Italian Job Stunt Track a bust

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CPCoasterKing said:

Another note. PKI is really confusing when it comes to new attractions. They build the first inverted ride for kids, and then build the tallest and only looping wooden coaster. They are trying to please (I think) a very general crowd. Not saying it's bad, its just the way it is.

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I don't think that's confusing, I think it's a good plan. More parks should do as PKI does and add different kinds of rides instead of ones that appeal to the same demographic. The best parks have rides for kids, families and thrill-seekers.

Now, I used to live near PKI and I also heard a lot of hype about the Italian Job Stunt Track. But, it didn't look that good- I'm riding it this summer though, sucky or not.

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Rob Ascough said:

I don't think that's confusing, I think it's a good plan. More parks should do as PKI does and add different kinds of rides instead of ones that appeal to the same demographic. The best parks have rides for kids, families and thrill-seekers.

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I agree.

I just use the analogy: CP:Thrillseekers as PKI:Families.

Both CP and PKI know their niche and exploit it to the fullest.

CP goes for biggest, fastest, longest, highest, most bang for the buck attractions with 90% of their additions each year, and it suits them just fine.

PKI goes for anything that will draw in large groups of people, and that will please those who are 6, 60, or anywhere in between.

I don't think anyone expects CP to put in Disaster Transport Force with theming out the wazoo, just as much as I don't expect Son of Vortex with 15 inversions to suddenly appear.

It's business; and business is all about strategy. Just in our case (at least in Ohio), it's a stalemate. We're lucky.

Just think what a thrill this ride must be to younger guests. They get to ride a big coaster with a launch that includes some above average themeing. They also get to do it all with their parents. PKI has to be given a lot of credit for their balance of rides, with all that land, and being in ohio it would be so easy for them to build the biggest most intense rides out there, but they are able to keep it in tune

An increasing trend in ohio is to see the familes at PKI, and the teens-young adults at CP and the parks do a great job attracting their age groups

I rode IJ:ST 4 times the past two days, and I thought that it was really cool.

Well I LOVE family rides and I can't wait to ride Stunt Track! I think it sounds fun. I also don't think bigger is better! Either way its a roller coaster and a ride on a roller coaster is better than a day at work, unless its a Togo ride and then it may end up being a day in the hospital due to head injuries.

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L. Kris Allen said:
I rode IJ:ST 4 times the past two days, and I thought that it was really cool.

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I had the same thought about the ride. It's by no means an intense ride. Just good fun. Personally, I thought they did a great job and the amount of work that went into it that most people don't hear about is staggering really. The ride is very unique is many different ways.

Mike

I've ridden it about 3 times now, and I must say that I am only disapointed in its length, but to its defense, it does pack a whole butt load of action in that short period of time.

I think both PKI and PCW are lucky to have these rides.

I have to disagree I wasn't expecting much from IJST and it made me go wow! Not only is the theming top notch but it's a fun coaster. Unfortunately to many enthusiasts anything not uber intense isn't worth the time. That's fine with me because that means less people in front of me for this fun coaster.

I will have to agree with you on that one Paul. I absolutely loved it. It is now my second favorite coaster at PKI! It has laterals, airtime, and some stuff one would expect to see only in Orlando! How could this not be a winner.

If you want better thrills I highly recommend sitting in the back seat of any of the cars. That is where you will feel the car slide around the curves. The front seats of the cars you will not feel this motion as much if at all. But for me I absolutely love the rear seats in each of the cars much more than the fronts.

My only complaint would be the volume of the soundtrack is pretty much inaudible once you launch. But even without the soundtrack the ride was a blast...pun intended!

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Paul Drabek said:That's fine with me because that means less people in front of me for this fun coaster.

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...and as you mentioned, capacity is its biggest downfall. The lines will be rediculous.

(Oh and wait until the second section of Jungle Jims is completed early next year... I can't wait for the monorail to become more than just decoration piece myself.)

Now wait just a moment...

Yes, the ride only carries 12 riders at a time. But with two trains running, it was moving in excess of 600 PPH, because the ride is only a minute long. To put that into perspective, that is a higher hourly capacity than Face/Off. With three trains, it should be able to run at about 900 PPH, which is comparable to The Beast. Yesterday it was running a little slower than that, but that was due at least in part to the ticketing system they were using, which meant that most of the time the train was going out half-empty even as they turned would-be riders away at the gate.

Incidentally, my parents both liked the ride a lot.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

"My only complaint would be the volume of the soundtrack is pretty much inaudible once you launch. But even without the soundtrack the ride was a blast...pun intended!"

As of Friday... a new sound system was being tested on the third train. If successful, it will be incorporated into the other two.

Third train was supposed to go into operation this weekend, anyone know if it made it?

