Dragster Issues

For the past 5 days, I have woken up and gone through the agony of a dial-up AOL connection, just to get to CedarPoint.com. What would usually take me 2 minutes to do on my main computer, now took me 10.

Click on the picture on the main page, scroll down, click Top Thrill Dragster Today. It has become a daily rutine for me, checking whether or not the machine is running.

And every day, I would see the same two words: I regret.

It doesn't really bother me, although it may sound like it does. Riding TTD was, and still is, one of my top priorities for this season.

According to the Cedar Point information line, Dragster was running again up until Friday. The maintenance division and a team from Wallerau, Switzerland are working every day to fix it.

I went to the park Saturday and Sunday, and saw not a single person working on it.

The park employees and officials have no idea when the beast may run, but they are aiming to have it fixed for the month of July. My only question: will it stay running that long?

Since I live over on Windham Place South, which is about 10 minutes driving time from the ticket gates (only about 4-5 miles), it has become a battle to find a day when the ride will operate.

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~Brad Bergeron

The reason you might not have seen anyone workong on it is because it may be in the engine housing, which you can't see into.

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Missing the Fallen:
King Cobra 1984-2001
The Bat 1981-1983

Why does everyone think that since they don't see anyone no one is working on it.

The entire hydraulic system is in a huge building you can't see inside of anyway.

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UnfrigginbelievablyIncredible

I am smart enough to realize that the hydraulic motor is not viewable. All i am suggesting is that they are doing all of this incognito. Trains have been removed, and even some of the theming.

Edit:
i have realized, however, that a few dry launches have been attempted, and not completed successfully.

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~Brad Bergeron
*** This post was edited by Brad Bergeron 6/24/2003 8:05:08 PM ***

I have also heard about sofware problems with the blocking system. I was there on friday when it broke down, after waiting in line for 4 1/2hrs. The problem was a rollback, so im assuming the downtime now has to do with the hydraulic system.

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1. Millennium Force
2. HypersonicXLC
3. Alpengeist

My sister was on the train in front of the one that rolled. It was her first ride on it, and she waited about 1 and a half hours, she said.

Also, she stated that they tried to re-lauch the train after it rolled, but something happened... dunno if it actually launched or not.

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~Brad Bergeron

I'm really disappointed it won't be up for such a while. It was very easy to comfort people and say it will be okay, but now that it comes time for me to visit CP, Friday, I come to realization the machine will not be running. It won't ruin my day, but I'm still hoping for a ride on it.

Incognito? What, do you want them to knock out a wall in the motor building so you can watch?

The trains haven't been removed. All six are sitting on the storage track today. The theme objects were removed because they weren't comfortable with them staying attached to the ride. No mystery there.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED!

Maybe they just work at night after the park closes. My second trip in May, people were working on it and everyone and their brother had to stop and ask "what's wrong with it" and "how long till it's fixed?"

I would be just about ready to kill some one if I had to put up with that. Night may be the only time that they are able to get any work done.

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Lets go Drag racing.

I'll be traveling 2000 miles for my once-every-two-years trip to Cedar Point in very early July (prior to the 4th). I sure hope it's up and running the day I get there, or it'll be two years before I get another chance. :-(

i was talking to a mechanic at the Magnum fast-way pass thingy yesterday and he said that the TTD working crew has been taking really long on fixing the problem and everytime they fix a problem they find another..and he doesnt know when it will open...he said he's gone and tried to work on it but there is so much to the coaster.he said the problem there having is mostly with the hydraulic launch system..and the hydraulic system is in the big building near Iron Dragon....hope this helps...

The hydraulic system is in the building under the launch track. The building near ID houses the computers I believe.

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UnfrigginbelievablyIncredible

The only thing that I don't understand about this whole issue is the technology technically really isn't that new. I mean the Navy has been launching aircraft this way for decades, right? Now I could be totally off on this, but isn't the TTD launch very similar to what is done on an aircraft carrier? Granted the technology is being ported over for a new use, but one would think the conditions the U.S. Navy experiences are a little tougher than what TTD is experiencing.

I am, by no means complaining about it not being up. I feel extremely lucky that I got a ride on that beast (with a 30 minute wait no less). Cedar Point would have to do a heck of a lot more to get me to complain. After all, my home park is the proud owner of a Deja Vu.
*** This post was edited by onceler 6/25/2003 11:30:59 AM ***

Onceler, navy aircraft carriers use steam to power their catapults, not hydraulics. The navy has been looking at other ways of launching, because that much steam basicaly requires the carrier to be nuclear powered. However, they haven't built any prototypes with new technology.

Anonymouse sez: "I'll be traveling 2000 miles for my once-every-two-years trip to Cedar Point in very early July (prior to the 4th)."

No offense, but if Dragster is not open on your visit you have no reason to be angry. Reports of it's major downtime have been widely documented on this and other forums. Planning a trip before word that it's operating without problems is stupid, at best.

Frankly I'm still unsure why everyone is surprised Dragster is experiencing so many problems. I love Intamin rides [SFNE's Superman is my #1 steelie] but they are historically problematic, especially their prototypes.

Please, people...learn from what happened with Volcano, STE, Perilous Plunge, California Screaming, Xcelerator, Acrophobia, PDK's Drop Zone, Wicked Twister, and even X, SOB, and others: wait until a ride is operating reliably to plan a trip!

mOOSH

mOOSH, you forgot to add the corollary: "In Intamin's case, the second year of operations is the earliest you should PLAN on riding a prototype"...;). If you get a ride in the first year, you're either lucky, blessed, or you got there ON Media Day...;)

Hydraulic shmydraulic. No one's working on the ride until the repairman walks into the station, radios his bosses and then whacks the ride with a hammer a few times. Has playing RCT taught you nothing?

-CO

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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.

I guess they forgot to set his patrol area to include Dragster. ;)

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I regret to inform you that Top Thrill Signature
is not currently in operation due to mechanical problems.

I saw a dancing panda bear near TTD the other day.

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

I think coaster designers are going to have to really put their thinking caps on. It looks like recent coasters that have pushed the limits aren't doing so well. Dragster and X are always under maintenance, and Son of Beast ages your spine about 40 years. Hopefully these are learning experiences that will help future coasters. Or maybe designers will go more in the direction of quality over record-breaking quantity.