snow...

If it snows saturday night. Which it might, will they run MF sunday morning for the season pass ERT? I sure hope so, becuase this is going to be my last trip to the point this year.

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MF Laps-14
"HOW CAN YOU HAVE ANY PUDDING IF YOU DONT EAT YOUR MEAT?!"

I was wondering that to wont the steel on the tracks of the coasters start to crack from the trains going on them in cold weather?



MF Rides= 11

Do highway bridges crack when thousands of cars drive over them every day in the winter?

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 45

I don't know too much about the properties of steel or anything like that, but I don't know think running a steel tracked (or wooden, I suppose) coaster in extremely cold conditions would be such a good idea. Wouldn't the cold make the steel rails constrict, causing added stress when the trains roll over them?

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How dare you vanquish the Steel Phantom without his consent? Fear the Phantom's Revenge. *** This post was edited by Lynch on 10/4/2000. ***

Technically, same stress [basically applied force] but more strain.

It's more of a friction and quality concern than structural. Lubrications, usually viscous, become more and more solid as temperature drops. Therefore, tracks acts either unlubricated, or the lubrication builds up and acts like track roughening.

Also, the polymer tires tend to become harder and more brittle, as well as contracting, as temp drops. Therefore, rougher ride. [Although somewhat faster]

Dave..Rideman?? Waiting for your comment?? :)

Relax People..MF will hold up just fine...When do you think they test these things sometimes??

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http://www.msu.edu/~armbrus9/cp.html
http://www.msu.edu/~levydust/mf.html
mf laps = 86

If CP does anything like PKI, they'll have a low temp limit for ride operations. In Cincy, it's around 55 deg F for steel, 40 deg F for wood if I remember right. Oh Dave?

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Scott W. Short
scott@midwestcoastercentral.com
http://www.midwestcoastercentral.com

Does PKI have a lower limit for the wood coasters? I could swear that I rode The Beast in the snow this "spring"...come to think of it, Scott, I think you were making a big deal about it at the time....and I thought the 40-degree limit was for Face/Off

I think the low temperature limit has more to do with the ride vehicles than anything else. I mean, yes, steel gets brittle at low temperatures, but for modern steel I thought that happened at much lower temperatures than mere freezing. But Bill's point about lubrication is a good one...the wheelsets will get sticky and run slow, increasing the chance for a roll-back. Also, I wonder about the wheel compounds (various plastics) in cold weather.

I've heard that Disaster Transport actually runs faster when it gets colder, though, so who knows what Millennium Force will do...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I can't beleive I forgot about "Beast in the snow...Beast in the snow" so soon:)

Regarding the Intamin hypers running in cold weather, I was lucky (all based on perspective) to ride SFDL's S:ROS in late October last year. Temp couldn't have been above 50 deg F. The trains ran extremely slow. In one instance the train sat in the station for about 30 minutes while maintenance took care of a PLC problem. The first few runs after the delay were quite scary on that 2nd hill. I can imagine MF being the same way. For the record, the trains on S:ROS were using the solid wheels like on MF now.

Regarding DT running faster in the cold, that's why the building is A/C'd, right? :)

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Scott W. Short
scott@midwestcoastercentral.com
http://www.midwestcoastercentral.com

I have been on coasters when the temp was near 40 - in ... CALIFORNIA! Yeah, a few years back at SFMM in the spring of El Nino. It also drizzled all day - there was no way to get warm - I've played hockey outside in -30 degree weather and been warmer. Having said that, all the coasters 'cept Superman (rain) were running, and running fine (although with Flashback I use the term "fine" loosely). I'm going to the Point this weekend, and am not worried about the cold, just hoping it won't rain - but secretly hoping it will snow (with the rides still running, of course). And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

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Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill.

Well I went to cedarpoint in may and they ran the coaster in 30mph winds. I will also go on friday and i hope that they run it.

Millennium can run in winds up to 50mph, Magnum can't in above 30 I believe.

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Corey
Snake River Crew '00

Rideman said: "I've heard that Disaster Transport actually runs faster when it gets colder, though, so who knows what Millennium Force will do..."

Of course DT runs faster in the cold. I mean, how many times a day does it make it to Alaska and back?

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How dare you vanquish the Steel Phantom without his consent? Fear the Phantom's Revenge.

They are only calling for a high of 41 and snow this SUnday when I am going to make my last visit to CP! I hope MF is running! I just can't imagine not getting to ride it one last time for this season! :*(

rollocoast, there's more than just that, 50 mile an hour wind in the wrong direction is perfect ground for a rollback...

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Trim brakes-a necessity???

i was wondering if the presence again of the water dummys meant long warmups or something my last trip,but it was 85 that day,so i doubted that

I was suppored to go sunday but i didnt because of the weather did anyone go? Were any of the rides running? *** This post was edited by Nick G. on 10/8/2000. ***

"there's more than just that, 50 mile an hour wind in the wrong direction is perfect ground for a rollback"
Yes and no - Say there is a 50mph wind coming directly toward the Magnum hill. In a cold morning with no weight and cold wheels possibly, but fully loaded with the track and wheels warm, it'll run fine in those types of winds, just with very little if any airtime at all.
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Corey
Snake River Crew '00 - Which is now closed thanks to this great warm weather we're having.

Yes everything was open and operational

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http://www.msu.edu/~armbrus9/cp.html
http://www.msu.edu/~levydust/mf.html
mf laps = 100!! No More No Less

I was there on Saturday night. Everything but the heavy soakers running. However, due to the cold MF was running extremely sluggish. Very comparable to an early season ride.

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Scott W. Short
scott@midwestcoastercentral.com
http://www.midwestcoastercentral.com