"Paused" Trains

I have just returned fron CP and after riding TTD twice in a row, i can now say i have rode on a "paused" train... what i mean by that is that it is at the crest of the 420 foot hill for a good few seconds... I was in line for about a total of 4 hours for both rides and i did not see one rollback untill a minor storm came through, and they re-opened the ride... Many of the coasters were rolling back,and it seemed about every other coaster rolled back, the one in front of us cleared it very well... and then it was our turn, We launched out as fast as normal, the same awesome acceleration as usual but then as we started climbing the hill it slowed down so much and the coaster bearly crawled to the top... it stalled there for atleast a good 1-3 secs, before it slowly crept forward and down the hill, i was on the left side of the train and leaned out and looked at the ground 420 ft below... all i saw was lights, and an empty queue line... (they closed the gates and werent letting people in although a large line accumulated outside next to the launch run)... it was so small and so far away....

So basically im just asking if anyone has ever been on a train that "paused" at the top, or what they think of em... i personally think a few kicker wheels should be installed at the top to help prevent rollbacks and "paused" coasters...so tell me what ya think, aight im out later :)

No kicker wheels at the top PLEASE. I'm dieing to get on a TTD rollback as I have already been on a Xcelerator one. I would imagine Dragster's is a tad bit better.

yeah i know.... i wanted to rollback so bad when i was sitting in the train, waiting to go up to the launch position, but we just paused... iwanted to rollback, that would be awesome...

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TTD: 4 (Rollbacks seen: 8)
MF: 18
WT: 8
Usually at CP: every mon, tuesday, thursday

MrFat699 said:

i personally think a few kicker wheels should be installed at the top to help prevent rollbacks and "paused" coasters...so tell me what ya think, aight im out later :)

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That would be a good idea, actually. Rollbacks should be a rare occurance, and all of this stalling, pausing, and rolling back at the top shouldn't happen. I personally think they should bump up the launch speed to 125 mph, although it definitely has made it over the top at 120.

Mr. Kinzel and Mr. Keller,

All these posts about kicker wheels at the top are just jokes. Please don't take them seriously. They are just fantasy, you didn't really read about them on this board. They are a bad, bad, idea. What should really be installed at the top are brake fins, and maybe reverse kicker wheels.

Thank You.

;)

Wow, I cant beleive that anyone would really want kicker wheels. Its hard enough to see anything form 420 feet up as it is. I just find that funny.
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Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Are your ready for some speed? We've got 120 miles per hour! Are you ready to get vertical? We've got 420 feet. Are you ready for the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in the world?! ARE YOU READY FOR TOP THRILL DRAGSTER?!?

It's funny that everyone (including myself, I will admit) is hoping for a rollback... wouldn't that make it extraordinarily similar to Superman at SFMM?

Sorry, I just couldn't help but notice the startling similarity...

JayDubs

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Striker, Coco, Misty, and Breeze - Gone, but not forgotten...

When I suggested ;) kicker wheels, they should be used ONLY in the event of a stall. Not to prevent a rollback. I'm sure all the "scientists" in here could figure out where it'd be, and how it'd work.

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If I win the lottery, I promise not to quit my job. Although, it may not take very long for me to be fired.
In the immortal words of Socrates, "I drank what?!"

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JayDubs said:
It's funny that everyone (including myself, I will admit) is hoping for a rollback... wouldn't that make it extraordinarily similar to Superman at SFMM?

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At least for me, the reason I want a rollback is because afterwards you're gonna get another launch. That's two rides for one wait...Save a couple of hours that way.

yeah im guessing a rollback feels like wicked twister, just 200 feet higher and double the speed :)

and the kickers are just a suggestion to stop all the down time from friggin rollbacks... i myself am dieing to rollback!

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TTD: 4 (Rollbacks seen: 8)
MF: 18
WT: 8
Usually at CP: every mon, tuesday, thursday

As much as we all want a rollback, kicker wheels are a good idea IMO if it will help all this downtime to reset all the rollbacks! Heres how id set them up...

Put them in a setup like the ones on the brake run. Have them sit low enough that a train will not touch them normally. Put a speed sensor right before the crest. If the speed sensor detects a train going at a speed which could be condusive to a rollback, then the wheels will raise up and give it a gentle push over. With the positioning of these wheels, rollbacks that don't make it to the crest won't be effected. Honestly, you know its bad for a coaster when every time its launched, the whole line yells "GO GO GO GO GO", most often followed by "awwwwwwwwww". I think most of us can say, rollbacks are neat to see the first time, but when you have to wait 2 hours b/c every other train is rolling back, and taking up to 4 empty launches before it'll make it over, its just ridiculous. But hey, I wouldn't mind either if they just pushed that speed up a few mph.

