Mean Streak "trim" trimmed?

Hey guys, I visited Cedar Point on May 4th, opening day. I actually was on the "first ride of the year" on the Mean Streak and noticed that the trim brake on the first drop was far less severe than last season. I remember quite clearly being brought nearly to a stop in the middle of the first hill, but this year I could barely notice the brake and it made for a much more exhilirating first drop. Was this because CP reduced the brake or simply because the ride was running so smoothly since it was the first ride of the year?

I think everyones talk of CP's lack of trims thus far is overblown, do not forget that most of these trims are set off by motion sensors (ie speed) and since it is the begining of the year and quite cold (compared to July). The coasters are moving slower due to grease viscosity so the ride is actually going at the same or even slower speeds through the circuit then it would in the height of summer with the trims in full force.

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Summer 03-CP, HP, Canobie, SFNE, SFWOA, and SFGAm.

Motion/speed sensors might play a role in mid course brakes but do you think that they have much of an affect on the initial drop?

When I rode it the brakes in the staion were so sensitive it took one car 7 resets to get out of the station. The trim on the first hill are not as bad as last year. The trims take down on the ruffness. I could not feel any other places on it that had any braking. Do not worry all you mean streak lovers the speed is still there.

TTD was bult TTD came TTD is here to stay.

CoasterKevin,

If you were on the first train, then you may not have experienced any trims, b/c, if I'm not mistaken, the trims are applied based on the train that was ahead of you. So, it's feasible that the train ahead of you was empty for testing purposes or whatever. Not trying to dis your thought b/c I'd like to see them either gone or permanently turned off imho.

I rode MS later in the afternoon, and the trims were definitely less "trimmed" than last year. You could also see all the new wood on the first drop. MS certainly wasn't running as fast as it was when it opened, but was running much faster than in the past couple of years, and that irritating squealing was gone!

My hubby and I were in the yellow train, my son rode the green train (he waited for the front), and he agreed MS was running much better. It certainly was a pleasant surprise for all of us.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

The trim pressure on the ride depends entirely on the speed of the train ahead of you. If it makes it between the lift and the mid-course quickly, your train will be trimmed harder. If it make the voyage more slowly, your train will be trimmed less.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

Thanks for the help guys. I wasn't aware that the trains were trimmed more or less depending on the position of the train ahead of you.

Also, track work will make the rest of the ride MUCH faster, even if the trims are in full effect, but I still want them GONE! Check my sig.

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I am not going back to Cedar Point until they throw Mean Streak's brakes into lake Erie. There should be a law against killing coasters like Cedar Fair does.

CP Dude said:
When I rode it the brakes in the staion were so sensitive it took one car 7 resets to get out of the station.

That might have something to due with the new airgates on the platform. I hear that the airgates are extremely sensitive, and will cause the train to stop if they are pushed or leaned against.

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Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do. :)

At the end of last year i had an almost breakless ride. That was the result of the train being almost completely empty the time before I rode. The last ride of the night everyone on the train was chanting "turn off the breaks" but the mecanics near the chainlift never did. All i know is that it would be awesome for the riders without the breaks on the chainlift, but would be terrible for the track. I heard a rumor that the second hill was bowing out from the pressure before they installed the life breaks. What I don't understand is why didn't CP just make the 1st hill shorter and forget about any breaks at all. The same speed and lenght of the track would be obtained, but without the annotying 1st drop. Everytime I rode it, it sounded like, "aahhh oh man breaks AAAAAAHHHHHH." If they took out the breaks it would just sound like, "aaaaahhhh, yeah no breaks, AAAAAHHHHHH."