Interesting Montu observation
I am 99% sure that my eyes weren't deceiving me, there is always the chance, I suppose...
While at Howl-O-Scream earlier this month, I noticed that Montu had two trains sitting in the maintanance garage while the coaster was running two trains. I know that Montu has a block brake and is therefore capable of three-train operation, but why the fourth train? There are only three "slots" on the garage for storage, so where does this fourth train go during the off-season?
Am I flipping out? Are there really four trains, or is it possible that half of a train was sitting on one side of the garage, and the other half was on the other side? They DID look like complete eight-car trains to me...
I can't speak to your "flipping out", but.....There REALLY are four trains on Montu. Not unheard of for year-round parks to have more trains than can safely run at once. Gives us the opportunity to do "off-season work" even when the park is open. So, BGT can do a complete tear-down of one of Montu's trains, and STILL have full-capacity....
edit: WHAT "off-season"....;)
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Congratulations to two Gator greats, Emmitt Smith and David Eckstein - job WELL done guys!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - unless you've got a spare planet!
*** This post was edited by rollergator on 10/28/2002. ***
Yo Gator! Gwazi guestion for ya, have dispatch times improved much this year? I know that has always been a sore spot for many..... Just wanted to see if thre had been any change this season.
Sean-- Drooling because he gets to make a Cali & Florida trip all before 2003 roles around !
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"The Moose says your closed, I say your open"! Chevy Chase-Vacation
Im pretty sure they have 4 trains for Kumba too. Doubt they can or will ever use that many but its there.
Actually the past couple times I've been, Gwazi has only had one side running...:(. The ops have never changed since BGT decided the capacity problem was caused by the dueling....FWIW. Bummer, since the only really good wood *left* in FL is all the way down in Dania. Starliner is good, and the hand-brakes and all are cool, but how often am I realistically gonna be in PCB, anyway?
To get Gwazi up and running WELL, and DUELING again, would take a minor miracle, considering the amount of time and attention Busch is sinking into their parks right now....
Compacity problem caused by dueling, (Whatever That might be the funniest thing I've heard this year)
Those are twor great rides, too bad I will only get to enjoy one the day I go.
Thanks Gator
Sean-- anxiously waiting for this weekend for his first X & Xcelerator rides!
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"The Moose says your closed, I say your open"! Chevy Chase-Vacation
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I dunno about Gwazi... I have heard tons of opinions of the ride, all saying it is either mediocre or just plain bad, but when I rode it, I thought it was great. The layout is completely convoluted, and I got tons of airtime. On a GCI coaster! With individual lap bars!
Kinda reminded me of Hershey's Wildcat, only... better.
Viper at SFMM has four trains but can only run three. Most of the time you only see three actually at the ride, but sometimes you will see the fourth....
I was there this past Friday and they were running two (yellow and orange) with the red one on the transfer and the beige one under a cover.
Since we're on the topic of extra trains, I just thought I'd mention that Demon, at SFGAm used to have four trains. In addition to the familiar black, red and yellow trains, there was a green train always sitting next to the brake run. I NEVER saw it run. I'm pretty sure it's not there anymore.
As Great America is a seasonal park, what's up with that?
*** This post was edited by (SF)Great American on 10/28/2002. ***
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the member formerly known as MisterX
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Lifts are for wimps. Real enthusiasts use the power of their minds to make the trains go up the first hill.
Good news Donny,
I was at BGT yesterday (Sunday) and it WAS running both sides. At 1:30pm the wait was about 2-4 trains per side. Not only that, Kumba was running 2 trains and the Skyride was working. NOTHING was down! I didn't check how many trains Montu was running because I didn't go that way(my daughter's too short). This was the first time I was there everything was working.
Gwazi wasn't dueling but the ride ops were doing a good job despite being handicapped by bad procedures(check belts, then check lapbar). I'll be back in 2 weeks! It really is a great park. I was at Wild Adventures the day before and it was like a county fair compared to BGT (even though Hangman and Cheetah were very good).
(SF)Great American said:
Since we're on the topic of extra trains, I just thought I'd mention that Demon, at SFGAm used to have four trains. In addition to the familiar black, red and yellow trains, there was a green train always sitting next to the brake run. I NEVER saw it run. I'm pretty sure it's not there anymore.
As Great America is a seasonal park, what's up with that?
*** This post was edited by (SF)Great American on 10/28/2002. ***
When was the last time you saw it?
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"The password is, 'Nice rack,', and I'll reply 'I forgot my bra,'."
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Sworn Whizzer hater because it took Shockwave down
General Public said:
... seems Schwarzkopf parts are hard to come by these days.
Ya know, that really makes me WONDER....Viper's clutch was apparently *cannibalized* for PGA's Anton shuttle as well. Wasn't Anton's son picking up distribution of parts for those classic coasters? I could swear hearing about that, but there SEEMS to be a serious need for parts if coasters like these (Whizzer, anyone) are going to remain much longer.....anyone know?
Tying back into topic, how about that Anton at BGT! There's *talk* of Python going bye-bye from time to time, but never about MY Anton, "El Escorpion"...
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Congratulations to two Gator greats, Emmitt Smith and David Eckstein - job WELL done guys!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - unless you've got a spare planet!
*** This post was edited by rollergator on 10/28/2002. ***
Swimmerkev said:
When was the last time you saw it?
Well, actually, this is one of a very few I can't say right off. I used to make sure to notice it every year when I was younger, but I stopped looking for it around '98. That might be because I no longer saw it, or it might be because I no longer cared. I'm pretty sure it wasn't there this year, though, as I did spend a little time staring at the area around Demon's brake run, waiting for some friends to get off.
rollergator,
As far as I know, no parts of Viper have been sold or otherwise left the "murder scene." Now, if any parts had been sold to someone else, the ride would be pretty much worthless... so they probably would have placed (dumped) the ride parts in the graveyard rather than arrage the fairly neat placement they have now.
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the member formerly known as MisterX
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Lifts are for wimps. Real enthusiasts use the power of their minds to make the trains go up the first hill.
...so I can still maintain my *Delusional* hope that SFoG will put Viper back up and use the loop to thread the eye of the pretzel, huh? That's good to hear that Viper *could* still be reassembled, but I'll wager that IF it was going to be the ride at SFKK, something would have happened by now in regards to at least packaging up the parts, no? Marginal advantage to the notion that SFKK would be getting the Impulse Inside...
bill, credit given to Intel marketing
edit: P.S. to GP, looks like we'll be at SFoG this Sunday, you gonna be working?
*** This post was edited by rollergator on 10/29/2002. ***
Yes by all means, keep it up.
I think the notion of Viper going elsewhere was dead in the water even before the last track was taken down. And hey, it has barely been a year since it's removal... so who knows. Even the signs for it were stored rather than thrown out... when we start selling parts off of it though, I would venture to say it's officially deceased.
I might be working the final Sunday, not real sure. I don't work "in the park" anymore, settled for a cushy climate controlled office job. Said job also has the fringe benefit of early news about future park plans. ;)
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Lifts are for wimps. Real enthusiasts use the power of their minds to make the trains go up the first hill.
*** This post was edited by General Public on 10/29/2002. ***
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