Coaster Train Storage

I know most parks tear their coaster trains completely apart during the off season to rebuild and inspect them. But is there another reason why they keep them off the track? Why don't they just place them back on the track and transfer tracks and cover them with tarps?

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Feeling down? Ride a roller coaster to bring you up!

Probably because cold and frost whisch can get through the tarps would break parts or freeze lubricant, with very bad results, and cause a later start date for that ride while they replace the parts.

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Mike T.
Fly with the man of steel in 2003!

They don't need to be placed back on the track to just sit idle until the season starts. I get the feeling it might be a hassle to try to put the train back when the station and everything else is covered with snow.

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Please visit the small parks. We don't know what's happening behind the scenes
Woodencoaster.com

Kings Island removes all cars from every coaster and most flat rides during their off season and place them in the Picnic Grove under the eight shelters. This keeps them out of the snow. I'm assuming that is why they are there. Pretty sure that if the park builds a covered transfer track area they will usually just leave the trains in there.

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Wood Rules!

Can;t speak for other parks, but here at SFOG, all the B&M trains are left on the track and are maintained in their respective storage areas. the other coasters are all taken off right after the park closes so they can be accessed more easily. Everything is rebuilt. Another big reason for taking them off is so that they can be magnafluxed.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Generally speaking, the maintenance shop is a much more "mechanic friendly" place to spend the winter rebuilding coaster trains. It is impossible to remove and service wheelsets and the like when the train is sitting on the track.
I would be very leery of any park that doesn't remove its coaster trains over the winter, unless there is a shop area associated with the ride (a'la B+M).

Comet Rider said:
It is impossible to remove and service wheelsets and the like when the train is sitting on the track.

Not really, it real possible to remove the wheel sets while the train is on the storage track, but you can only do a couple sets at a time so the train doesnt slope down, and it is real difficult.

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So you believe that you are studying us, then kindly explain why you are the ones trapped in your seats.

I did hear in another topic in these forums that SFWoA left the X-Flight trains sitting outside covered in snow. This goes along well with the non-waterproof chain! ;-)

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RACE FOR THE SKY!!
TOP THRILL DRAGSTER

Ultimate Coaster said:
I did hear in another topic in these forums that SFWoA left the X-Flight trains sitting outside covered in snow. This goes along well with the non-waterproof chain! ;-)

Well of course steel isn't waterproof (even the track). They probably put a ton of grease on the chain shortly after the season ends to keep it from weathering. Trains are built to withstand the elements, but I'm sure keeping them immobile under a blanket of snow doesn't do anything positive for 'em.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Yeah especially in the case of X-Flight's trains which have all those on board computers & sensors built into them & exposure to extreme temperatures & moisture cannot in any way be a good idea.

At least now we know to an extent why that ride suffers so much downtime each season.

As for train inspections & NDT (non destructive testing) it is a much easier process to perform when the trains are in the shop & not sitting on the transfer/storage track & yes it is certainly possible for trains to have their wheels inspected or changed while on the storage track,I noticed it last season on S:ROS when they had one train just sitting there on the storage track with it's wheel sets totally removed.

Thanks everybody for your input. I think it's really intresting to observe how different parks care for their coaster trains during the off season. ~This topic is perfect for this time of year! lol

How much of a hastle is it to remove the inverted and suspended trains? -Doesn't CP''s Iron Dragon have a work shop underneath its station? There is a track sloping down to it in the transfer section.

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Feeling down? Ride a roller coaster to bring you up!

Knotts built a giant maintanance warehouse a few years back. Its sooooo big, almost as big as the central warehouse (and that looks like an aircraft carrier). Thats where the spares are kept, and rehabbed over the half year.

Ultimate Coaster said:
"I did hear in another topic in these forums that SFWoA left the X-Flight trains sitting outside covered in snow.

Correction: There is only ONE train sitting outside currently and it doesn't look like the computer is attached on the back.
I took a drive by today.
X Factor

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SFWoA: An Unofficial Guide
http://sfohio.tripod.com

I imagine one of the reasons the B&M trains are left on the thare respective transfer tracks is because the wheels are not on any track, they free hang. The next time you ride a B&M take a look at the little black nylon wheels on the sides of the trains. on Raging bull they are under the floor and on batman they are below the wheels that ride the track.

ondrew

Mechanics have to love the car barns on B&M's. It's got to add to the construction cost, but it sure provides a nice work area and a lot of convieniences.

Virtualmidway had wallpaper available for a brief time of Gemini in the snow. The trains are sitting out, snow covered. I really do not believe that all trains have to be kept under tarps and protected from the weather.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

Letting them sit in the elements (not operating) will promote rust, fade paint, leads to chipping or cracking and discoloring fiberglass... over a period of time. Simple coasters probably don't need too much care though... a mine train car is about as basic as you can get. I wouldn't exactly leave a flyer, stand up, or invert train outside though. As with anything else mechanical, disuse can lead to more problems than heavy use.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

CPLady, my guess is that you're just looking at the fiber glass shells. I'm assuming that the rest of the train is probably in storage or in the shop.

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0-60mph+ in 2.5

I also saw that picture CPlady is referring to and it looked like the entire train was sitting out...actually it was the blue and the red trains. They were not connected together, but the wheel assembly and the fiberglass were exposed. The were sitting on the midway by Gemini.

CPLady said:
Virtualmidway had wallpaper available for a brief time of Gemini in the snow. The trains are sitting out, snow covered. I really do not believe that all trains have to be kept under tarps and protected from the weather.

Anyone who lives in Ohio KNOWS this: Snow Fall in the Buckeye State is very unusual. It has been known to snow up through April and into May. That picture may have been taken in late April. It could have snowed after the CP maintenance crew removed the tarps from the cars.

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Feeling down? Ride a roller coaster to bring you up!