Shaggy

Yes, all three trains were running yesterday.

I wonder if that's why they weren't handing out enough ride tickets to keep the trains full...

(they were using a ride ticket system that made the Millennium Force 'Ticket to Ride' system seem intelligent by comparison)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Guess I never made it onto that 3rd train in all of my 4 rides. Oh well. I heard the soundtrack in the car until the train launched. I still loved the ride without that feature. I am sure that will only enhance the ride for me. Guess I will head back to PKI later in the year!

Though I do believe it was running. *** Edited 5/23/2005 4:39:28 PM UTC by beast7369***

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RideMan said:
Now wait just a moment...

Yes, the ride only carries 12 riders at a time. But with two trains running, it was moving in excess of 600 PPH, because the ride is only a minute long. To put that into perspective, that is a higher hourly capacity than Face/Off. With three trains, it should be able to run at about 900 PPH, which is comparable to The Beast.

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Well, unless they've somehow solved the exit area, I'll believe it when I see it.

The trains spend a lot of time in the exit station as people fumble and file out of that shallow exit gate. And since everyone has to clear that gate before the train can move to the boarding platform, I can't see it being a high(er) capacity performer at least for the beginning of the season. Perhaps in time, they can get queuing on it down to a science, but it will take a busy weekend day as a true test of its capacity.

I believe the 900PPH mark is obtainable, I'm just not sure it's a feasable estimation for this ride at this time.

I should try it again to see if the sound system is better. Any word on what they have to change to improve the sound (hardware-wise)?

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RideMan said:
Now wait just a moment...

Yes, the ride only carries 12 riders at a time. But with two trains running, it was moving in excess of 600 PPH, because the ride is only a minute long. To put that into perspective, that is a higher hourly capacity than Face/Off. With three trains, it should be able to run at about 900 PPH, which is comparable to The Beast. Yesterday it was running a little slower than that, but that was due at least in part to the ticketing system they were using, which meant that most of the time the train was going out half-empty even as they turned would-be riders away at the gate.

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You are forgetting the time that it takes to load / unload the trains. If there are 12 people per train, and it takes 45 seconds to load / unload each train and 15 seconds to get the next train into the station to be ready to launch it, it means that one train will be loaded every 60 seconds, so there can be a total of 60 launches per hour. That brings us a total capacity of 720 people per hour.

Adding a train doesn't always mean an increase equal to the amount of the first two trains. Usually, it means that the next train is prepped to be loaded at that point, adding a smaller theoretical capacity to the ride (in this case, only 120 pph). The ride however is saving the amount of time that it takes to bring in the next train (the estimated 15 seconds). In many cases where rides only run two trains, adding a third train would do absolutely nothing for the capacity, which is why there isn't even that option.

Considering the quick time of the ride, I would be surprised if you could launch the next train less than a minute after the first one was launched. So realistically, this ride will actually have right around 600-650 people an hour after you factor out normal boarding delays and empty seats. In my opinion, that's a strange addition to a park that needs rides with higher capacities very, very badly. *** Edited 5/25/2005 4:55:30 PM UTC by thecoasterguy***

The way the station was setup they should be able to load 1 train, unload another train, and have the 3rd train running the course all at the same time. I dont believe that even on Friday when they had 3 trains for the first time that there was as much as 60 seconds between launches. Maybe 45...but this is a guesstimation.

The ride should be able to do the 900.

It takes about 20 seconds to launch the train to the top of the spiral, and another 25 seconds for the train to clear the mid-course brake. The end of the ride is another 15 seconds, and it takes 10 seconds to move a train from one brake to the next in the stations.

The paranoid way to run the ride would be to launch the first train, then bring the empty second train into the load station after the first 20 seconds. That leaves only 15 seconds to load and dispatch the train. Possible, but not likely.

But once the first train has launched, once it has passed the brakes at the downtrack end of the launch, it isn't coming back. I don't have the exact timing, but the launch is about five seconds. If the second train is brought up into the load station five seconds after launch, that means there is a full 30 seconds to load the empty train: that is, check twelve lap bars and slam six doors. THAT is extremely do-able.

Yes, the exit is a problem, but that could be solved with the addition of about $30 worth of gate hardware so that the operator in the unload station could concentrate on running the ride instead of manipulating the slide-bolt on the gate.

I've worked out a schedule, and it allows for about 30 seconds to load the train, and about 25 seconds to unload. That really ought to be enough; that's the equivalent of a 50-second dwell time for flush-loading. To put that into perspective, Iron Dragon at Cedar Point only sits in the station for about 35 seconds, and it is flush-loaded. The requisite 45-second interval is very do-able, and if they do it, that's 960 PPH.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.