Busch Gardens Europe bans two men for allegedly tampering with restraints

If they have any proof these 2 guys did what they are claiming they did, they need to ban them from all BG parts for life. Unfortunately it sounds more like they are taking the fact that the only 2 times the restraint has not opened in the time the ride's been opened were to this same guy as their proof.

Im sure if they had video proof or witness's they would also go after them for causing property damage.
But since im sure they dont have video of every rider the whole ride the best they could do is kick these idiots out of the park and revoke ther season passes.

How can someone actually tamper with a restraint? I'm not being a smartass when I ask that, I really don't understand how you could do something like that. Aren't they supposed to be "public proof"?

^Think about the number of times a ride-op has had to come along with the T-bar to unlock the restraints on a PTC train...

Obviously it's nowhere NEAR as often on a B&M ride, but you DO need a manual release (and theoretically something to cover the release so that it can't be accidentally hit by the rider). My guess is these two....ummmm, errrrr, geniuses....decided to jam something into the release to prevent it from unlocking properly.

It's easy on the inverts. Just push up under the release rod on the end of the car.

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It's easy on the inverts. Just push up under the release rod on the end of the car.

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Jeff:

Thats got to be the most irresponsible and ignorant post I've ever read. Actually posting how to disable a coaster train is right up there with the jackasses this news item is all about....

You're not serious, are you? Assuming you are:

1) Those weren't instructions.
2) Pushing up under the release rod on the end of the car does not "disable a coaster train," it merely does what it was designed to do: it releases the restraints.
3) It's not like he's teaching you to make a bomb, he's merely stating a fact that anyone who's spent any more than a passing amount of time looking at B&M trains knows.

So calm down. And for god's sake un-bold your post.

Oh and by the way, you can disengage the lapbars on Hades & the Voyage by stepping on the release pedals! OMFG!!

You can do that on X, too...!!!!!bang bang one

Hey "jackass," I've seen countless ride operators do it on countless B&M inverters. There's no secret to doing it. It's only slightly less obvious than the foot pedals on your average Arrow anything.

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Hey "jackass," I've seen countless ride operators do it on countless B&M inverters.

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So that makes it ok to post instructions for others to open the restraints on a coaster? very responsible NOT!

If the guy was telling the truth he probably would not be wearing sunglasses. It's sunny out but I bet he wants to hide the look in his eyes as he lies.

How dense are you? Unless you have elastic eight-foot arms, it's not like you can do it yourself while riding. Do your homework. Stay in school. Get off my lawn!

Actually, on most of the B&M coasters, they use the same basic release mechanism: a (or two in the case of the stand-ups) keyed rod, about 3/8" in diameter, runs the width of the train. At the end there is a lever arm with a roller on it. The release arm in the station pushes the roller, which rotates the keyed rod, which pulls back the locking pawls on all four seats. On the inverted coasters it is possible to release the restraints by either pulling down on the lever (not wise in the station as the release arm can smash your fingers) or by pushing up on the back end of the arm where it attaches to the rod. This is possible, but it is not the preferred method. Instead, there is a key which fits over the end of the rod, with a handle on the end, to manually rotate the rod and release the restraint.

Personally, I don't understand why they don't weld that key to the end of the rod. Not doing so means the system technically does not comply with ASTM F 2291-06a:6.3.8*. Incidentally, compliance with that section is presumablly the reason PTC came out with the foot pedals.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

* F 2291-06a:6.3.8- A manual restraint release shall be provided for authorized personnel use.
F 2291-06a:6.3.8.3- Special tools shall not be required to operate the manual release, unless otherwise determined by the ride analysis.

That's an interesting design requirement, Dave, and one that Intamin has massively failed to meet for a long time, that's for sure (see: battery packs). So do all PTC trains have the pedal now, therefore making the "meat hook" tool obsolete?

I think it's just the newer trains that are being built with it. Also, I am not sure when that became part of the standard (I only have copies of 2291 going back to 2005, and that requirement was in F 2291-05:6.3.5.3).

Part of it, too, is that the manufacturers seem to be taking ASTM more seriously now than they were even a couple of years ago.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.