The Rougarou Files 2: Construction

Check it out! A bit of insight into why Mantis closed early.

http://youtu.be/mtHO64PBgxQ

Didn't know the conversion would be so extensive. I like these videos and look forward to the next.

I noticed the old Mantis sign's framework is still there. I wonder if a new Rougarou sign will be placed there and the original Mantis sign will be either put in the CP museum or stored until HalloWeekends 2015.

Someone sure does like using their camera slider:)

Hopefully the Mantis sign framework just hasn't been thrown out yet. I would hope they would have something entirely new and get rid of that old thing.

These videos have been great so far. So now we know that the platform deck does need to be cut back to accommodate the trains, that new drive wheels are needed, and that the brakes are being replaced.

I wonder if the brake replacement is mostly due to the trains, the desire to have magnetic brakes, or an equal share of both.

^Chuck, this might seem like a dumb question, but are they making it a unload/load type of set-up? That's what I gathered from the video.

Magnetic brakes require a lot less maintenance and they're a lot smoother for deceleration.

Would anyone else love a millennium force, top thrill dragster unloading platform? Is this in the plans for the new station?

Yep, magnetic braking does not require contact, thus there is no real wear to speak of.

No, they are not building another station. They're just making sure a wider train (supposedly) clears all parts of the course, particularly station, brakes, and lift.

I recall only two trains on the circuit for mantis and a third in reserve, would this be the case for rougarou?

No, they said they want to run three. The reason that they don't is because the third train in the stand-up configuration doesn't add capacity. It stacks because they can't load fast enough. I suspect they'll have no issue with three.

Hopefully Rougarou doesn't stack much, but the nickname Diamondstack didn't come from nowhere..

Apparently it did, because I witnessed them cranking trains through this year, both opening weekend and in August.

I saw the same thing. It's occasionally slow where you sit on the far return, but in general, they get them out pretty quickly.

As a complete aside, I remember my kid commenting on the cool snake pattern on Diamondback's headrests. It was a bit disconcerting to tell him that it wasn't intentional, and rather it was simply a result of heads rubbing the dirty foam clean in the two areas on the headrest.

I can honestly say I witnessed Diamondback stack on more than 1 occasion this season, having been to KI 6 times and ridden Diamondback numerous. However, it isn't the design of the ride that is making 3 train operation less efficient, rather the crew moving slower at certain times than others.

The Gatekeeper stacks sometimes but ever time I had the delay someone's breakfast, lunch, or dinner, made it's return on a forward train. Snack on a candy bar, eat small meals, or ride shoot the rapids and the cedar creek mine ride after a big meal. Thanks for the info everyone.

When I visited Kings Island earlier this year, Diamondback was triple stacking all day, both days I was there. The reason was because the ride is now operated with a New Texas Giant panic safety device (seat belt). Anyway, it is good to hear that Diamondback is running closer to theoretical capacity again, probably due to increased staffing.

Anyway, back on the subject of Rougarou, the ride crew should have about 60 seconds to unload/load a train. Considering a good ride crew can unload/load a B&M Floorless train in 45 seconds, Rougarou should have no trouble handling upwards of 1600 PPH. (vs. Mantis two train actual of less than 1000 PPH.)

None of what you're saying has any general truth to it regarding Diamondback. The belts have nothing to do with Texas Giant. Furthermore, I watched consistent dispatch where train 1 was on the lift as 3 was in the turn before the splashdown, belts and all. That's pretty much the sweet spot for that ride, and it always has been.

That sounds about right, sadly there were many trips where the majority of the time they were stacking.

I highly doubt the seat belts changed much of anything. Grab belt, sit down, buckle, pull lap bar. Easy peasy.

I should have specified Jeff, When I visited Kings Island, it was earlier in the season before the ride crews figured out how to check the belts quickly. It also really slows everything down when someone pulls down on their harness before buckling in their belts. These same problems were very apparent on Behemoth at Canada's wonderland when I visited it a fortnight later. (Leviathan had no such problems fortunately.)

As far as the timing of the addition of the seat-belts, I cannot believe their is no correlation with the Gerstlauer accident, particularly after talking to the maintenance manager at Canada's Wonderland.