Ka Major Breakdown....again!

I'm glad nobody was hurt or anything, hopefully it won't be a huge ordeal to get it running again. If it was a cell phone, that really pisses me off. Even if it was in someone's pocket, how hard is it to secure it?I've been e-stopped on SROS because of a cell phone, so it's not 100% unlikely that someone whipped it out and was talking on it, which is ridiculous. I'm done ranting now.

I know jack about rollercoasters, but if it was infact a cell phone. Wouldnt the computer sensors on the ride panel indicate that to the ride op? or did i happen just that fast where there was nothing that could be done? *** Edited 5/6/2006 8:29:10 PM UTC by SkyRider7***

I have seen the breaks come up durring the launch on TTD and nothing happened (it did roll back). It was during the first season, the ride was closed due to weater (wind) and they were testing it all day. Nothing should happen because the train in ment to pass over the brakes up or down. I think there may be an overspeed fault or something that woould cause the brakes to come up before the train clears them.

A broken cable moving at 128 MPH could cause some sparks that could be seen at night. Because there are two cables the train would still clear the tower. I dought that a cell phone falling out of someones pocket would stay on the track for the next train to hit.

I sure hope that they get it fixed as I'm planning a trip the end of May. It broke last year the day before I got to the park, it will be just my luck that it will be broken again. :(

Also, why would a cell phone fall out in the launch area? At that point in the ride all the forces are horizontal...

Well, if the phone was loose in someones pocket, and they suddenly moved. i.e bracing for the launch, its entirely possible that the phone could have fallen out.

Who knows, but Shapiro and Co. cant be really happy with this latest mess with the ride.

Cell phone thing sounds a lot more plausible than the other explaination.

The brakes are supposed to come up if the train doesn't make it over! No sparks, loud noises, just a slowing train and a good chance of a rollback.

Too bad about the downtime though... I can say with some confidence that Intamin will probably never sell another one in the 400' range.

^^^Maybe with a more traditional lift hill someday.

^^ That's what people said after Dragster.

Umm, Yeah.
When the brake fins come up they don't cause sparks.
Period.
Unless something else goes horribly wrong with the train to cause mis alignement.

"I know jack about rollercoasters, but if it was infact a cell phone. Wouldnt the computer sensors on the ride panel indicate that to the ride op?"

Yes, The control panel actually talks and told the operator a cell phone fell on the launch track.
The operator then pressed the E stop which raised the brake fins and caused the sparks and loud bang.

If anyone says anything different they don't know what they are talking about.

The brakes coming up would not cause sparks..it makes no sense....what do you think is happening when there actually is a rollback? The train is travelling just as fast, if not much faster, over the brakes on a rollback than on a normal launch, depending on where the train is located on the launch track. (If that makes sense...)

The sparks would have to be from a cell phone or other object lodged somewhere in the train/track/launch cable.

Wow, that really is horrible for the park. If it is because of someone leaving their cell in their pocket, that really sucks. To think it's something preventable..

I'm really glad I got my credit for KK back in August. I was hoping it would be up and running for our visit this summer, but who knows now. :(

When the brake fins come up they don't cause sparks.
Period.

Yes, The control panel actually talks and told the operator a cell phone fell on the launch track. The operator then pressed the E stop which raised the brake fins and caused the sparks and loud bang.

If anyone says anything different they don't know what they are talking about.

Can you clarify for us? You contradict yourself in your two posts. An honest mistake, I am sure.

*** Edited 5/7/2006 2:39:26 AM UTC by CoasterDad64***

If they are magnetic, the brake fins do not touch the train. I heard that the catch car did not stop at the end of the launch run which caused the sparks. Think about it. If the brakes were up during the launch, it would slow the train down. Every launch, the brakes come up. You people aren't thinking. I do not know what is happened but you aren' thinking about the basic system. Brakes are magnetic meaning that they never touch or anything.

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PKI discodude said:
The brakes coming up would not cause sparks..it makes no sense....what do you think is happening when there actually is a rollback? The train is travelling just as fast, if not much faster, over the brakes on a rollback than on a normal launch, depending on where the train is located on the launch track. (If that makes sense...)

The sparks would have to be from a cell phone or other object lodged somewhere in the train/track/launch cable.

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When the train rolls back the brakes can stop the train. But when its being launched the catch car forces the train through the brakes and the brakes actually break into pieces.

What scares me is people who actually TALK on their cells during a coaster/flat ride. I have seen it many times. I have seen several a**holes chat/TM on their cells going up a lift hill. WTF?

-Tina

*** Edited 5/7/2006 5:08:32 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

I don't understand your reasoning...
The maximum speed that the catch car will be "forcing" the train through the brakes is 128 m.p.h., give or take. If it rolls back, the kinetic energy acheived from the 400+ foot drop will be just as powerful as the catch car. If the brakes can somewhat easily withstand a rollback on a daily basis, why would they break into pieces after one of these instances where they fail to lower/raise too early?

My point is that in this case some sort of outside force, i.e. a cell phone,would be needed to cause a great deal of sparks.

From what i heard, the cell phone and major breakdown incidents are loosely related. Prior to the breakdown a cell phone hit a passenger in the face, causing a pretty messy scene. After that the ride broke down and they decided to test. When they tested it (here is where my theory begins) mag brakes that slow the catch car failed to engage. The train crested the tower but shortly after, with nothing to stop the catch car, it slammed into the end of the track causing sparks to fly and the loud explosion sound. That is what I've conjured up from the info I've read. *** Edited 5/7/2006 5:32:52 AM UTC by mudinthevayne***

The brakes and catch car don't have anything to do with each other, do they?

the catch car has it's own set of mag brakes, apart from the ones on the track for the train.