Steel Vengeance

ILS 0523 said:

I'm far from being a ride expert, but wouldn't CP need to do more testing with so many cycles before running with 3 trains?

Fellow non-ride expert here, and I agree. I think they would need to not only test, but also get the state to certify 3 train operation. Testing can done during "after" hours, but I think the certification has to be scheduled with the state for a certain date/time. We'll have to see if there is another "late opening" announced sometime this season.

This ride can easily stop on the MCBR. Half of the trimmed rides practically stop it, and it only uses half of the brakes. I am also assuming those brakes aren't using their full force either.

From our collective experiences, how has the ride been doing with regards to early entry?

Asking for a friend.

Who is also my wife.

During our week-long stay in early June, we unfortunately didn't experience any day when the ride was ready to ride at any point during the early entry time-frame.

Yeah it seems it is down more often and not ready to go when I tried to go for SV first in early entry. So I avoided going to it first last few trips and have heard it was down still as I wait at Millennium Force which I have had bad luck with being down initially. Maverick or Valravn are probably the safest bets, of course Gatekeeper seems to be reliable but I never go to it just cause it usually has short lines throughout the day.

MDOmnis said:

The one thing I've not seen happen that would be necessary for efficient three train operation would be to stop a train completely on the midcourse and then release it and have it complete the course full, half full, empty, etc.

I would have assumed this was done early on in testing. Seems like one of the most basic tests imaginable.

Then again, they are still keeping ready trains in the station until the other train reaches the brakes... so that leads me to believe they either haven't tested that, or that the test was unsuccessful.

Millennium Force, during 3 train operation, climbs the lift slower until the back train is in the unload station. The brakes before the unload station are basically a mcbr. The brakes after the last tunnel for Magnum is a mcbr as well. Technically, that set of brakes could have been positioned just before the transfer track brakes that we normally wait on during normal 3 train operation.

On SV, I would prefer waiting on the lift hill for the other 2 trains to advance than have my ride killed by stopping on the mcbr. As with MF, the lift speed could vary until the trains advance. If they don't advance, the trains stops climbing.

I think the only thing different I might have done to SV is eliminate the original mcbr and made it a valley and left out the last 2 bunny hops and put the "mcbr" there.

Zoug68 said:

I think the only thing different I might have done to SV is eliminate the original mcbr and made it a valley and left out the last 2 bunny hops and put the "mcbr" there.

Wouldn't doing that substantially reduce capacity relative to design capacity? As it stands, the crew has the train loaded quite fast, and would otherwise be dispatched not long after the other train passes through the existing MCBR, and certainly long before the other train reaches the brake run. So all you'd accomplish is reducing capacity.

During the Lebron Benefit (pre-bump), there appeared no restrictions on sending a train out too quickly. As people got used to the load procedures, they were sending out the load train as the on course train hit the low over-bank above the brake run. Led me to believe the MCBR was 'active' then.

Only difference I can think of is station brake run wasn't as slow as now, so it's possible the MCBR wasn't 'active' but they were positive the on course train would clear the last block on the station brake run before the load train would crest the lift. Didn't pay close enough attention to that since I just assumed the MCBR was working.

Also would seem bizarre if a train couldn't make it back from a full stop on the MCBR. Mean streak followed the same path and also finished a good 15-20 feet higher. (Unless there is a significant difference in train weight or the extras SV does really added length )

Hoping it's all just a programming issue, and this was the only way to get the ride reliably running

Seeing as we are now halfway through the regular season and operating hours are getting to their longest days very soon, it seems very unlikely there will be 3 train operations during the 2018 regular season.

I'd say its likely when September weekday closes allow for whatever work and testing to be done without interrupting the current limited operations or possibly doing more harm to the ride and having an extended closure. Then we may see them attempt 3 train runs in time for Halloweekends.

I don't see that happening. Once they are ready to do 3 train operation they will close the ride for part or all of a day as they did when going back to 2 train operation. It's just a matter of getting the ride ready for 3 train operation first. Makes no sense to wait until September when they could just close the ride for a bit just to get it over with.

Unless whatever changes that need to be made for 3 trains could require some work that may potentially put the ride out of commission for a period of time, already putting a bigger damper on its inaugural season. Better safe than more sorry than they already are.

Also the restoring of FL+ and the rollout of SV in Battle for CP leads me to believe this is SOP for the regular season.

Just curious .. is a third party (like IOE) required for the Switzerland coasters? (Intamin / B&M)

https://www.cedarpoint.com/blog/early-entry-update

Well that’s promising.

Will substituting with Raptor be enough to make everyone whole?

Raptor should’ve never been taken off of early entry in my opinion.

I agree with that. If anything, it should be Raptor instead of Gatekeeper.

My Cousin is going to Cedar Point this Sat. He asked me; how long are the waiting lines on the Steel Vengeance during Sat.? I never go during the weekend, because it is busy.

It's Saturday, it will be busy.

“Line length is a thing of the mind.”
-Spock

Nobody goes to Cedar Point on a Saturday, it’s too crowded.