Dumb PKI Question about IJ on Sunday 9-3-06

I should know better than to ask this, but Im going to anyway!

My co-worker (non-enthusiast) who "knows everything" Went to PKI on Sunday with his family. I of course was not there, otherwise I wouldn't ask this. He compalined about the lines, Italian Job and how short the ride was... blah blah blah...

Anyway, I asked how many trains it was running... He said it had two, but one train had THREE cars and the other had FOUR cars on it (yes, 4 "cars"). I tried to convince him to a point of turning blue that the ride has 3 "3-car" trains and no more, and all the modifications it would take to do such a thing.... but remember, he knows "everything"

It wouldn't have bothered me so if some other co-workers hadn't chimed in saying stuff about easilly adding cars to the trains... and it made me look like a fool in front of a dozen or so people since i didn't want to go into a whole engineering conversation. (Im no Engineer anyway)

The reason why I ask is that I haven't been on it in a while, (as it was down on my July visit) and had no idea whether or not any changes were made to the ride this year.

Thanks in advance, JP.

*** Edited 9/8/2006 1:13:04 AM UTC by john peck***

The Sunday before there were 3 trains of three running, no ifs ands or buts about it.

Three car trains as of my visit in August...

Checked my pics, nothing in there to PROVE that they're still 3-car trains....but 12 people per train (max) was pretty consistent... ;)

PKI has a history of removing trains at the end of season to get a head start on winter mainence. They have a lot of trains to inspect and rebuild for the next season. Some parks ship em out. PKI has done it in house for years.

Vortex and Adventure express ususally only run two after labor day.

Chuck

On July 23, all the trains had three cars on them. And there's a very good explanation for this, based on the movie: there were three Minis involved in the final heist -- the blue one (Charlie's), the red one (Stella's), and the white one (Left-Ear and Handsome Rob's).

Any more trains would not only be technically impossible but inaccurate based on the ride's theming.

EDIT: Got my colors wrong. All better. :)

*** Edited 9/8/2006 12:34:31 AM UTC by Nitro Dave***

Some confusion here. What jp's co-worker is claiming is that one of the TRAINS had four CARS....and he is completely wrong. THree cars per train...EVERY time...regardless of how many trains are running. Period.

edited to correct gender pronoun... ;)
*** Edited 9/8/2006 12:40:11 AM UTC by rollergator***

Thanks, Peeps!

I knew he was full of it!

I Was there Sunday, rode it, and it only had three trains of three! Your co-worker must be mistaken. *** Edited 9/8/2006 1:10:14 AM UTC by Floorless Fan***

I was there on Sunday also and it was running 3 trains with 3 cars each.

I will agree that the lines were long on Sunday though.

Not only is your co-worker seriously mistaken, but your other co-workers seem a bit off, as well.

The station is only built for 3-car trains, and the ride is "tuned" for 3-car trains (the LIMs). How could they run the ride tuned for 3-car trains and then throw a train with 4 cars on there? It's not like the ride has a chain lift; it has LIMs, and they are probably "tuned" to have enough boost for a 3-car train, but not a 4th.

And yes, the theming would be thrown off, as well.

It only has three trains with three cars each,no more,no less....except of course on days when the park decides to run only one train.

Well, I rode IJ once and there was only one train of 12 cars.

I swear it's true!

Does your co-worker also believe that Magnum is sinking?

^Im not going to even bother asking him THAT!

I talked to him today.. he still thinks IJ ran 3 and 4 and he swears by it. I gave up, there was work to do.

^ Some people are hardheaded and won't take somebody's word for it, even it they are MUCH more knowledgeable on the subject.

I think its funny that someone actually saw the movie...

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=italianjob.htm

Domestic gross was $175,810,474. Sounds like it could have been even more than one!

Hey, it was a great movie. I have th DVD of it.

They are working on a sequel now called The Brazilian Job