Millennium Force cable breaks, shutting down ride

Are there still tickets for Millennium Mania? I would be intresested in going.

I think you have to buy them at the gate now for like $2 more.

So does anybody know if MF will be up for MM or even Saturday? I am going Saturday, and if MF isn't open, my family isn't going to make the 5 hour drive to CP. Anyone have any current info about when MF will be back up?

-------------
-Aaron
Webmaster of CM
http://www.coaster-mania.com

i wish magic mountain would keep their rides open like CF does

Mantisman, LOL!!!! Sounds like X-Flight :)

Oh no! That isn't good. I hope it is open on Thursday. I am probably going that day.

Why dont they just torch the damn thing down to the ground.

Word on the street is that Millennium Force will be open for Millennium Mania... I will keep you updated(since I will be in Sandusky all week).

I did a little research and found out that a cable on a regular elevator is replaced about every 2-3 years.

-------------
Andrew Hyde
http://www.experiencethepoint.com
Author- Experience The Point: The Unofficial Guidebook To Cedar Point *** This post was edited by Andrew on 9/3/2001. ***

repost from GTTP
OK, here is an update as of what I saw last around 6PM today

The cable is here and the "return" cable is already attached to the flywheel. I don't see the "up" cable (larger one) on all the way yet although it could be at the top. The cable I can tell is different and appears has a metallic shine too it. I'm sure it will take no time for them to get the rest of the cable on.

But Cable shamble! The most important part, the catchcar has been pulled off. It was in shambles yesterday and it appeared to me it was in very bad condition. It all rest on what kind of condition the catchcar is in. Who knows what could have happened to the thing coming off the back of its track and slamming into the ground and a fairly good speed.

Matt brings up a good point, why is there not a rollback device on the catchcar itself? I too though there was one on there and when I first saw the wreckage I thought something else must have broke for it to slide down the whole way. Later Dave and Scott told me there is no such thing and it only catches the train for it's drive up. if there was one, it would have not slid back which could have been a catastrophe if people were in the station.

Red Train is still up there, although it appears higher today and he front is about to crest. I bet the will somehow send it over soon. I also saw what could have been some Intamin engineers in the cart because they were not wearing the standard blue mechanics uniform.

I think it depends now how soon they can get the catchcar in working order and if repair any damage to the trackwork caused by it sliding down

-----------------
Save Cheese on a stick!

Intamin was there... atleast thats what I was told... but they weren't the only ones at the park... Morgan/Chance are supposed to be at the park either Sunday(yesterday) Today or Millennium Mania and next weekend... I was told Morgan/Chance has a set of rooms in Breakers... and wants to see what Millennium Force is like...

-------------
Andrew Hyde
http://www.experiencethepoint.com
Author- Experience The Point: The Unofficial Guidebook To Cedar Point

Yeah, those engineers looked scfruffy.

Oh, sorry everyone who goes on the days I go. Like CPGenius said all those things happened to the days I was there, including the rollback. The cable did not snap when I was there, but I was planning to go that day. I'm during to find my list of MF blunders I have been involved in, its really long! I hate the thing so much, I only rode it 130 times this season. :)

-----------------
Save Cheese on a stick!

kpjb: I don't know as a matter of fact that CP replaces their chains every two years, but I have heard it said (by a mechanic or someone in that department) that they do replace the chains at a regular interval. I assume the frequency has to do with the height of the lift.

Regarding the release of the catch wagon/sled/pullerupperthingy, there are S-shaped extensions to the I-beam track below the load station that would force it to the ground along the gravel under the transfer and unload station. It would quite simply (and likely did) pass under the next train entering the station. I doubt there would be any real danger to passengers on the train. Because in this case there was cable trailing in front of it, I wouldn't be surprised if it not only slowed it down, but jammed it in the track (that's speculation). When the sled enters the station beyond its normal hooking point with the train, the return cable gets wedged between the track ties and the sled.

Still, I can see where the thing would get banged up. I don't know that it would become unusable, because it appears to be several very large pieces of machined steel. Nothing I'm sure their shop can't take care of.

-----------------
Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"From the global village... in the age of communication!"
Watch the grass grow!