Also, I had a cheaper idea. If they have to unload on the launch, or if they are just sending an empty train to test, have a few water dummies to the side they can throw on. 5-6 water dummies in the front could make the difference each time to help it get over, so they don't have to keep launching empty trains hoping they'll get over. On my trip I saw one rollback with people, and an uncountable number of empty ones. This would be the cheap alternative to kickers.

I must not go on days with a lot of rollbacks. I've been to CP about 20 times this year and have only seen one loaded rollback. (three unloaded)

I actually got my first rollback (August 1) the other day. Preeeeeeetty sweet if you ask me. I was one of the trains out after the storm.

Corey

How about those pools that they have at the top of a ski slope in competitions. Top Thrill Bobsled. ;-) Theres gotta be something they can do to prevent the rollbacks. I can't drive yet, so i dont get to cp very much. (2 times this year both times dragster closed). Although I agree that a rollback would be awsome, id rather just get a chance to ride the darn thing, as well as i would think the rest of the g.p. feels. I agree with you CtCF, but i think maybe just weight in the nose of the trains where nobody sits might help somewhat. Or just have people sit in just the front of the train and maybe let the 2 back cars empty. I dont know, there are so many ways to prevent these rollbacks or at least reduce them.

Then what was the point of adding the 2 back seats if their not gonna load them. I think thats why TTD is down now, I really hope it reopens tomorrow though. I'll be heading out there tomorrow. My 2nd trip to CP and my first one was without TTD. But i really want to get on TTD this year. Any word on if its going to open tomorrow?

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- Dennis
When I die, They'll read this And say a genius wrote it.
http://drinkduff.com/

I was there today and saw my first rollbacks, but I noticed something. You said it rolled back after it rained... when they opened it up this morning they had to launch each train twice because the first time they had to get all the water out of the wheel assemblies. After they dried out after the first unsuccessful launch they would then make it over. I think that some of the rollbacks like the ones you were talking about are just caused by water in the wheel assemblies. No big deal, they just need air dried at 120 mph first. :)

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GOCC member #671

beccaraptor, did you stand inline when they opened the ride about 3? i was, i got inline, and yeah, after it rains they do some launches and when we were standing outside the queue line, you felt the mist of water from the coaster/track...

Me and my friend stood inline for close to 5 hours in the station when they eventually kicked us out and gave us some "you know whats" *wink* *wink*

I was the one obnoxius teenager who would yell "cross" and do the little hand signal every time someone crossed the track ;) and we were yelling for patrick, who is the best ride op in the park,

TTD: 4 (Rollbacks seen: 24)
MF: 18
WT: 8
"C'mon, get off the rails guys, listen to the guy with the Disaster Transport uniform on!"

*** This post was edited by MrFat699 8/4/2003 2:44:45 PM ***

Yeah I was standing in that line. I was a little further back then you and when they let us in line I was up there just before where the lines divide. I was so hoping to have my first ride on it and we were soooooo close to being able to ride... that was the first time this season out of four trips that I have even seen it run. You can recognize me and my bf by our bright orange shirts with the coaster list on the back.
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GOCC member #671

I haven't been on a roll back or a pause, but I definately got to see my first, what you might call, a "pause" at the top the last time I went. It was pretty interesting, the people went up and there was just dead silence, all you could hear was "look, look", and sure enough, it was just sitting there and it didn't look like it was going anywhere, but it just rolled forward and down it went.

It was weird to see, it looked as if it completely stopped from where I was standing on the ground. Never been on it, but I bet you got the best look anybody can. As far as a rollback, I guess you have to be part of that media team that got a video of it on Media Day, other than that I haven't heard of a roll back while people were on it. (Unless somebody already posted it in the other topic)

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Life has it's ups and downs, might as well make it on a coaster!

There have been waaaay too many rollbacks. And yes with people on them.

I would love a rollback as well, but one night I was there and it was rolling back every 3rd or 4th train. There's a difference between the *occasional* rollback that should happen and *excessive* rollbacks. As much as I want a rollback, I don't want to wait 5 ~ 15 minutes for the ride to reset over and over and over again like I did that one night. Even the people in line were yelling, "You can make it!" followed by, "Awh <bad words here>!"

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18 straight years of real thrills and counting...