Kingda Ka Construction Update

You'd think the CP Fanboys would be pleased SF is taking the record...it just means CP will eventually take it back!

Clint,

The slowdown on TTD can be felt as soon as the train passes over the first set of fins. It isn't as sudden as some of the other coasters that use magnetic braking, but it can be felt.

-Sean

I'm perfectly content with someone else feeling all of the frustration I did with the ride, only to discover that it's not much of a ride when you do it more than once in a day.

I feel exactly the same way Jeff. The unreliability was/ is a huge factor concerning Dragster. People would ask me when they should get in line for it and I'd always reply "When its running". I wish them the best of luck with KK and can't wait to see how it runs.

Actually, Sean, I should have phrased that differently. Yes, you notice, but it is more of a gradual thing, where some people here seem to thing that as soon as you hit the mag brakes on Ka, you're gonna almost stop.

At least thats how it sounds to me.

I agree with Jeff, in a sense that I'll probably only ride KK once per visit (unless the lines are really damn short)...because there are so many other great coasters in the park (like Nitro [not Nyquil] and certainly not Viper [ouch!]) ;)

I did TTD 2 times when I went to the point, but only because Wildcat had closed for the night, and TTD's line was an hour shorter than Millie.

Next time I'm going during Dead Week. If I do get to go to SFGAdv like I plan this year, I'll hit up Ka at least once, if the line happens to accomodate a second ride on any coasters, I'll take it up (esp. Gasm, since I miss shockwave).

tekno. if you are gonna ride GASM more than once i got a bit of advice for you.. bring the advil!

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Jeff said:

We noticed early on the better supports for the pull-up after the launch to help deal with the "wiggle" that we assume is caused by the bleeding energy of the stopping catch car, but given the location of the hydraulic building, I'm wondering if the launch sled won't actually go through the track and have an extra 100 feet or so to stop.

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I thought they might be placing the hydraulic building closer to the tower for they don't have the two or three extra track segments that just waste space and slow down the train. The moment when the catch car releases from the train it starts to slow down, so this new setup releases the train and starts to go up immedietly after the launch.

^ Either way, they've fixed some of the design in TTD for Kingda Ka. I figured the A-frame supports on the rise and pull-out are to prevent the track from swaying too much. TTD's track sways like crazy on those two parts.

The a-frame supports are only on the rise section of the tower. TTD sways on both sides like you said, but what would only one side help. The location of the hydraulic building is clearly the reason for the a-frame supports.

Clearly? In your engineering opinion? How would the location have anything to do with the support shapes?

And Dragster's track does not wiggle on the way down.

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Mamoosh said:
You'd think the CP Fanboys would be pleased SF is taking the record...it just means CP will eventually take it back!

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Would CF take back the record by building higher.. or buying Great Adventure ;)? (Yes, I know it's not likely since it's one of SF's top-performing parks.. just a question for thought and amusing discussion :) )

Jeff,

I am not totally sure what "wiggle" you mean but I have seen the down side pullout moving from side to side almost as much as the up side. Is that the "wiggle?"

-Sean

I'm looking at video and I see only some minor lateral movement, but nothing like the launch side.

The track on the way down moves. It just doesn't have the wobble the rise does.

At least (if not only) one support is an A-frame on Kingda Ka's return slope. That pretty much shows that the return slope doesn't wobble as much as the rise.

Jeff, the a-frame supports make it possibly for the cable to run freely between them. And, when standing by the rock wall behind the tower, after a train goes through the pull out it shakes a bit too. It's just not as noticable as the up side. Maybe I'm wrong about the support thing, but it makes since.

But what advantage does having the cable run that far by itself have? If it was just a matter of hainvg to run the cable somewhere, they could put a hole in the support (which I've seen for chains on B&M's, and I want to say for the cable on that small purple and green Intamin hyper in Europe).

Perhaps it has something to do with lessening the stress on the cable/launch system to help prevent fraying (as happened this summer on TTD). If you give it more time to slow down and stop, it seems that would lessen the stress a little on the overall system. Anyone know more about the technical aspects and can confirm/disprove my thoughts?

Kinda similar to when you drive your car. If you see ahead of you that you have to stop, you can slow down first, which saves wear and tear on your brakes. However, if you maintain speed until the last possible moment and jam on your brakes, it puts more wear and tear on your brakes, especially if you do that roughly once every minute or 2 for 14 hours every day.

the "wear and tear on your brakes" that you're talking about doesnt apply to ttd or kingda ka, or most other newer intamin coasters. the magnetic brakes that they use work with no physical contact.