Hypersonic XLC got stuck!

Hey all, long time reader, first time poster. Anyway, went to PKD today, and about 7PM-ish a Hypersonic XLC train got stuck at the peak of the hill! It was stuck for about 20 or so minutes. I took some pics, but all I had was my mobile phone camera, so the pic quality isn't all that great:

http://www.geocities.com/psbalestrieri/hypersonic.html

Question though: I talked to one of the maintenance techs that was standing around marveling at it, and he said that the train had just enough power to make it to the top of the hill, but not over, and that the odds of this happening were about one in a lot. He also said that there were brakes on top of the hill holding the train at the moment. I then overheard on his radio that they were going to release the brakes and let the train rollback. They released the brakes, and no movement (there was a soft audiable hydraulic-sounding hiss when this happened). The tech said that the train didn't have enough 'thrust' to rollback, so they were going to try forward. Another hiss, and the train rolled forward, completing the circuit. So I guess my question is, is there a some kind of hydraulic doodad on top of the hill to move trains? And could the train really have had just exactly enough power to balance itself on the top of the hill, but not over? Isn't it possible (and more likely) that for whatever reason the brake at the top of the hill stopped the train? (Sorry if this is long winded, but I'm trying to reason this out in my head!)

-Paul!!

(Edited cuz I can't spell!)
*** This post was edited by PaulB11 9/8/2003 12:26:21 AM ***

Even with the pics, I have a hard time believing this. Weird!
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Rob - Jerk/Loser - Standing up for the unfunny and unattractive. - Click here for details

Well Dragtser has stopped at the apex of the hill 2 or 3 times now, but that hill is noehere near as sharp a point as Hypersonic. Dragster also doesn't have brakes as Hypersonic does.

From the looks of the pictures it appears that most of the train is on the up side of the hill which woudl suggest to me that it was stopped by brakes. However the fact that it went over the top kind of muddles the situation.

As can be seen by this picture of mine the radius of the hill is extremely tight. And I do not see any brakes on the hill that high up or any other kind of mechanical device that woudl be able to push the train over the apex.

As Rob says even with the pictures I have a hard time believeing this, it's not all that hard to take two pictures of a train in the same place.

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If given the choice I'd choose a hamburger over a hotdog anyday of the week.

:) I understand the doubt, but those are real undoctored pics of the train stuck! Hopefully there was another, more-reliable-than-some-forum-noobie-that-we-don't-know CoasterBuzz fan there tonight (or last night, as the time now has it) that can back up my story. There was at least one other person taking pictures with a digital camera that I saw, so hopefully some other better quality pictues will surface. And I also doubt the story form the tech that it just 'got stuck'. It would make a heck of a lot more sense if the ride e-stopped the train at the top of the hill or something similar.

Also, looking at the pic that MagnumForce posted, it seemed like that the train was more centered like that than what my pics show. (I now hate myself for not getting a better angle)

--Paul!

As Rob says even with the pictures I have a hard time believeing this, it's not all that hard to take two pictures of a train in the same place.

Yeah he came and posted pics and stuff just to fool us into believing that a ride got stuck.

So, Hypersonic isn't reliable now either eh?
Cliche, yes, but:
TAER IT DOWN!

Actually similiar stuff HAS happened as anyone who has been around the board for a while can attest. The whole story of Kentucky Kingdom moving comes to mind. People do some crazy stuff to get attention.

I am not saying that this is a farce, in fact I don't belive it is.

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If given the choice I'd choose a hamburger over a hotdog anyday of the week.

Why would they have brakes at the top in the first place? It is hard to imagine the train stopping at just the right point to balance on the top like that, but it is possible. You would think that the all the passengers would be able to lean forward and move the center of gravity enough to allow the train to complete the course. Unless there was a bad wheel bearing or something that was creating enough friction to hold the train in place.

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I regret to inform you that Cedar Point's newest roller coaster, Top Thrill Dragster will not be operational today, or tomorrow or probably any day that you decide to visit our park. Please accept our apologies.

CPismyhome, kinda my thoughts exactly. I also couldn't see any hydraulic lines or othersuch leading to the apex of the hill... But there was definitely an audiable hiss as I mentioned above, and the train did eventually move. Next time I go to PKD, I'm definitely going to take a good sharp look at the hill in good daylight (when the train got stuck, daylight was well on its way out)

--Paul!!!

I find it hard to believe no one got hurt.

S & S does everything with air, not hydraulics.

Why would anyone have gotten hurt? Its not like the train derailed, it just stopped and then was restarted.

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Bob M.

While I'm dubious about this incident since no one else has reported it, Hypersonic has experienced rollbacks before with no injuries.

There are brakes all the way up the upside of the tower to slow the train in case of a rollback. They close as soon as the train goes by, much like the fins on Xcel. and TTD.

I don't think they go all the way up to the crest of the tower, but they definitely are in at least two sets, so I would imagine that the first hiss was one set of brakes (which was not holding the train) releasing and the second his was the second set (which was holding the train) of brakes releasing, allowing the train to roll home free.

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
"Those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know." -Jeff

ARUG there is a tire at the top, i dunno if there are brakes but at the top there is a tire that cn drive it over if this happens. If it is going slow enugh, the tire will stop it is my guess, they just have to turn it on to push it over.
The wheel my guess usually helps keep the trains speed in check at the top making it go as slow as possible, and it just did that too well. Thats my guess.
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Boulderdashdashdash

You can see the brakes going up in this picture:

http://www.coasterdom.com/~coasternet/pg/hypersonicxlc7.jpg

It is possible to happen because there is a tire and I think brakes at the top to control the speed of the train.
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Matt Rydzik
http://beyond-repair.net

A few things:

1.) Its easy to get a pic of the train at the top and make it *look* like its stuck. Also notice the pictures closely. In one pic, it looks as though the train is further back on the crest than the other. Also pay attention to the clouds...the sky is considerably different in both pics.

2.) As many times as I have ridden this in front row, I have never seen a tire at the top of the hill.

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1. Millennium Force
2. HypersonicXLC
3. Alpengeist

Emm...given that the two pictures were obviously taken from slightly different locations (one looks to be a bit closer to the tower as well as zoomed in. It looks like the tower just juts up more vertically in that pic, so I assume he's closer to it), the clouds aren't all that much different, and I honestly don't see any difference in the location of the train taking into account the angle of the shot, I'm gonna go ahead and assume he's not full of it.

Then again, I'm a trusting soul :)

I agree with you about the picture. You could not prove the train was in a different position when they are so close and the pictures are from different positions. But, I searched and haven't heard anything about his on any other message boards. Also I can't imagine the train stopping when the tower is such a tight radius. I'm undecided.

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-Sean Newman

Should have gotten a video phone...

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Western Michigan University Engineering student.
Go Broncos!

Well if the train was stuck up at the top for 20 minutes then he could have taken the pictures at two different times. Therefore the clouds could have moved.

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B Rad