TT2 Media Preview

Jeff:

It's completely smooth. There's definitely some lateral shimmy as it gets faster and faster, but it's never uncomfortable. Honestly, at that speed, I was surprised by the smoothness. That backwards launch and pull out reminds me a ton of Wicked Twister, but like a 4x version on it. It's an extraordinary machine. To look right from the back seat at the top rear, and look down on Power Tower, that's something I never thought I'd see.

What do you think causes that lateral shimmy? I'm always confused when the guide wheels are fixed onto the rails, but I suppose it's just the natural flex in the trains that gets amplified by these speeds?

In any event, it shoots much higher up on that back spike than i imagined.... I suspect the highlight (for me) will be riding that back seat and having the moment of weightlessness on the back spike.

Could you tell whether the CP folks felt great about the ride? knew they crushed it?

As Jeff said there is a lateral shimmy, but I wouldn’t describe it as rough. I don’t know the physics behind it but the track (especially in the pull-out up to the top hat) has a lot of lateral movement as the train passes back and forth, and I think this has always been the case (even with TTD).

Also, the airtime over the top hat is insane. If you’re in the front you get ejector air going over the hill, while in the back you initially crest the hill slower, but get that “pulled/thrown” over feeling you get on traditional hills (think Magnum lift for example). As you spin down the 270-degree twist, the lateral force was considerably more intense than I remember with the original (due to higher profile trains?). In fact, after riding a dozen times, I found myself grabbing the restraint for deal life through that twist. It’s hard to describe how “out of control” that twist feels from the back of the train.

Also, for reference here’s how high the train got on the initial launch and the backward launch. The forward launch went higher than I expected.

EDIT: Fighting with editor on iOS. I think it's right now. :)

yeah, in the videos I saw, I noticed that the "whip" on the downward twist after the top hat looks wild and much more forceful than what I recall in the original TTD. It may well be the higher seating base of the trains, but sounds intense (in a good way).

so far, everything I'm seeing and hearing makes this sounds like a winner. I also think it's now a nearly 2 minute from dispatch to end ride, so it feels much more substantial.

Those who know me know that losing Dragster was a big deal. It's a huge part of why I became an enthusiast. These past few year have also been been a bit rough and depressing (as I'm sure it has been for many). So my only wish for this was that it would be a different ride experience when compared to the OG. And I couldn't be happier with the new experience. The launch backwards, the zero g smorgesborg back spike and the ejector madness that is the top hat make for a massive upgrade. As far as the shimmy issue goes, I can echo what Aaronosmer and Jeff said about it not being that uncomfortable. The trains are super comfy and that definitely helped. To my knowledge, there were no issues with the ride while it ran but I would still expect for there to be some issue in its first year. But if they can dispatch trains as good as they were today (disregarding the downtime for media related things), the line should move fairly well.

The whole area looks fresh and sexy and the Magnum bathrooms got their long awaited renovations. I've been nothing but smiles all day.

Wonder if this helped lighten the mood a bit

So good to hear the positive reviews. Heading up there in may with a bunch of friends that have never been. (Stopping at Kings Island on the way up) Cant wait to ride TT2

ADAM: Hello, Delilah; my name is Adam, and I'd like to make a dedication.

DELILAH: Of course, Adam. Thanks for calling. And who is this song going out to tonight...

ADAM: Top Thrill 2

DELILAH: And this one goes out to all of you who have ever needed a little reimagining to find your happy place.

In all seriousness, Adam, I'm so happy for you that you got an invite and that it exceeded your (at least initial) expectations. Your affection for TTD was infectious, and a reminder of why we all come to this place.

Kevinj:

It's hard to pick a favorite, but this guy's reaction is why they build these things. Absolutely priceless. Or should I say, "the tits".

https://www.facebook.com/wa...8561873809

Kenny’s commentary while riding Steel Vengeance was one of my favorites too lol “candy bar…CANDY BAR!!”.

I have not seen one negative thing from any of my social media feeds. I keep seeing how TT2 is an upgrade from its former self which is great! I continue to get more and more excited to ride this beast.

veritas55:

What do you think causes that lateral shimmy? I'm always confused when the guide wheels are fixed onto the rails, but I suppose it's just the natural flex in the trains that gets amplified by these speeds?

They're not fixed, actually. They're on hinges with springs that apply pressure against the track.

At that speed, any minor variation in track would be amplified, and I suppose any variation in the stators would also potentially "turn" the car slightly. But the trains shouldn't flex, I wouldn't think. The frames are solid aluminum.

Kevinj:

It's hard to pick a favorite, but this guy's reaction is why they build these things.

I'd just like to point out how cool technology has gotten for live shots like this. The fact that a reporter does not have to wait for the footage after riding and then as a viewer getting to see it much later in the broadcast is so cool to me. You can watch someone ride it live, and the drone live shot too? As a production tv nerd, this kind of setup was cool to see.

That drone was a BEAST. Talked to the operator for a bit during downtime. Yeah.. little more than I'd like to spend. ;)

Looked like they were pulling a Red under that drone, which honestly is the most overrated camera brand in history. My "cinema camera" is also "Netflix rated" at a fraction of the cost.

But yeah, they had multiple live cameras, wireless, that they were live switching during the live drops. All of that tech is pretty common, but we've never had it deployed for a media event like this that I can remember. It was a little cramped to be doing the switching and audio mixing on the platform though.

For those who rode today, is there really no stopper or any sort of last ditch fail safe at the top of the back spike?

Walt:

https://pointbuzz.com/Photo/Album/810

I added a few more here.

For the nerds, here's the switch track in action:

Cartwright:
For those who rode today, is there really no stopper or any sort of last ditch fail safe at the top of the back spike?

No stopper. I trust the engineers though......

Did Carrie or Tony participate in any interviews today? I don’t believe I’ve seen them in any videos posted here or social media yet, at least from what I’ve seen.

Yes, pretty much non-stop.

Jeff,

Were you skeptical about this reimagining from the start? After riding today, did it exceed your expectations? How does the initial launch compare to other forceful LSM launches such as Velocicoaster or Maverick’s tunnel launch? Thanks in advance.

Tony rode with Kenny.