So naturally, I started thinking about how great it would be to have multiple tophats of a similiar fashion in a single coaster. However, I soon began to think more and more about the possiblity of this, and I'm starting to think multiple tophats, or even a single top hat that is not the first element may not be possible at all. If you've seen Xcelerator run its course, you would know that as it crests the tophat, it's going relatively slow. The first time I saw it in person, my first thought was about how easily it could roll back in heavy wind, or a slight launch malfunction. On Xcelerator this is not a problem, since a rollback would bring it right back to the launch area and eventually back into the station. However, if the track immediately proceeding a tophat was not adequate for stopping and restarting on, it could be much more complicated in the event of a rollback... And we all know Cedar Point of all places is very prone to days of high wind and extreme cold, which certainly don't help the situation.
Certainly a second tophat could be designed significantly lower than the first, ensuring that if it did make it over the first, it would definetely make it over the second... The problem with this, is the resulting high speeds which would ensure the train makes it over would surely be too high to handle, especially considering that Xcelerator just creeps over its tophat, and the airtime on that hill is very intense, to say the least. The only way I see around this would be to very significantly reduce the radius of the tophat, but at what point does a tophat stop being a tophat, and start being your average airtime hill...
So, my guess is, if Cedar Point does indeed build a rocket coaster, and if it does indeed have a tophat element, that there will only be one tophat, and it will come immediately after the launch. Would everyone agree with my method of thinking, or am I way off track?
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I'd Rather Be Riding Roller Coasters
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And all this time I thought I was riding the green train.
5 Mantis 4 Maggie 3 Raptor 2 WT 1 Mille
But as far as the actual possiblility of using LIMs for a second tophat, I still just don't see it... It would still have to keep the train at a speed low enough to just make it over the top hat, which would be conducive to rollbacks. And in the event of an actual rollback, I assume there would have to be an area of flat, straight track with LIMs just before the tophat which would function to stop the train and transport it to the beggining of that lauch segment, in addition to relaunching the train. The way I see it, its very much possible to do this, but I just wouldn't think Intamin would go for a flat, straight section of track in the middle of a such a high speed ride's layout.
I'd love to hear what Dave has to say on the subject...
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I'd Rather Be Riding Roller Coasters
*** This post was edited by FloridaCoasterRider 8/10/2002 11:37:04 PM ***
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"Wheres the Callahan factory?!?!?"
I think if the ride is truly as big as everybody is wanting it to be, two tophats may be a bit overboard (dare I say wishful thinking). However, anything is possible.
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If you meet me and forget me, you've lost nothing. If you meet Jesus and forget Him, you've lost everything.
Infamous Rob
*** This post was edited by MFJedi 8/11/2002 6:46:23 PM ***
forcedude04 said:
I'd rather have one tophat double the size of Xcelerator's than two the same size...
Even if there were two tophats, I dont know what makes you think that you would have to go with two small ones... I'd just assume the first one would be "double the size of Xcelerator's", and the second one would be somewhat closer to Xcelerator's size, if not much larger.
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I'd Rather Be Riding Roller Coasters
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Rider
RIDE IT OUT!
MF: 5
WT: 0
MAG: Phh... After about 10 at once I stop counting. So take that as it is.
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