Perilous Plunge air gates

Ok, I drove by on Western, and what do they have now? Thats right, air gates. WHY THE HELL do they have airgates, now?

Maybe to control the size of riders - "If you cannot make it throught he air gates, you are too large." ;-)

-Nate (who really isn't trying to offend anyone)

i think airgates are neccessary for dumb guests who might just fall in. i am suprised they never had them before. anyway, what's so bad about airgates? at least the ride is reopening.

Speedy said:
i think airgates are neccessary for dumb guests who might just fall in. i am suprised they never had them before. anyway, what's so bad about airgates? at least the ride is reopening.

Reopening with 4-point safety harnesses. Not something I want to be jumping up and down about...

Ohio is requiring airgates as of either 2003 or 2004 so that's why CP has gotten them on Iron Dragon and Magnum the last two years. I think any ride built after '96 was also required to have them. Look for another coaster or two to get them next year. Perhaps California is doing the same thing...

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-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew

What are airgates?

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http://www.stridewithpride.com

coasterdudeOH,

Air gates are the gates between the guests about to board the train waiting in the chutes and the loading part of the platform. They are powered by air, hence their name. They keep stupid people from falling into the path of the train.

The gates, whether they are required by local statute or not, are required by a common interpretation of the ASTM fence standard. I forget the number. The point is that the public is to be separated from the ride by a fence which is at least 42" high, will not allow a 4" ball to pass through, and resists climbing. The common interpretation these days is that an open space adjacent to the track in the station means the public is not protected. Hence the gates.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Remember not all air gates are created equal and not all of the gates are really air gates...

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"ok everyone go ahead and pull down on your shoulder restraint so you feel nice and stuck!"

True. Perfect example is the Corkscrew at Silverwood. It's got boarding gates. The gates are non-latching, spring-loaded gates. When the train stops, just push 'em open to go through.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

FYI, Splash Mountain at Disneyland is also getting air gates.

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Don't forget "Operation Graduation" June 1st @ SRM - bring Pat Koch a graduation card! See Coasterbuzz News for details.

If you have saw te new airgates on Maggie I think you will agree there design does not impede loading and dispatching at all except if they malfunction as they did Opening morning.

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The Beast and Night, They go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly

Personally, I couldn't believe CP didn't have them. Being a ride operator, and seeing some of the dumbest guests I never hope to see again, I believe air gates are necessary to prevent incidents.

MisterX I've been visiting Cedar Point for nearly 30 years now and I can't think of an incident...not even a near miss...that would have been prevented by loading gates. I can think of many times when people have dived for the approaching train, invariably from the UNLOAD side of the platform. Combine that with people getting pinned in the gates, and quite frankly, I think it would be far more logical to have no gates on the load side combined with a set of platform gates on the UNload side.

But that's just my opinion. I don't write the standards.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Does this mean that rides at Americana like the Screechin Eagle and Serpent will have these gates too? That might seem out of place.

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Off with the trims!
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Woodencoaster.com

I think that's because CP has pretty big crews for each ride, whereas we (SFOG) have small ones... we'd never be able to keep people behind a yellow line. As for people being pinned by them... I really don't feel too sorry for them, the gate opens, it closes back, if you can't figure it out, so sad. For load gates specifically, the fools that dribble their basketballs right next to the track and lose them in the track would probably jump right in and try and get them. Not having air gates creeps me out.

I still haven't figured out why there is such hatred of air gates. It has absolutely nothing to do with the ride, is not detrimental to the park or patron. Why all the hate?

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I sing sometimes for the war that I fight, 'cause every tool is a weapon, if you hold it right. -Ani Difranco

I think air gates are neat. Besides, do we really need anyone falling onto the track with idoit markey trying to limit coasters (we all know he can screw facts up)?

There's no real hate except that in many cases, the gates are detrimental to the capacity of the ride and cause more injuries than they prevent. Fortunately, the ones installed on Magnum this year at CP open right up as the train stops which is the way it should be everywhere. I also agree with Dave that if they're required on the load side, why not the unload side too? I did not see a single close call from the load side, but I did see a fairly close call (kid running up to mommy on the incoming train) on the unload side. This is one of the reasons the spiel goes "exit to your right, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE MIDWAY!" ;) So if anyone ever wonders why you're not allowed to wait on the exit ramp, this is one reason. Another reason is that it blocks the ramp for a wheelchair coming up.

It doesn't take all that much for someone to get hurt with an airgate (getting pinched in there, etc), but for someone to get hurt without one, several things have to happen. The person has to come up, past other people in the station, over a 5 foot wide yellow line, past the ops, fall into the track, and then have absolutely no one paying attention to stop the train. The trains are usually coming in pretty slow and can be stopped fairly quickly so as long the op lifts up on dispatch or hits a button, the train isn't going to continue in. The likelyhood of all these things happening has got to be close to impossible. Also, gates do not get rid of yellow line spiels because people now have to be back behind the yellow line to avoid getting in the way of the closing gates.

As a guest, it doesn't matter whether a ride has gates or not. So there really isn't any need to argue over them. I was just pointing out as someone who has worked a major coaster without gates that it is quite possible that operation without gates is safer than with them.

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-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew

There are some rides out there with unload gates...the family coaster at Sesame Place comes to mind, I always thought it was kinda strange but it does make sense in vertain cases.

When I worked at the Adventuredome everyone had to be outside the exit turnstyles before dispatch.

As for opening up gates right when a train arrives...it makes sense, but many parks dont follow that logic. I have seen places where they make sure everyone is out of the station before opening gates.

Finally, gates vs. airgates. Most gates we see nowadays are not airgates because they are the most "dangerous" (its a bit harsh word...but). Air gates run on a compressed air system usually causing a rather quick opening and closing situation. I have hit many people (not intentionally of course =) ) because they dont stand behind that yellow line when you tell them or they run right into the path of a closing gate. Most parks seem to use motorized gates that work via an electric motor that open gates at a slower more controlled speed.

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"ok everyone go ahead and pull down on your shoulder restraint so you feel nice and stuck!"