TTD stuck at the top!!!

That makes sense, but I think more force was put into it because of the weight of the train. Only the front and back ends were filled and the middle was empty (which would help explain the stall). So I think the guy had to put a little bit more force into the push to accommodate for the weight on the back train. It would probably have been an even easier push if the whole train was filled.

What does a half loaded train weigh? People say it weighs a ton or so. It wouldn't be that hard to push. Just think of pushing a stalled car in neutral. it's basically the same thing. As long as you aren't pushing it up a hill it's pretty easy to get it moving.

A train on TTD weighs about 6 tons. With 18 people that weigh around 150 lbs. (I don't know the average, I'm small). That's about an extra 1.5 tons. No matter how much potential energy that train has, getting a 7.5 ton train to move isn't easy.

I find that a lot of people use the wrong useage of breaks on this forum. Breaks is used when you are breaking in, or "give me a break". BRAKES are what slow a coaster down, or the things you use when the light turns red.

FreezeCoaster said:
that is definantly a contributing factor. Thats a whole lotta potential energy, so all it would take at that apex at that height probably wasnt as much as we would think. I didnt even think about that at the moment I made that post!

Actually, because the train was balanced at the apex, there was an equal amount of mass pulling in each direction, exactly as it is when the train is at rest horizontally. So, the initial push would have to be considerable, but once the train was moved even the smallest amount, it would become exponentially easier.

So, yeah, the push had to be pretty significant, but no more or less difficult that getting the train to move an inch while its at rest on a horizontal section of track.

TTD 120mph said:
...I think the guy had to put a little bit more force into the push to accommodate for the weight on the back train. It would probably have been an even easier push if the whole train was filled.

No, because there was an equal amount of force pulling the train down the "down" hill as there was pulling it down the "up" hill. This force situation is required for it to be at rest at the apex. The weight pulling to train to the right is offset by the weight pulling it to the left, so as you "pull" weight up to the apex, more weight is transferred farther down the opposite side, which helps reduce the energy required to move it. An equal amount of force would have been required to push it in the opposite direction.
*** Edited 5/18/2006 10:45:17 AM UTC by djDaemon***

Funniest part about this whole thing:
Before the first time it happened, the topics online asking "IF" the train could balance on the top. There were lots of know-it-alls like "you are stupid, there is no way it can balance on the top".

Awesome to prove self rightous know-it-alls wrong.

While its silly to say that there's "no way" it could happen, its a very unlikely occurence. So many variables have to align themselves, that its still quite amazing to me.

Dragster was never stuck at the top.
Those videos you see have been tampered with.

...
Just kidding, of course.

djDaemon said:
No, because there was an equal amount of force pulling the train down the "down" hill as there was pulling it down the "up" hill. This force situation is required for it to be at rest at the apex. The weight pulling to train to the right is offset by the weight pulling it to the left, so as you "pull" weight up to the apex, more weight is transferred farther down the opposite side, which helps reduce the energy required to move it. An equal amount of force would have been required to push it in the opposite direction.

That's kind of what I meant. The guy had to put a decent push to get the back end up to a point, at the apex, where the weight in the front was able to pull the back of the train up and over.

What it boils down to is that its the equivalent of pushing it on flat horizontal track.

Does anyone have a picture of when the cable snapped and wrapped around the tower? (Sorry it's a little off topic but I can't find the pic)!

zskoz3 said:
What does a half loaded train weigh? People say it weighs a ton or so. It wouldn't be that hard to push. Just think of pushing a stalled car in neutral. it's basically the same thing. As long as you aren't pushing it up a hill it's pretty easy to get it moving.

Don't forget you're up 420 feet in the air. :)
*** Edited 5/19/2006 12:31:27 AM UTC by I HATE Six Flags***

I would have loved to been stuck up there.I would have offered him a little cash to push it backwards instead of forward.Just think if three or four of us would have been on there he could have made good chunk of change.

okay... i saw video with people aboard... argh, my bad on sayin its never happened. Well, regardless, i am ridiculously jealous of those lucky few who were on that ride. jeeez... i'm praying for a rollback one day, but getting stuck at the top???? that would be a dream come true. wow.

Back in 2003 or 2004, I was standing in line when it got stuck at the top. Something was wrong the gold train, and it had done five rollbacks, then it launched, and stayed up there. The train did not have people in it.
*** Edited 5/23/2006 1:36:53 AM UTC by Hassnobio***

I would pay to get stuck at the top.

What i think is funny is the fact this girl was ragged on for starting this post and it continued this far

lol..true drummer

Oh my god are u serious I belive i saw the video of it stuck on the top a year ago.

I was there the day it happened, and it was quite an amazing sight to see. We were on gemini and the ride op told us to look at TTD becuase it was perfectly balanced at the top.

It took a good 30 mins since the time they became balanced till they were pushed down.

It was a full train, and the ride op had said that it has happened a few other times that year with people in it.

It was just an amazing sight, my mind was blown when i saw it!

Adam_loves_the_roller_coast said:
I would pay to get stuck at the top.

::klondike bar theme:: What would you do to get stuck on Dragster? :)