Raptor closed on last day

Yeah, because it's so worth it to take a bunch of pictures of a train that looks exactly the same in a still picture regardless of whether or not it was moving.

And boo-freakin'-hoo about the last train. This annual last train nonsense on all of the rides makes me embarrassed to be an enthusiast. What difference does it make? What do you win, and who will care? These idiots in their 70's satin jackets acting like they're entitled to some last ride are pathetic. It's precisely the reason I haven't stayed to close since 1999 or so. It's a joke.

^ Youch!

I'll admit that leaving the park, buying a camera and taking a entire roll of pictures of a valleyed raptor train seems a little over the top to me.

Yeah I was amused watching the group gathering around Magnum for the last train about 30 mins before park closing. I think I grabbed 4 trimless rides in the same time that people were waiting there.

It would have been nicer if those coaster dorks standing around had filled those last 4 trains that we rode. Maggie flies on a full train and those cars don't rattle so much when there are 6 butts in it rather than 2, especially with those butts that some of the enthusaists sport.

Although I'm not sure if those rides would have been trimless. Either way it was fun.

Not riding Raptor was a bummer considering I've only ridden Raptor during CoasterMania this year despite all the times I've been to the park. I'm glad the weather was a little better than Saturday though, sure it got cold later in the night, but it wasn't raining.

~Rob Willi

ps - when I speak of coaster dorks and their butts I do mean that in a friendly, joking matter. But some of you are stupid enough to read too much between the lines and I'm sure you'll take this out of context. Nothing to see here...

At least Magnum is able to accommodate those butts, unlike some Swiss made coasters.

This is true. By the way, I was with Josh at the Frontier Town Plaza yesterday at the park. I was the one with the 9 month old in his Lion costume. Sorry for not introducing myself.

~Rob Willi

No problem. I loved the lion costume, and you looked like you had your hands full with him.

I just wish we had done that get together earlier in the weekend. I was completely tapped out by then after having Friday and Saturday in the park.

Hey I saw that costume over between Frontier Inn and WWL's station. Very cute.

I managed to snag some decent pictures this weekend. I'll send the Maverick ones over to Walt, and I'll upload the other ones to my webshots so you guys can check them out.

I got a really sweet sunset-on-lake picture that should make for a killer desktop.

-Josh

Yep, that's my boy. He loves coming to the park with us. So far he's only ridden the train, the carosel (the bench of course), and the Paddlewheel Excursion, but I'm sure we'll be regulars at Camp Snoopy for the next few seasons.

Gotta train them young!

~Rob Willi

They have to remove the train peice by peice.   And, it looks like somebody didn't hit ride stop or e-stop quick enough. *** Edited 10/30/2006 10:30:59 PM UTC by Screw Crew member***

^ Well, I've never seen diagrams or control panels for Raptor, but I don't think that any sort of 'ride stop' or 'e-stop' is going to keep the train from rolling back once it's left the lift. How would that help?

Yeah, I don't think they sent it with the plan to hit e-stop when it hit the lift.

Oh well, I saw Wild Cat stall at the top of the second level pull out on the left hand side (if you're looking from the Midway) on Saturday. They had been sending op loaded cars, and then someone decided that an empty car was a good idea. It BARELY creeped out of the first drop and around the turn. And then it just stopped. Just before it did that, a kid waiting behind us (we were at the front of the line waiting) went and asked an op how long and was told it could be 10 or it could be 30 minutes. We determined it would be 30 and went on our way.

I did get to ride on Sunday though, as well as getting a Saturday night ride on Demon Drop.

Raptor Pics

http://img115.imageshack.us/my.php?image=canoncedarpointoct29200js6.jpg

http://img171.imageshack.us/my.php?image=canoncedarpointoct29200wc7.jpg

http://img128.imageshack.us/my.php?image=canoncedarpointoct29200oh9.jpg *** Edited 10/30/2006 11:18:36 PM UTC by TOPGUN1993***

so...i worked at raptor! raptor has an e-stop, ride stop, and lift stop...all rides have an e-stop and alot of them have both!! the only places the train will stop is on the lift, in the block brake or in the main braking area at the end of the ride...the rest is up to gravity...just like all B&M rollercoasterss *** Edited 10/31/2006 2:03:39 AM UTC by drewk***

And the point is that it has nothing to do with the situation. It's not like the train gets half way up the lift and you decide, "Oh gosh, I think it's too windy, better stop the train!" That's a decision you make before you push dispatch.

No, but if it makes it halfway into the block brake, and you realize it's not going to make it, you can hit e-stop so it's stopped halfway in the block brake rather than valleyed.

therefore...it can be said that raptor never made it to the block break...or else the person in the control booth would have pushed ridestop

Yea... whoever was in controls. ;)

It's not like the train gets half way up the lift and you decide, "Oh gosh, I think it's too windy, better stop the train!" That's a decision you make before you push dispatch.

Unless you worked Raptor in '05.

Except that the track up from the mid-course is not lower than the mid-course, so if it gets that far, the train is already on a down-slope toward the brakes, so it wouldn't matter.

:-\ Sorry
*** Edited 11/1/2006 2:01:53 AM UTC by Pointless Star***