Could A Coaster "snap"?
A friend and I were talking about the coasters we were going to hit at SFWoA and he said "I don't want to go on the wooden ones because they can just snap". Has there ever been a case of this in history? Could it happen on a high intensity coaster like the big one in Germany?
-------------
Rollercoasters are the secret of life!
http://www.woodencoaster.com
-------------
Rollercoasters are the secret of life!
http://www.woodencoaster.com
What do you mean by "snap"? Wood, by nature, must bend and creak and give a little or it will "snap". That's what makes woodies work the way they do. You get a variety of rides out of a wooden coaster depending on time of day, weather, etc. because of this flexibility.
As for real coasters breaking in two, I don't know of any. And yes, each and every coaster at Geauga Lake (I'll always call it that) is safe, providing we don't ask the attendant to speed up the lift chain on the Big Dipper! :)
-------------
www.angelfire.com/oh4/tk173
An unnerving stillness in the woods of southern Indiana beckons for you on May 11th.....
As for real coasters breaking in two, I don't know of any. And yes, each and every coaster at Geauga Lake (I'll always call it that) is safe, providing we don't ask the attendant to speed up the lift chain on the Big Dipper! :)
-------------
www.angelfire.com/oh4/tk173
An unnerving stillness in the woods of southern Indiana beckons for you on May 11th.....
What really happens when a coaster gets a "stress fracture"?
-------------
I don't need drugs to get high, I need coasters!"
-------------
I don't need drugs to get high, I need coasters!"
Worse case I've ever heard of was a rail failing and the train slamming into the exposed rail. It damaged the train, and some people got hurt when they hit the restraints hard, but no one was ejected or died.
I'd fear a train failure before a ride failure.
I'd fear a train failure before a ride failure.
APForce said:
"What really happens when a coaster gets a "stress fracture"?""
Actually all fractures are caused by stress of some sort. The only time that the term "stress fracture" is usually used is in describing a partial fracture without out complete separation most commonly in bones. The term usually isn't used in engineering without modifiers to describe the type of stress such as cyclic stress fracture or stress corrosion fracture.
Steel coasters also have that automatic give and bend -- Raptor and Mantis exhibit it the most. It's not a big deal, and well designed for.
-------------
Po!nt of View: A different look at Roller Coasters.
http://www.crosswinds.net/~justmayntz/thrills/index.html
-------------
Po!nt of View: A different look at Roller Coasters.
http://www.crosswinds.net/~justmayntz/thrills/index.html
Didn't Raptor's cobra roll crack once?
-------------
What's life if you never get to the Point?
http://people.mw.mediaone.net/mckinnie
-------------
What's life if you never get to the Point?
http://people.mw.mediaone.net/mckinnie
Steelies suffer cracks now and then. Yes, Raptor as well as others at the Amazement Park have had sections repaired. On most coasters, you can watch track sway a bit when trains go through corkscrews and helixes.
-------------
www.angelfire.com/oh4/tk173
"Cedar Creek Mine Ride 1 looks too intense for me!"
-------------
www.angelfire.com/oh4/tk173
"Cedar Creek Mine Ride 1 looks too intense for me!"
I don't think that the Raptor thing was ever an official "crack". If I remember right, It was getting worn and was replaced offseason, no biggie.
I can think of a real crack problem. A few years back a Vekoma SLC was found to have stress fractures. As a result there was a kind of "recall". I think T2 was the one that they were found on, and they all had to be shut down for a little while for the problem to be corrected.
-------------
- Peabody
*** This post was edited by Peabody on 5/8/2001. *** *** This post was edited by Peabody on 5/8/2001. ***
I can think of a real crack problem. A few years back a Vekoma SLC was found to have stress fractures. As a result there was a kind of "recall". I think T2 was the one that they were found on, and they all had to be shut down for a little while for the problem to be corrected.
-------------
- Peabody
*** This post was edited by Peabody on 5/8/2001. *** *** This post was edited by Peabody on 5/8/2001. ***
When mechanical failures occur on roller coasters, the track seems to be the least frequent cause. Most failures are due to problems with the trains, most commonly wheels, axles, bearings, and antiroll backs. Chain lifts, brakes, and controls can also be a problem.
With Proper maintenance track is very seldom a safety problem, though wood track takes a fair amount of maintenance. There are 2 reasons for this, first track has no moving parts and second the common failure modes tend to make track become rough long before any catastrophic failure occurs.
With Proper maintenance track is very seldom a safety problem, though wood track takes a fair amount of maintenance. There are 2 reasons for this, first track has no moving parts and second the common failure modes tend to make track become rough long before any catastrophic failure occurs.
You must be logged in to post
