On-train Ride Ops?
I was just searching RCDB and I found a couple of bizarre photos of this side friction coaster:
http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery1073.htm?Picture=2
http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery1073.htm?Picture=3
Are those ride ops standing in the back seat? Looks pretty goofy to me. They look like they could fall out at any second since there doesn't appear to be any back to the position they're sitting/standing. They don't have any restraints either, unless they're on their feet or lower legs. And what exactly is their purpose anyways? It looks like an awesome job though...
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The job becomes so routine after a while I'd say. The brakepersons who were braking when I was there last (just a few weeks back for the Australian Open), would do the same thing every time, usually not paying much attention. They'd stand up before the drops, and when they started flattening out at the bottom, they'd bend their knees to absorb the bouncing. During the slow, top sections, they'd adjust the speed accordingly, and wave to people outside the park.
Why Vuoristorata has a brakeman etc. is beyond me. The ride was built in the 50's - John Miller's inventions 30 years earlier made the brakeman system redundant. The ride has a complex, twisted layout (compared to Scenic Railways).
I don't call it a Scenic Railway, because historically, it isn't. The first Scenic Railways at Coney Island, were slow train rides, usually surrounded by canvases or artificial mountains etc. Bigger, longer ones were built, they didn't have the 'artifical scenery' (Dreamland had a number of the themed ones I believe), but were like elevated railways that provided great views of surrounding areas, and some dips to make them more exciting.
If you compare Vuoristorata to say Dreamland (Margate that is) or Luna Park Melbourne's Scenic Railways (hopefully they both remain). You will see that they are very different styles rides. If I couldn't see Vuoristorata track (from above) or train, I'd just say it were a normal coaster based on the layout.
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So what if the best coaster in Australia is a second hand Arrow?
-www.totalthrills.com-
Australia's Premier Source for Thrills!
I remember seeing a Travel Channel thing on best thrill parks. At Tivoli Gardens they have the same thing, except he's in the middle.
http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery1054.htm?Picture=10
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*** This post was edited by spacemountain551 on 1/25/2003. ***
http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery1054.htm?Picture=16
...this one actually shows the brakeman sitting on the train, and he IS in the middle....aren't all the others designed with the brakeman in the rear...
Luna Park's is in the centre of the train as well. http://www.totalthrills.com/Images/misc/brakeman.jpg
The train is two 5 row cars (total of 20), with three sets of wheels. The centre one is where the brakes are, and that's where the brakeman stands (his seat is connected to the front of the back car). Margate's has identical cars, but three per train - the brakeman is still situated between car one and two.
I'm going to bet that Vuoristorata (spelled that out completely from memory :)) is the only one that had the brakeman at the back of the train.
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So what if the best coaster in Australia is a second hand Arrow?
-www.totalthrills.com-
Australia's Premier Source for Thrills!
Wrong :-P
The brakeman on Rutschebanen at Bakken sits in the back as well. :)
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