Perilous Plunge and its perilous problems

Okay, so what's the deal this year with Intamin and chains? Did they get a bad batch of steel or what?

Maybe that is one of the reasons MF has an elevator cable. Cedar Point didn't want bad publicity with faulty chains, so Intamin came up with the quicker, flaw-free elevator lift.

The elevator is there because a chain would not be able to support the weight of the train at that steep an angle. The Superman chain at SFA snapped because of bad computer programing.

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Six Flags America IS a Six Flags park!

There's no way that CP could've had the foresight to have a cable lift designed and installed. The revisions to that attraction would've taken much too long to do. But Intamin needs to look at what they're doing and maybe use some beefier chains. The current chains can't handle the trains and boats they're trying to pull it seems. So, who knows.

But WildOne has made a good point about the weight and angle. Let's also take into consideration that Plunge's lift is only 5 degrees off MF's and the boat weighs nearly as much as MF's train!

JD *** This post was edited by James Disney on 10/12/2000. ***

I would even go one step further and say that CP had no input on the cable v. chain decision. That was done from a purely engineering NOT operational standpoint.

The weight of the train has nothing to do with the non-use of one on MF. The weight of the chain itself is the real issue, as it would drastically increase the amount of energy required to lift the thing.

Chains are often manufactured by specialty machine shops. I know this to be the case with most of Cedar Point's chains, as they're manufactured somewhere in Ohio.

The real reason for MF's cable probably has more to do with shortening the ride interval than anything else.

The chain breaks on Plunge and Superman at SFA are complete coincidence, and I doubt the chains came from Intamin. It's just a freak of nature.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
*** This post was edited by Jeff on 10/12/2000. ***

Amen Jeff.

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Only A Few More Weeks To Go Full Force. At The One and Only Cedar Point.

Freaks of nature that seem to always pick on Intamin rides...

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Simcoaster awards 2000!

Best Steel:
1)Superman-SFNE
2)Goliath-SFMM

Best wood:
1)The Legend

It may be coincidence that both the chains broke, but it's not a coincidence that they were both designed by Intamin!

I've heard from cedar fair people (yes, cedar fair does get involved in park situations!) that there maybe a design flaw and Intamin will look over the design and make necssary changes to the chain over the winter.

But let's hope it is just a freak accident!

I do know why the chain SFA broke. The computer programing had the lift speeding up when the train is only halfway on the chain. After one to many tries, it broke. As for the seccond break, I can only speculate on bad metal in that one.

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Six Flags America IS a Six Flags park!

"but it's not a coincidence that they were both designed by Intamin"

Of course it's a coincidence... Intamin isn't in the chain manufacturing business.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

This sounds like a metalurgical problem. I remember a while back there was a problem with fasteners that didn't meet their marked specifacations. Considering this is a highly specialized industry it is not unusual for one firm to supply any number of manufacturers.

"Tune in to Fox action news at 11:00 when we will bring you the latest on the conspiracy of the chain manufacturing company against Intamin"
LOL

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"DONT FIGHT IT, RIDE IT",,,,RAGING BULL

Intamin hasn't been the same ever since B&M and Giovanola left over 12 years ago.

Jeff, Intamin doesn't order up a chain from a chain factory and hope it will fit! The chain has to have precise specifications- legenth, how many links, how big each space has to be so both the gears of the lift system and the chain dogs can fit, demensions (so the chain can fit in the track), weight (to determine the amount of pressure on the lift hill without the train, and to know how much power is needed to create foward movement)...
I'm not saying Intamin is in the chain making bussiness, but they are responsible for comming up with the specifics of the chain- and that includes making a chain that can withstand problems that may occur (like with the Plunge and Superman)

Thanks for the info on the "demensions," but I'm well aware they don't just throw a chain up there from the local ACE hardware store. However, they might spec chains, but I doubt very highly that it's the design of the chains that caused the breaks. Heck, I doubt it was even the manufacture of the chains. It was just dumb luck.

Everyone's an expert...

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

Including you Jeff. I didnt mean to imply that Intamin personally made the chains. But more than likely, if they sub-contract out work, they would likely have ordered most of their chains from the same sub-contractor. So in either case, having a bad batch of steel could have been a cause. I mean come on, plain dumb luck on three different rides (one twice)? As the saying goes, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern. Well Intamin rides are up to four this year.

What are those silver boxes?

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Live to have FUN!

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Go Wolverines!