Impulse design flaw?

I noticed this on Sunday at Cedar Point and meant to post it then, but haven't gotten around to it. As I was waiting for Wicked Twister, I noticed that when the train first launches there is a banging sound, almost like the slamming of a gate, a very distinct "metal on metal" sound. I'd noticed it before but passed it off as a gate being locked down just before launch, perhaps an employee inside joke or something. But, when I heard it this weekend, for some reason I made the connection that I had heard that sound on Superman at SFWoA a week or so ago, and I think I remember hearing it on V2 at SFMW.

When I listened again for it, I think I've heard this sound before. A couple of my friends are real electronics wizards, and one of them made a magnetic can crusher. We were crushing beer cans one night, and whenever the magnetic field would discharge and crush the can, it made a "metal slamming metal" crack that sounded exactly like this sound coming from WT (and S:UE). My question is, do you think that the magnetic fields of the LIMs are cracking, bending and warping the launch fins, and if so, could this be a reason that impulses sometimes seemingly go down for no reason? Or is a something that might come back to bite them in the ass in a few years?

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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett

I've always wondered myself what that noise was. That's a pretty good observation. However, I don't think this is anything that is going to come back and bite them in the ass. I am sure that the designers are well aware of this problem, if it exists, and they have already taken precautions to avoid it.

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This is the race that straps you into the driver's seat and counts down to GO!

On V2 at SFGAm, there's always a sqeaking soundwhen it launches and when its stopped and going back into the station. I know a lot of people (including me) who always thought it was screaming on the launch part. But when it broke down and they tested it, it sounded like people were screaming. I guess its the magnetic stuff. The LIMs probably have to do w/it.

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"Welcome back. When the train stops, push down then pull up on your lap bar. Please exit to your right, and down the exit ramp. We thank you for challenging Raging Bull, and enjoy the rest of your day at Six Flags!"

Yea, that scream's always been there, I'm talking about a real sharp "crack" that you can only hear from the front few rows and only on the first launch. I only remember hearing it this year on WT, but perhaps its been there all along.

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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett

Well I know WT had something wrong as they added extra supports.

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Flour nil mice men
Rearrange that and you get...
Millenium Force!

...And that has nothing to do with the clicking noise we're talking about.

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Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy. -Ernest Benn

mabey the supprts keep comming lose adn hitting teh traks!!111!!!!1!!1six

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-Mike B.
Son of Hulk
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Sorry, thought it was a legit question, my bad.

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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett

See, Pitt, err, I mean Impulse-ive;), We're just gonna have to make a day and go to SFWoA so I can check this out for myself, since I've never been on an Impulse...;);)

Clint-just trying to get someone to show me round what are almost my new home parks(kennywood, CP, SFWoA)....:)

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Beaver, The other White meat.

Impulse-ive, I wasn't at all directing my sarcastic comment to you or your question.

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-Mike B.
Son of Hulk
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I've always just assumed it was misaligned fins or loose springs in the wheels that in turn would cause lateral movement of the entire car (and therefore cause them to not stay in the LIM slot).

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Luau II Cam 7/19
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

Ah, again my bad Vater :)

Yea, that was my first thought, but it sounds more like a shot, or a snap than something a loose spring would make. If those fins weren't in the slots though (also in my first thoughts on this issue) wouldn't that still cause major damage which could cause the mysterious downtime and potentially cause future harm? I would think this would be even more disasterous, cause if they can misalign just sitting in the station, what would happen if those springs gave due to a wind gust or something just below the front spike? Misaligned fins at 60-65 mph would cause horrific damage to the fins, magnet and probably the car.

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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett

Havn't heard it this season or last on MW's V2, but then again, it does make some weird noises. ;)

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www.CaliforniaCoasterNews.com
www.SFMWZone.com
*** This post was edited by GoliathKills 7/24/2003 2:43:18 PM ***

No, you're missing my point. It's not the loose spring that makes the noise. LIM fires, fins smack one side or the other because loose springs don't keep the car perfectly aligned. That would certainly cause a snapping noise.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Luau II Cam 7/19
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

Ah, yea, that would probably cause some of it - but shouldn't it happen on every fire, forwards and backwards then?

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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett

No because once in motion the ride tends to saty pretty straight. I belive the fin hitting woudl be a more a response of the LIM's torquing up then anything, that is a lot of power ,very quick.

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

Thats weird. I can't wait to hear the noise when I go visit Cedar Point in August. How are Impulse coasters? I never rode one. Do they give anyone here the butterfly feeling. I search for that feeling but never really find it.

That's odd. I never noticed that sound coming off of Ultimate Escape, Wicked Twister, or Screaming Condor. I remember hearing that "screaming" sound as the LIMs fired, but no "snapping" or "cracking". I probably wasn't extremely observant when it came to listening to the sounds the rides made, but I suppose I would hear it now since I know of the situation and would focus in on finding that sound.

What's really odd is that Volcano has never made that noise...

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Love,
The Mole

Ive never heard that sound from SFGAm's V2 before. I don't recall hearing it on Wicked Twister or Superman at SFWoA.

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Superman: Ultimate Flight Count (SFGAm) = 49
Dave
http://www.SFGAmWorld.com