Gemini Love.... seatbelts?

Does it have seatbelts now?

I heard that they haven't run all 6 trains for years now due to complicated 'stow your luggage' deals. That's ashame if it's true. You could always depend on Gemini for a fast que.

I have a pic somewhere before the ride was reprofiled. It had a little couple foot drop coming out of the station, it's gone now. Wonder if other parts were reprofiled...?

Gemini lost 6 train operation due to the installation of air gates. The so-called "stow your luggage" deal didn't come about until some time after that, I believe.

It's also had seat belts for quite a few years.

I don't think the gates had anything to do with it. CP has always been good about opening them the moment a train stops, and that said, you can't get into the train anyway until the previous occupants get out.

Whats the deal then? Airgates? Didn't alot of the coasters at CP used to NOT have gates? I remember a PR person (who isn't there anymore, probably for the best!) told us that there are no air gates b/c CP expects 'some responsibility' from its guests.

Gemini was like the highest capacity coaster in the world. This is too bad. I was at the park in 2000, but didn't ride. When I worked at the Point 91-93 (and I'm still not 'over' them screwin up my beloved Blue Streak) the Gemini was very rarely seen w/o 6 trains. Seatbelts too!? No wonder...

Even with four train operation, it still makes for a fast queue.

RideMan should be able to pipe in, but as I recall, the difference is that with the PLC "stutter parking" the trains (rather than human operators), they can no longer hit interval for three trains per track, and so the third pair does little for capacity.

There is a ride where belts have screwed things up, but that ride is corkscrew. Surprisingly, it still often runs three trains, when they can't even hit interval for two of them.

Most of the time, neither of these things matter, as there isn't an appreciable line for either except on the busiest of days.

That's too bad... I wonder why someone reported an hour line on Gemini - with 4 trains? With 6 trains in the 'old days' even when the que was full and all the way to jr., the line was at most like 15-20 mins.

I don't recall anyone ever getting hurt on Gemini, why the seatbelts? those bars fall hard.

Gemini still parks trains manually in the station. The real reason six-train operation doesn't work anymore: with newer rides in the park, it doesn't have to on most days (even with four trains running, it's still one of the highest-capacity thrill rides in the park), and the lines rarely get bad for the ride. Trust me.

It also helps to rotate the trains around every season, and extend the wear/tear on the trains. *** Edited 11/29/2007 2:58:44 AM UTC by Arson***

^Welcome to the new thinking of insurance companies in regards to seatbelts.

As far as airgates, I was actually surprised to see CP's coasters without them when I made my first visit. It was just an accident waiting to happen. I am sure the insurance companies had a say in this as well and for good reason.

It still moves really great when operating 4 trains.

With Bill Sphen back at the Point, I have a feeling that Six Trains will return to Gemini very soon.

Yeah, and three to Mantis. Hopefully! The crew can do it :)

Corkscrew pretty much always runs three trains. Why it does is beyond me.

There really isn't any reason to run six trains except for maybe two or three days all season.

One of the things I know they go through like crazy is the brass plates on the upstops. Replacing those is a nightly ritual.

Why not just add upstops like Magnum has?

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Jeff said:
I don't think the gates had anything to do with it. CP has always been good about opening them the moment a train stops, and that said, you can't get into the train anyway until the previous occupants get out.

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Gates, for Gemini at least, are always on Auto., so as soon as the train stops and the bars and released, they swing open automatically.

That's what I was wondering- why not add upstops to the trains? Wouldn't that decrease maintenance in the long run? Does Gemini even have six trains anymore? I can see one or two of them having been cannibalized for parts.

I don't know why they don't have upstop wheels. Maybe it's even more work and expense to replace those.

Unless something has happened in the last year, Gemini is relay logic, with a PLC added just to provide diagnostics.

It makes sense that Gemini was designed without upstop wheels since the trains are very similar (if not mechanically identical) to those used on Arrow's mine trains but the repeated use of plates makes no sense. Not only do the plates have to be replaced but I imagine the metal-on-metal would eventually wear down the track in certain areas and allow it to weaken. I'm sure there's a reason for why things have remained the same all this time, I'm just curious to hear what that reason is.

Trains 5 and 6 hang out together in the Mean Streak infield. I believe they are rotated in and out each year.

Don't forget about the extra staffing. Paying more employees to run a ride which normally has no wait with 4 trains is a waste. It would have been nice for Halloweekends though.

Seatbelts and air gates don't bother me. The day they stop racing the trains is when things will really suck (see KI's racer for a details).

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Pagoda Gift Shop said:

Seatbelts and air gates don't bother me. The day they stop racing the trains is when things will really suck (see KI's racer for a details).

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During my annual visit back in June they were not racing when I tried to ride on three separate occasions. Probably my bad luck b/c I remember seeing them run both sides at different times during the two days I was there, just not when I wanted to ride. If they're going to run the ride, for god's sake run them as they were designed - to race.