KK BIG breakdown?!?!?

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Ajrides said:
I think they should get rid of that launch system, and just mount a pratt& whitney jet engine on each train. Then they won't have to worry about rollbacks or cables snapping or any problems. If you want to call it a rocket coaster they should launch it like one.

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Best post of the entire thread. May I please use your last line "If you want to call it a rocket coaster they should launch it like one." as my signature?

Every time 'gator mention Jumpin' Jack Flash, it's like the knife Great Adventure shoved into my heart back in 1999 gets turned just a little bit. It hurts. I miss that ride so.

Anyhow, I'd be interested in learning what changes, if any, Intamin made between TTD and Kinga Ka and if those changes resulted in this new problem for Kingda Ka. If it's not a new change that's caused the problem, I wonder if we can expect to see changes to the existing rides.

I think it's quite possible for changes to be made on Dragster if this malfunction on Kingda Ka is, in fact, a design flaw. We've already seen how Intamin is willing to change procedures due to one ride's failure with the seatbelts. This could possible be something that would require change on all rocket coasters. We will wait and see...

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rollergator said:
so maybe tweak the launch just a hair and send the train at say, 122 or 123....just a thought.

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TTD already laucnhes around 122 a good portion of the time...when I was there in May I got a 127 launch. It was so awesome, we flew over the tophat quickly (with no holding break ;))

Maybe TTD is running better than even CP thought it would.... I went there on May30-June2; on Wednesday i went to Geauga Lake and got back to CP around 7:00 and bought a starlight ticket. When I got down to the booth to enter, a sign said "Top Thrill Dragster will not be in operation today...". And a sign by TTD's station said the same thing But when I walked past TTD it was running. Has this happened bfore at CP or is this rare. By the way it ran all of the other days.

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S2K said:
I think it's quite possible for changes to be made on Dragster if this malfunction on Kingda Ka is, in fact, a design flaw. We've already seen how Intamin is willing to change procedures due to one ride's failure with the seatbelts. This could possible be something that would require change on all rocket coasters. We will wait and see...

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TTD is down awaiting a part from Intamin, i wonder if there is any connection, i doubt it though

The GADv website now says KK will be down for at least several weeks. Can't say I'm surprised!

The tallest, greenest, shiniest paperweight ON THE PLANET! :)

Do amusement park rides qualify under any state's Lemon Law?

Taking a look at the webcam for TTD and knowing that it is apparently down for a day or 2... it seems like Cedar Point should take advatange of the situation and advertise Millenium Force as the tallest continous circuit coaster operating in the world today!

I am sure that what happens in the event of breakdowns is determined by the contract and not by generic state law. With a project this size and this problematic, I highly doubt they did not discuss reliability in the contract. Who knows...maybe Intamin offered 60% uptime the first 2 seasons and SFI is fine with that.

Found this today mention they have to fabricate new parts.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.asp?Feed=BW&Date=20050614&ID=4890164&Symbol=US:PKS

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DragonRider said:
Taking a look at the webcam for TTD and knowing that it is apparently down for a day or 2... it seems like Cedar Point should take advatange of the situation and advertise Millenium Force as the tallest continous circuit coaster operating in the world today!

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Good one! LOL

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Crashmando said:
Found this today mention they have to fabricate new parts.

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I wonder if these parts are just replacement or modified. It would be nice to know if they were able to identify the issue and fix it through the modification of the parts. They may just be replacements for the damged parts and not address the issue at all (which I hope is not the case).

Why wont SF just come out and say exactly what is wrong with it. It seems like they have something to hide, i almost wonder if its their fault its down.

Ever consider that they are not ready to say anything quite yet? Maybe they are still scratching their heads wondering exactly what happened. I don't know and neither does anyone else.

Yeah. Just because they are fabricating parts, doesn't mean they know how it broke, it just means they know what pieces broke. And rather that giving the public only a portion of the story which would leave people jumping to conclusions, they are getting a detailed analysis of what exactly happened.

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jar said:
Why wont SF just come out and say exactly what is wrong with it.

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In a word....liability! ;)

I was there last Thursday, the day after the breakdown. A ride op told me that it would be down for at least a month. The train was trashed and needs to be replaced as does sections of the launch track. The train was still stuck at the end of the launch covered with a tarp. Parts of the train had been removed and were stored under Rollong Thunder. The ride op said that it was not a cable snap, but did not know exactly what the problem was. I wonder if one of the brake fins was out of line and the train hit it.

I was told on Sunday from a reliable source that it would be back up in 2 weeks and they are working around the clock with Intemin to get it up.