Power Outage

Worstest? My teachers beat that out of me when I was freakin 3! That whole post would be a giant red and green line in word!
*** Edited 2/28/2005 12:25:12 AM UTC by Fastball84***

The worst ride would be Space Spiral on a hot day. It's nearly intolerable for the ride cycle let alone up there for an extended period.

Iron Dragon used a cherry picker to unload guests in 2003 during the big power outage.

I'll never forget that power outage. I was riding my bike home from a friends house and all of the traffic lights were out but I thought nothing of it so then when I got home my power was out as well so I called family who lived across Windsor and surrounding area and everyone elses power was out. Then I got in the car to listen to the radio and it explained it all. I remember thinking "Hmm, I wonder what happens to people on rides at Cedar Point" and then they said that people were stranded on rides at Cedar Point. I was actually at the park a week before that now that I think of it.

Did CP close durning the the "Black Out"?

• Cedar Point was affected by a major power outage that struck simultaneously from New York to Michigan. Power was lost at 4:10 p.m. and was restored a few hours later. The power outage did force the park to close early, the first time the park has ever been forced to close early due to a power outage. (August 14)
That's from the time line here on PointBuzz.

My power was out for like 2 days and i live 45 minutes from CP. I'm supried it was on so soon.

I was there. I just got off Mantis. It was kinda cool because you heard the park just go silent. Then there was organized histaria. lol.

Antiques/Cad Cars/Turpikes got huge lines after that (they run on gas). The only line that was possibly bigger would have been the one to park ops, where there was a mass of guests waiting to complain, as if Cedar Point had something to do with making the power go out over most of the region :)

I remember hearing about the huge lines at the car rides. Now that would be something to see. I do find it really interesting to read about all that goes on during a mass power outage in the park like this.

I was actually in Six Flags when this happened. It was really weird. Everything just kind of stopped working. I decided to leave and drive home only to discover that New York City had lost power. That was a horrible discovery, so I decided to drive to my partner's family's beach house (I have a key) and luckily, nobody was there so I just chilled out there for the next day and then went back home. There wasn't any power, so it was definitely a trip (I had to rely on my battery-powered "toys"). Luckily, wine is still good even if it's not chilled. Chirst, I dont think I'd be able to get through the day without drinking a nice, big bottle of red wine. I just love that stuff. Sorry, I've wandered a bit, but I think I've had a bit too much wine tonight :D :D :D. Sorry.

I too was at the park the day of the Black Out. I was in line for Raptor when it happened, and it was almost eerie hearing the park go silent and seeing everything just stop. Of course nothing was worse than my mom driving a conversion van through downtown Sandusky with no traffic lights in operation...

I heard that Millennium Force had just gone over the hill when this happend, I was working at the time of the blackout. What happened to Wicked Twister? Did it just roll back and just sit in the middle of the launch?

Millennium Force was near the top of the lift when the power went out. It took about 45 minutes before it got over because of how painfully slow the hydraulic motor is.

The hydraulic system, from what I heard, is attached to the lift system. When there were problems with it, it caused large amounts of downtime of the entire ride. I heard something about the ride estoping itself constantly during that time too. I guess MF got tired of TTD getting all the hydraulic attention.

I thought it was a gas powered motor that backed up MF in the event of a power failure?

Probably the backup engine powers a hydraulic pump.

http://www.pointbuzz.com/Gallery.aspx?i=1166
Hydraulic Motor (Blue with hoses extending downward)

http://www.pointbuzz.com/Gallery.aspx?i=1165
Caption speek for itself

http://www.pointbuzz.com/Gallery.aspx?i=1257
480 volt 3 phase 800 HP Inverter duty motor with large blower on top

To get the main drive to budge the lift motor while pulling a train would take 700-800 amps. A generator capable of that output or more is very expensive. While pulling a train full speed, it takes 1700-1800 amps. Accelerating on the lift will run up to 2200 amps. Hydraulics were choosen to be a power interface. It uses a low speed, high torque hydraulic motor to turn drum very slowly. TTD uses high speed low torque motors. Some applications require speed, others, brut force. TTD requires both.

Those lucky people on Millennum Force got the last ride of the day.

CPking1027 said:
My question is what happens when the Power Towen when the power goes out? Like if it was on the way down.

I worked on a ride very similar to this at my local amusment park, The air compressers are filled before the guests even get on the ride, that way if there was a power outage, it would stop just as if there was power. Matnence would then come and manualy release the pressure in the tanks lowering the car the rest of the way

I was there to when it happend except i was on Magnum when the power went out. I didn't think it was the whole park till my friend said look around nothing is moving. The car was only like halfway up the hill, it was no big. Walking down was a little nerve wrecking because those stairs are 100 feet above the ground and i am afraid of heights. I do remember people after we got off were like we are going to complain to park services and get our money back. What whiny people.

That sounds like a lot of fun!^