I'll stop being cryptic and get right to the point: BATWING RAN TWO TRAINS TONIGHT!
I specifically went to the park with the intent on "power riding" S:ROS. I got to the park somewhere around 7:30pm after the (long) hike to Gotham City, I figured I'd briefly pop in on Jokers Jinx (I just cant help myself). JJ was having a malfuntion and was about to send out an empty so I left the line and went to my main destination; S:ROS. I spyed that the line was just out of the station, so I knew it would be a short 4 or 5 train wait for the PoLR (Path of Least Resistance; i.e. shortest line). I figured I had plenty of time to get a few rides in so I wanted to look in on the Batwing line.
I walked down the well themed midway and as I approached the station, I was something weird. Is that people in the other (of the dual) station? YES! YES it is! This is a very encouraging sight. I also noticed that the on ride photo booth was rapidly vending photos.
I walked to the queue proper and noticed the line was only using 2 (out of 10) of the zig-zags. Now the wait with one train and all zigzags full is about 1:15 or 1:30. I estimated that this wait would be nothing! I was right.
There were a ton of people working on the ride. I think there were no less than 12 people associated with the ride. Now, one thing that I've noticed that is different b/w the Batwing and X-Flight queues the "close" station on X-flight goes directly up the stairs, but on Batwing there is an extra set of zig zags so that the distance b/w the split point and the platform is about equal. There was an attendant directing traffic at the split to both sides. At the platform, while some of the ops were checking restraints there was another filling up the rows with people (ala Millennium Force) including calling out for singles. They called out for a single while I was waiting and I scored the back row (wonderfully intense as always, ride #16 in the books).
After that (it took all of 15minutes, YES!), I went back to my S:ROS mission. Oh I should note here that most of the Batwing crew were Supe ops from last year/ earlier this year. They are the best crews in the park (though JJ is starting to come up). However, since they are now on batwing, there are now others on S:ROS. Tonite, it was my least favorite crew, the "Femi-Nazis from two-face" (FNFTF). The chick running the ride, held up dispatching a train for 5 minutes to try and find out who was smoking (I know some of you love that :() even though they had already put it out. Whatever. I got a ride in the front of the last car with a fellow coaster nut originally from Cali, but now local.
I of course ran back around for another ride (3.1 I think) and while ascending the lift I saw our very own Wild One in line. I ran back around and we rode together twice. The last time, which coincidentally was the last train of the nite, we sat in the very back and two other people sat in the very front...and that was it! The rest of the train was empty. People asked if they could fill the empty seats but the FNFTF would let them. It was strange being in such a desolate train. But fun nevertheless. Take care!
later days,
jeremy
--who cant even write a short TR for a short (1hr 15min) visit!
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"I propose that a smart death ray be designed to smite any who attempt to smoke in a line queue. " - Figaro
Awesome! One of the Batwing/S:ROS ride ops gave me good information about the two-train operation last week. Maybe he knows something else we should all know... If you haven't ridden Batwing in a while, there's also been a small change. The rows now come up one by one when rolling into the station. Jeremy, next time I run into you, you'll have to point out the FNFTW ride ops. They sound scary!
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Batwing-Bow Down
*** This post was edited by Intamin Fan on 7/12/2001. ***
Man, you guys are lucky. I could ride S:RoS all night and NEVER get tired of it...
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Dayuum, Your HOT!
Awesome, hopefully I won't have to wait 2+ hours like the second day Batwing was open. . .
. . . and to think PR at Kennywood is still running only one train!
that's great that they have at least two out of three trains finnaly running,not that the single train wait times were too long.I'll be there on 8/4/01, I hope to have night flights a- plenty on batwing on that day.
You're lucky man, i'm planning to go there later this year and this is pretty encouraging.
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