seat belt so loss of ride sensation (read as airtime) should be minimal.
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Scott W. Short
sshort@mediaone.net
http://welcome.to/midwestcoastercentral
Now, I know the noise from MF is the anti-rollback. Is the noise perminate or just temperary. In other words, will it be doing this next month?
One more thing, Dan, you were right. I know someone who just got back and they didn't open it untill after noon!
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"the Force of the new Millennium will be felt by those who choose to seek it... Beyond words... bey *** This post was edited by JT Coaster on 5/17/2000. ***
One more thing, Dan, you were right. I know someone who just got back and they didn't open it untill after noon!
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"the Force of the new Millennium will be felt by those who choose to seek it... Beyond words... bey *** This post was edited by JT Coaster on 5/17/2000. ***
Re Jeff:
If that's true, I take it the brakes immediately after the last turn can't completely stop a train. If that were so, then there'd be no problem, right? Because if the kickers failed, you'd have one outside of unload, one in unload, and one on the brakes after the last turn? It might be a problem because I didn't notice any kicker wheels there but we'd only have to worry about this in the event that the kicker wheels failed, right? And we all hope that's not a frequent occurance.
Also, isn't the lift itself a block? I thought that if the sensors say that the kickers failed and the train ahead didn't move, the lift stops and doesn't allow it to crest. No big problem there either, right?
Also, why do those magnetic brakes (the ones I was just talking about right after the final turn) make so much noise?
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aIrtIme'S oVeRrAtEd... *** This post was edited by RockDown2G on 5/17/2000. ***
If that's true, I take it the brakes immediately after the last turn can't completely stop a train. If that were so, then there'd be no problem, right? Because if the kickers failed, you'd have one outside of unload, one in unload, and one on the brakes after the last turn? It might be a problem because I didn't notice any kicker wheels there but we'd only have to worry about this in the event that the kicker wheels failed, right? And we all hope that's not a frequent occurance.
Also, isn't the lift itself a block? I thought that if the sensors say that the kickers failed and the train ahead didn't move, the lift stops and doesn't allow it to crest. No big problem there either, right?
Also, why do those magnetic brakes (the ones I was just talking about right after the final turn) make so much noise?
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aIrtIme'S oVeRrAtEd... *** This post was edited by RockDown2G on 5/17/2000. ***
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