One train op on PR usual?

I've been hearing that they usually only run 1 train. Is this true? How long does the line have to be for them to add the 2nd train? Is this a people eater?

And the "PR" you are revering to is?

Are you talking about Phantom's Revenge?

When I was there, Phantom's Revenge had 2 train operation through most of the day. Near the end of the day, they switched back to one train. Unfortunately, it took them nearly half an hour to make the switch.

The usually runs two train operators when the park is expecting huge crowds. The lines with 1 train are around 1 hr. and 15 min. and 45-1 hr. with 2 trains.

Thanks guys, yea I was referring to Phantom's Revenge. Is there another PR that I might have been talking about?

Yep, they'll put 2 trains on to get the line down, then take it back off. The wait with one train is excruciating.

After several years of operation, Kennywood still hasn't figured out that getting rid of a train on PR makes the line get big again, since the process usually takes 15 or more minutes. I'm very proud of my home park, but they are clueless when it comes to capacity.

I was there on a Sun. a few weeks ago. The second train made an appearance mid day and left again after dinner time. The wait with 2 trains was about 10 miuntes. With 1 train it was about 30. Of course, I didn't bother to wait it out when the line was really long for 1 train. All in all, I got 8 rides, I think.

Yeah, I agree, Phantom. They need to really learn how to keep people happy in regards to capacity. I was there last week, and I wanted to catch one last ride on the Thunderbolt towards close. Half-way through my fries, I looked over and saw the ride was a walk-on. It must have only been five or ten minutes later when I walked over and noticed there was one train, with at least a twenty minute wait! While they were taking the one train off, the line must have filled up. Wouldn't it be easier just to run the two-train operation for another half-hour until close, than bother taking the train off during park hours? I mean, half-decent workers could run three trains on the Thunderbolt with no problem.

There is a reason for one train operation on these two specific coasters. It has nothing to do with being stupid and not knowing that one train ops = longer lines. They've been in the business over a hundred years. They figured a few things out in that time.

Thunderbolt has manually adjusted trims.

They need to be adjusted differently for empty and full trains. You can't go adjusting the brakes between every cycle... eventually a full train's going to be sent with no pressure and be going way too fast, or an empty train will be sent with regular pressure and stall.

You can't leave a train in the station until it fills, because the second train can't leave the check brake in back if there's one sitting in the station.

Also, since the ride has old-fashioned skid brakes, if it's looking like rain, they have to pull a train. Wet brakes = slippery trains. If your extra 10 minute wait avoids an accident, I'm okay with that.

PR has magnetic brakes. An empty train, even a half empty train, takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to cross the transfer track and enter the station. Add this to a slow guest, or someone having trouble with their seatbelt, and the train going up the lift reaches the crest and stops 165 feet in the air.

Once again, you can't leave people sitting on the transfer track waiting for another train to fill up.

On another note, I've witnessed hundreds of transfers. I don't remember any of them taking more than five minutes.

How dare you approach this subject with reason and understanding, kpjb!?

It's people like you that ruin all the fun of being an enthusiast.

Bastard!

-Gonch
walks off grumbling under his breath

5 minutes? is that includeing the ghost trains after the transfer?

Thank-you kpjb. I feel a whole lot better about Kennywoods one train operation, knowing what you just shared us.

Maybe before some people start enjoying making asses out of others too much, a few things should be taken into consideration:

1. Thunderbolt had two trains on it all day, and mostly a walk-on all day.

2. It wasn't that slow. They had no trouble filling up the trains. It wasn't like there were two people riding.

3. And regardless, people in the other train would not be waiting, there is a seperate unloading area on the Thunderbolt (for the know-it alls who haven't ridden the Thunderbolt).

Instead of people here always siding with parks, understand my point that no park should take a train off a half hour before the park closes when they were running two trains all day, and turns the wait into at least twenty minutes.

No one was going to die running two trains. And no, it wasn't going to rain that night.

Well, I'm sure you certainly know how to operate the the Thunderbolt better than KW does. :)

I don't think you realize exactly what kpjb does or why his insight on this subject is worth more than the other 13 posts combined.

The irony in the useage of "know-it-alls" is just too perfect here.

*** Edited 6/22/2004 5:27:21 PM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

I was at Kennywood last Thursday and they were running two trains on PR.

When was the last time you saw Thunderbolt pull a train into the unload while another one was in the load? kpjb said "the second train can't leave the check brake if there's one sitting in the station."

So point #3 of Millennium Force Maniacs post is pretty much...pointless.

I love KW to death, but ive also noticed this problem, and I cant side with the park on this issue. I see no reason why they cant run 2 trains more often on PR.

Uh, the know-it alls would seem to be you, Gonchar. I made a simple post that Kennywood is below average with ride capacity, and then, you have to barade me with pointless posts. If you disagree, fine. But don't act like I'm saying I know it all, or that you know it all either.

The point is, I don't think Kennywood is good with ride capacity. That's it. I forgot some people around here would love to do nothing but kiss ride owner's asses all day.

By, the way, I know Kennywood never brings a train into the exit when a train is on the entrance. Why? I don't know!!! Maybe because of the accident. Regardless, other parks do it. The simple point is, trains were leaving frequently. Unless anyone else was at Kennywood last Tuesday, then don't act like you know what the line was like.