Kingda Ka------broken again!

This is the main reason why I didn't even think about going to SFGAdv this year. I knew they were going to have downtime til they figured out all of the problems but I didn't think it was going to be this bad.

Six Flags good luck next time. StE, X and now KK a long line of problematic record breakers.

Yeah, it's like Deja Vu all over again.

psyche6050 > Wew, great photo u made. The height define vy well ^^' Thanks for sharing wif us.

~I'm a summerlover!~

Maybe we have pushed the limit for the heavy machinery we call rides.

Bottom line, no parks experiement, and maybe fail, and we see no new type of rides or break records.

No one likes the situtaion, but it will help develop the ride of the future.

i am making my first trip ever out to CP next weekend------------TTD better be working!!!!!

or else?

And by the way, proper spelling, capitalization and punctuation are appreciated around here.

Using extra exclamation points (or all caps) is not.

Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."

ApolloAndy---------You should relax. Maybe you are just hungry, go over to Hoagie Haven and grab a bite ;) .

I wasn't saying anything in a negative way.

Mmmm....Hoagie Haven. That's not a bad idea. ;)

Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."

Glad to see that you are in a better mood! :)

Glad to see you using real words and less punctuation! :)

Maybe this has been mentioned elsewhere, but is anyone else amused that the thing that caused KK to fail was the fix for the TTD cable fraying? I got a few smiles out of that when I found out today ...

Brett, Resident Launch Whore Anti-Enthusiast (the undiplomatic one)

Had a great ride on TTD today. They were up and moving the line pretty well this afternoon.

So I guess its only a matter of time before a TTD train implodes on itself like KK then huh. If CP fans can be cynics, I'll join in on the fun.

Fate is the path of least resistance.

Am I the only one waiting for "the next problem" to show up in this launch mechanism...LIMs really do seem to be the most effective way to launch a coaster (offer not valid in NJ)...;)

Of course, I still prefer the air-launch as providing the most instantaneous acceleration....I want some 'Keg...:)

Impulse-ive said:Maybe this has been mentioned elsewhere, but is anyone else amused that the thing that caused KK to fail was the fix for the TTD cable fraying?

Huh?? TTD has always had the black nylon derivative liner in the catchcar track. I can personally testify to being present when it was replaced on 4 occassions in the 2003 season alone.

It really is a common engineering conundrum: utilizing two different materials because they possess certain mechanical properties ideal to their application, yet they have completely different thermal properties. It's as simple as this...on hot days the metal track expands more than the polymer liner; this produces small gaps between the pieces of liner. It doesn't take much of a gap (a fraction of a milimeter) to provide the catchcar an opportunity to bump into the leading edge of the liner and lift it.

If you look closely at the liner when you're on the ride, you can see that Intamin attempted to compensate for this difference in expansion by using slotted holes for the bolts that attach the liner to the track.

Frankly, I was a little disappointed that Intamin didn't switch to a different material after seeing how frequently CP had to change the liner on TTD. At the very least, change its color. I still want to know what was going through the engineers' minds when they thought it would be a good idea to use a black material that was exposed to the sun and had a metric ton sliding over it at 120+mph up to 4x in a minute without incorporating some form of heat transfer mechanism to cool off the area. Thank you CP maintenance and Home Depot for the catchcar cooling system.

TTD '03 crew 69 launches, 65 complete circuits

Am I the only one waiting for "the next problem" to show up in this launch mechanism

Nope. And I'm just about as cynical as Andy.

http://cse.umich.edu/

What if Intamin beveled the leading edge of the next piece so that the leading edge isn't as high as the back edge of the previous piece? Even just 1/4 inch would probably help, and I doubt the catch car would feel this as a bump.

I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks, than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

Is it possible to fabricate a single piece of the liner so that when the catch car is travelling at high speeds, it never encounters a gap or liner-liner edge?

Can you imagine trying to get a replacement part like that in to the ride? Are you going to have 500 people come in and carry it from the maintenance shed down to one end of the ride so it can be slid into place?

While that would certainly solve one problem, it creates more, bigger problems.

Do they replace the whole thing at once, or just worn sections on an as needed basis? I would imagine sections closer to the engine end of the launch track would heat up more than pieces at teh beginning of the launch.

John

TTD ran great most of the day yesterday, I got 2 rides. And yes thanks to CP's great maint. crew they solved a problem that a whole boat load of engineers couldn't figure out. Remember the garden hose? LOL

Been going to the Point for over 30 years and still love it!!!!!!!!!!!

And typically...the more complicated the problem, the simpler the solution...

bill, wondering what problems will arise with the latest *solution* to dealing with the catch car mechanism...did I ever tell ya the one about the old lady who swallowed a fly? ;)