Yes, the catchthingy did back down there into the ground almost into unload. Yellow was still on the transfer track so blue was sitting in unload when it happened. If it was carrying the loose end of the cable or other debris It could hurt some people. I'm sure it wasn't designed to travel backwards that fast so who knows what the end result was or could have been, Of course I'm just speculating also. The only people who would know are the handful that were on the platform, and we know they can't talk publicly.

The catchcar is probably in the shop right now since its not on site
-----------------
Save Cheese on a stick! *** This post was edited by Joe E. on 9/3/2001. ***

I just watched the report on my local news station (Fox 2 Detroit), and they mixed up the entire story. They said that it broke late last night (Sunday), and didn’t know they cause.

I was there Friday afternoon waiting for front row, when MF went down for about 15 minutes for a safety check on the lift. They went up about 30 feet up the lift, and started to work on something. I couldn’t really see what they were doing but I could hear few metal tools bashing against each other. Once they were done they sent the first train out and did a anti-roll back test about 20 feet from the crest.

Call me brainless but could someone please give me a decripter for the Color "Tags".  TIA ;)

-----------------
Cameron Willis
"You mean I can't pay with all pennies?" Six Flags Execs. buying coaster after emptying all the wishing ponds.

Green: Seasonal, under 18.
Red: General seasonals.
Blue: Asst. Team Leaders, Team Leaders, Area Supervisors.
Silver: Year-round full-timers.

Frankly I think that the catch wagon is designed to take the dive safely, thus the diversionary S-shaped beams under the station. I would think that whatever trailing cable is left would pretty much be contained in that channel and pulled down with the sled.

-----------------
Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"From the global village... in the age of communication!"
Watch the grass grow!

This just made the New York late night news (Sunday night) - although they saved it until the very end and hyped it for the entire news broadcast showing pictures and saying that riders got "an unexpected fright".  Then during the story, they explained it wasn't as serious, but that THIRTY employees had been stranded on the test ride that morning.  Do that many people really test this thing in the morning???

Yeah i just saw it on the local news
ABC 13 Toledo (the local news for CP)

...i live in Toledo...about 40mi. away..
nearest city.....

One break down and its on TV. Is the media gonna start covering every little breakdown?

FusionX7, this was a pretty major breakdown...

My version of the story...

I drove past the Marina Gate just as it was being opened at 9:30 on Saturday morning. As I passed the Millennium Force gate, I had to dodge Dan Keller who was running across the perimeter road. A large number of trucks was parked along the road, and a large number of people were converging on Millennium Force. At that point I knew that something was wrong.

I entered the park through the back gate, where signs had been posted noting that Millennium Force would not be operating. Magnum Man was second in line for Magnum, and I took the opportunity to blame him for the failure; he claimed he didn't do it. I walked on back to Millennium Force and took a look. The catchwagon was sitting more or less in the normal load position, but the return cable could be seen sticking out of the catchwagon track in small loops. When the incident happened, it was apparently audible all over the peninsula, but I didn't hear it 'cause I was still coming through the parking lot. I went back to my car to get my camera, and by the time I returned (coming back the long way, in no hurry, riding Gemini and Mean Streak and Mine Ride along the way), the return cable had been cleaned up...but the broken end of the cable was still visible on the winding drum.

Most of the day there were workers on the top of the hill; the train stayed up there all day long, and in the late afternoon the catchwagon was removed and loaded into a truck. My guess at the time was that they would do a close inspection to make sure that it wasn't seriously damaged. Joe E. has mentioned several times that there appeared to be damage to the catchwagon; quite frankly, I think he must have either better eyes or better access than I have...it looked to me like the catchwagon had survived okay, but they did pull it off in pieces (one section at a time, using a fork lift) for inspection.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

For those wondering about Millennium Mania this week, MF is slated to be down Thursday and is questionable for Friday.  To make this up, CP is opening Blue Streak, giving free rides on Vertigo, and giving boarding passes for MF good for 2001 and 2002, which I think is far more than fair.  More info is available on www.cedarpoint.com

Since they've come out and said that MF will be down Thursday and possibly Friday, the catchwagon must have survived the crash, or any damage can be repaired relatively quickly.

-----------------
Scott W. Short
mailto:scott@midwestcoastercentral.com
http://www.midwestcoastercentral.com