Alpengeist "Tubes"

Okay, so I was at BGE yesterday, and it was a great day. Low crowds, but hot.

As I'm riding Alpie, I notice that there are two plastic tubes attached to the back of the two seats in front of me. (I want to say I was in row 5 or 6.) These tubes were about 6 to 7 inches long, and had red lines that went all the way around the tube that were spaced about every one inch or so. Inside the tubes was one small plastic "piston" if you will, about an inch long. This "piston" was attached to a spring at the top of the tube.

I did not notice them during the ride, so I did not see if these "pistons" moved or not.
These tubes were not on any other rows, or any other cars... as I checked on my re-ride(s).

What the heck were they?
My only guess was a G-Force measurement thingamajig.

P.s. - the construction site for Griffon looks pretty cleared out. Excavation work was the only activity going on while I was in the park, and there was one large rebar structre assembled just below Alpie's turn after the cobra roll.

Josh

My guess is they have something to do with the OTSR release mechanisms. A bar probably comes down pushing a bar on the train which then makes the piston lift and release the locking mechanism.

Was it only in rows 5-6?

Chuck *** Edited 8/29/2006 6:00:09 PM UTC by Charles Nungester***

Yes.

I can't exactly remember which row I was in, it was more likely 6, so the tubes were attached to row 5.

The tubes were attached to the middle two seats, right next to the fake skis, and they were the only two on the train.
There were two tubes in the same location on the second train they were running.

Josh

Well rows 4-5 on that coaster have Big Boy seats for slightly larger than normal guest, Im wondering if that has anything to do with it.

Chuck, who hasn't ridden Alpie since 97 but did notice the skis

Okay, now that you mention the big boy seats, I know for a fact that I was in the first row after the last row of bigger seats.
I laughed when a younger girl got swallowed by the seat... thats how I remember.

The tubes really reminded me of some kind of lab beakers, the way they had the red lines on them and all.

I just wondered if anyone knows what they are, it got me pretty curious.

Josh

Aren't they simply for Math and Science days?

I seem to recall seeing them on Alpengeist, and other coasters before. They are fixtures used for measuring the g-forces.

Kids ride the coasters, watch the do-hickey do it's thing and then log the forces on sheets when they get off.

Shaggy

Hmm, I never thought about a math and science day.

Seems legit. The first thing I thought of when I saw them was a G force measurement device, but I wondered why in the heck they would have them on the coaster now.... after its been open for nearly 10 years.

Josh *** Edited 8/29/2006 6:47:12 PM UTC by J Bird***

It's part of The Internet. I hear that thing's a whole series of them.

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Shaggy said:
Aren't they simply for Math and Science days?
Shaggy

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Ding, Ding, Ding! You call yourselfs enthusaists but you cant recognize a Gravometer! Pshhh (and other elitist, snobby, scoffing noises)

(I only know thats what they are because I was enjoying the park one of the Math and Science days this year, AC has a pair too. ;))

Gee Touchdown, Some people make it a point not to visit on Math and Science days :)

^Dont know why, I had at most a 5 min wait for everything and yes Im serious, but I must confess that I didnt know about that ahead of time and I didnt get to the park untill around 2:00 (spent the morning at a dead Water Country USA.)

Good to know.

Well if yesterday was a math and science day, I had no idea, and yes, there was NO people there.

Gravometer

Do you mean "accelerometer?" ;)

Dont B&M put tubes in to drain the water from the top of the train? I noticed that at cedarpoint on the raptor.

Oh, those things are still there? Cool! I remember the last time I was at Busch Gardens riding Alpengeist and watching them during the ride.

Yes, indeed, those are mass-and-spring Physics-day accelerometers. I got the impression that on Alpengeist those are permanent accessories. I think they are calibrated from 0Gz to +6Gz. Because they use springs, calibration is fairly easy, as decent springs yield a linear response.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

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Michael Darling said:
Gravometer

Do you mean "accelerometer?" ;)

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Probably, my name came for it came straight from a 14 year old kid who was the leader of his group (ie an enthusiast in training.)

If it's only to be used for physics day at the park then why leave it on the trains all season? that makes no sense.

^At least they attach their's, when I was in high school we were given one to hold on SFGAm's Demon, the thing had a lead weight that, had it been dropped could have caused someone (and the park) a major headache.

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Michael Darling said:
It's part of The Internet. I hear that thing's a whole series of them.

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I'm glad I'm not the only one who was thinking that when I read the title. Our leaders say the craziest stuff.

~Rob Willi

Yes they are accelerometers. They have them on various rides (Alpe, Apollo's, B. Ram) and are used for the Physics Day activity book http://www.buschgardens.com/bgw/_downloads/x-treme_physics.pdf(a pretty heavy read at first glance).

I actually toured with the creator of Physics Day (Dr. David Wright from Tidewater Community College) for a HS project of mine. We (prior to his big prsentation in the Globe Theatre) tested some accelerometers to be placed horizontally on rides like Tradewinds. Also did one on Pompeii. Fun time, got a t-shirt.

Batwing Fan SFA: They activity book can be downloaded or ordered, and is self taught, so schools can actually use if any day of the season they choose, not just P. Day.