Long lines for Banshee and on the freeway for King Island's opening day

Think about the way Raptor runs, with the long brake run. The mid-course is essentially irrelevant. I think the third train with a good crew (which they seem to have) will work.

We had this same conversation last summer after the announcement and rendering.

I watched for this on Saturday. On a good dispatch, the train in the station will leave about 20 seconds before the train on the coarse hits the breaks.

They were stacking just about every dispatch on media day with only two trains running, but I chalked it up to the camera crews and just a general leisurely pace. I'm sure they can get it cranked up with three trains, and the lack of bins for loose articles should help speed things up even more.

I realized recently that it is also an advantage that the floor doesn't open and close, therefore the ride ops do not have to wait for that mechanism to operate before safely helping with restraint openings.

That's an excellent point, LK. I sure noticed the floor in that station but never considered it would make for a time trimmer. I also noticed the ops stand on pressure sensitive pads, so those would act as a safety device and keep them away from a moving train before its safe to go.

I wonder what kind of engineering/design process there was behind that? I guess it's not rocket science, but the distance would have to be just right- close enough so the average rider doesn't have to hop too high and can reach the ride, but far enough away so the tallest rider isn't in danger of dragging his feet along the platform when the ride is in motion.
Maybe the days of those moving platforms, which I would think certainly adds a costly element to the station, are over.

Are there any others that have the stationary concrete platform? I know Wicked Twister does, but that's Intamin- what about other B&M's? Alpengiest? Montu? I can't recall if this is a first for B&M or not.

I'm going to guess that Banshee is the first invert to not have a dropping floor, as it is also the first to use the new wing coaster restraint style.

LostKause said:

the new restraints are great.

Do you like them on a Wingrider? By the end of the ride, X-Flight's were very tight and claustrophobic. Worse than any I've experienced (including Skyrush).

The only wing rider I have been on is Gatekeeper, so I cannot compare the restraints to X-Flights. However, when Cedar Point made the adjustments to the vests on Gatekeeper during the summer the ride was much more enjoyable. I agree with others that the restraints on Banshee are great. Never felt any discomfort on Media Day.

I've been on the CP and DW wingriders, and never experienced this tightening everyone speaks of. Banshee is said to have fixed that problem.

I'm with you, Travis. I never had the restraint tighten down on me either.

I remember it a little on Wild Eagle and pre-fixed Gatekeeper, but never in a show stopping way.

The issue is that the 'vest' is under tension, and used to ratchet, so when the +Gz and +Gx forces squash you into the seat, the restraint would maintain tension...and when the ride forces let you up, the restraint wouldn't, having locked into the squashed-rider position. On GateKeeper and Banshee, at least, the flexible restraint doesn't lock at all anymore (just stays under tension) which makes a huge difference in the ride experience.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.