El Toro Tops off lift

El Toro has reached it top height of 188ft. more info courtesy of gadvupdates.com: http://gadvupdates.com/12-20-2005Update1.html

Wow... I didn't realize the ride will use a cable lift! Very cool!

The Cable lift is cool, but wow, is it me? Or is this going up slow. Yeah, it was started somewhat later in the year. But I thaught this was pre-fabricated. I dunno maybe im just wierd :p. It just seems there going very slow.

I really wanna see how the cable lift will fit in the wood tracking. And how it will work with the train not starting directly out of the station.

It does seem slow to me as well but I learned yesterday that a LOT of prep work has already gone into the remaining sections. They are basically prebuilding the bents on the ground ahead of time and 75% of all of the foundations and footers are complete. So with the lift completed, things should really pick up now. I hope...

With that said, I was told the construction is right on schedule.

Colin. Intamin already figured that one out, as Goliath in Holland features a cable lift and it starts outside the station.I believe it is pusher tires that bring it from the station to the sled.

Yes, we were told yesterday that the station will be level and use tires all the way around to the platform just before the lift hill. This is the other reason why Vipers load and unload platform had to be completely demolished. Therefore, you will not be approaching the sled via gravity.

The main difference from Goliath is that El Toro must navigate a u-turn before approaching the lift. Its still a strange setup but not really that different from Goliath. You can see here that the platform just before the lift is about the same length as a train. I would guess this would be considered a block as well. *** Edited 12/21/2005 5:02:59 PM UTC by RTneedsTLC***

^Sweet! :-)

That looks very nice! I've got my fingers crossed hoping our "Pennsylvania/New Jersey Coaster Extravaganza" actually happens this spring....

I'm looking forward to seeing exactly how the cable lift on this thing is gonna work!

^ me too, no only because it's the first woddie to have it... it will be turning into the lift & out of the lift. that might explain the the aprox. train lenth segments of track before the lift & after the crest before the turnaround.

From my understanding the pusher tires will push it oput of the lift and will stop the train on the lenth of track before the lift allowing the catch car to engage, then at the top it disengages like all the rest. So the piece of track before the lift is like a "second station" almost.

So will it work pretty much like Millenium Force's lift?

exactly like MF's lift.

It sounds odd to "top off" a woodie.

For all of the things I knock Intamin for getting wrong, I have to admit that the cable lift is something they've generally done right. Some of the control systems are a bit more complex than they need to be apparently (according to People Who Know), but it's a good system when you worry about capacity.

The only fundamental problem with the cable lift system in terms of capacity is the time required to return the catch car. Chain lifts are ready to take another train as soon as the other drops of the lift. Then again the return trip is still pretty quick.

I will agree with you with the fact that the system is a bit more complex than it needs to be. (As someone who knows about Millennium Force's lift motor drive (motor controller))

I personally could design a complete drive system that is better at doing the current drive's job with less than half of the components.

I think that an engineer that does the control systems for Intamin did control systems for nuclear power plants. Probably the reason why they are so complex. I may be wrong on that though.

Actually, the only problem I see with the cable lift system is the reliability of the cable itself. How many times has MF's cable snapped and been replaced? Since you never hear of lift chains snapping, I'd say that's a problem.

If Intamin could devise a cable that doesn't snap, I think it's a good solution for taller coasters that need a quick way to get trains to the top quickly.

Never hear of chains breaking? Have I ever mentioned I was on SFA's Superman when the chain broke?

Certainly the speed at which the cable lifts pull the train offsets any delay by having to reset the catch car. On Millennium Force, when that thing rolls back into the station, the restraints haven't been all checked anyway. That, and given the blocking nature of the ride, you've got about 20 seconds or so after the catch car is in place before you're clear for dispatch.

Still makes more sense than a really long chain with lots of heavy links!

I'm quite sure Magnum's chain snapped too some time ago.

As far as I know, Magnum is running on its original chain.