What is stacking?
stack'ing - v. - The action of the Mantis '99 crew spending more time insulting guests than getting them loaded, causing one or more trains to be held on brakes because the loading train has not been dispatched.
Walter and Claude are very clever engineers. Mantis was designed to have three trains running. At any given time, there should be one train in the station or on the lift, one on the first half of the circuit and one on the second half or passing through the transfer table.
The ride is setup into these blocks so that one train always has a clear track ahead of it until the next block. For example, if the train ahead has not crossed through the mid-course brake before the next train has crested the lift hill, that next train will be stopped on the lift hill (because as far as the computer is concerned, the train ahead might have rolled back somewhere in that first half of the ride). If the train ahead has not passed through the final brake run, the train before will be stopped on the mid-course brake (because as far as the computer is concerned, the train ahead might have rolled back somewhere in that second half of the ride).
That's why there are blocks, but the idea is to keep those trains moving along. When one part of that circuit is slowed down, namely the loading platform, the trains "stack" one after another in the station, transfer table and final brake run (where your collar bones likely will be pissed off if you have to come to a complete stop there).
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Walter and Claude are very clever engineers. Mantis was designed to have three trains running. At any given time, there should be one train in the station or on the lift, one on the first half of the circuit and one on the second half or passing through the transfer table.
The ride is setup into these blocks so that one train always has a clear track ahead of it until the next block. For example, if the train ahead has not crossed through the mid-course brake before the next train has crested the lift hill, that next train will be stopped on the lift hill (because as far as the computer is concerned, the train ahead might have rolled back somewhere in that first half of the ride). If the train ahead has not passed through the final brake run, the train before will be stopped on the mid-course brake (because as far as the computer is concerned, the train ahead might have rolled back somewhere in that second half of the ride).
That's why there are blocks, but the idea is to keep those trains moving along. When one part of that circuit is slowed down, namely the loading platform, the trains "stack" one after another in the station, transfer table and final brake run (where your collar bones likely will be pissed off if you have to come to a complete stop there).
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
That is why there is a need to have an effcient magnum crew. You can't stack Magnum trains, you have what they call setups. A train in the station, a train waiting to come into the station, and a train on stuck after the third tunnel (the safties) The crew has roughly 65 seconds to unload a train, load it, and send it off before the train that is out on the course hits the safeties.
The Magnum blocks are as follows; the 1st block is from the base of the lift to the very top of the lift. The 2nd block is from the top of the lift to the Safety breaks. The 3rd block extends from the Safety breaks into the station.
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Daniel J. Haverlock
'99 Magnum Count: 801
Is it May yet?
www.popworld.com/dan
The Magnum blocks are as follows; the 1st block is from the base of the lift to the very top of the lift. The 2nd block is from the top of the lift to the Safety breaks. The 3rd block extends from the Safety breaks into the station.
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Daniel J. Haverlock
'99 Magnum Count: 801
Is it May yet?
www.popworld.com/dan
MF's blocks will be the circuit and final brake run, the unload station and the load station with lift hill. Judging by the 2:45 ride time, I think that will make MF's loading window about the same, but easier because they don't have to get people out and in during the same cycle.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
What is also interesting is how the term "stacking" is used by different parks.
For example, at Disney World, the term "stacking" means holding lines outside of an attraction, even if there is space inside the attraction. The reason for this is to discourage people from lining-up for what they perceive to be a long wait, thereby distributing the crowd to other, less-busy attractions.
Since nearly all of CP's rides are on the outside, line-stacking would fool nobody (except, maybe, at Mean Streak, where the line is slightly more hidden from general view), so "train-stacking" is used, with, I suppose, much the same result.
The only ride where I ever observed Disney-style stacking was the DT, and, judging by opinions posted in CP Place, that won't work much longer, because nobody will believe there are that many people waiting inside.
For example, at Disney World, the term "stacking" means holding lines outside of an attraction, even if there is space inside the attraction. The reason for this is to discourage people from lining-up for what they perceive to be a long wait, thereby distributing the crowd to other, less-busy attractions.
Since nearly all of CP's rides are on the outside, line-stacking would fool nobody (except, maybe, at Mean Streak, where the line is slightly more hidden from general view), so "train-stacking" is used, with, I suppose, much the same result.
The only ride where I ever observed Disney-style stacking was the DT, and, judging by opinions posted in CP Place, that won't work much longer, because nobody will believe there are that many people waiting inside.
Actually thats not true, with Raptor you really don't know if the entire queue is filled. I've passed up on Raptor lines before seeing that there was a long line under the tent. Then I would go ride the Sky Ride to see that 75% of the Raptor queue was empty. With Blue Streak it is hard to tell how many queues are filled because the queues are behind the station. The same goes for Magnum. There have been many times where an officer or a ride hostess would forget to open a few queues and the lines would spill over to the Midways, and people would walk by thinking the entire queue is filled.
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Daniel J. Haverlock
'99 Magnum Count: 801
Is it May yet?
www.popworld.com/d
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Daniel J. Haverlock
'99 Magnum Count: 801
Is it May yet?
www.popworld.com/d
John_Miller, or whoever implies that stacking trains is a good thing....nope, guess again. Our Managers would not be happy when our trains were stacked. Not happy at all. They want maximum efficiency and high numbers, they aren't concerned about filtering people to less-popular rides. Efficiency is key at Cedar Point, don't forget that one. ;o)
Natalie
Ride Ops employee '99
Natalie
Ride Ops employee '99
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