Premier Rides + Unique Lift = Trouble! (MaxRPM)

^very good movie :)

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Mamoosh said:
followed by a short and uninspired figure-8 course.

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I think the layout looks pretty cool.

Can't help but think about the cause of the problem. From the short video clip I saw, it just made me think "that's got to line up pretty much exactly in order for the computer to send the car off the wheel". But what is *exactly* to the computer and what is "close enough" for the mechanic may not be same same degree of precision. Probably aren't, based on the kinds of people in each profession.

Hopefully the solution will prove to be something more along the lines of "relax the tolerances allowed by the computer logic" rather than "deconstruct the wheel and rebuild it 1/8" further to the left". ;)
*** Edited 6/8/2008 6:01:06 PM UTC by rollergator***

This coaster interests me the most of all the coasters at HRP.

Hopefully they get it running before I get there.

How is it different from any transfer or track switch? It moves, an alignment pin connects, train moves. I realize it has to happen at the top and bottom, but still.

^It also has to happen a whole lot more frequently then a transfer track, I bet in a normal day of operations it will perform that sensor line up more then a years worth on a transfer track.

Everest's "flipping track sections" come to mind. That's a simpler mechanism, but....

^Exactly thats a fixed system. Something else I didnt think about, that ferris wheel lift has to have a free joint that allows the wheel to remain with the track parallel to the ground, that means that any weight unbalance between the right and left sides of the car (or a wind) could possibly tilt the whole circle enough to screw with the sensors.

The Everest flipping track sections is just another application of the standard Vekoma transfer track section, like on every SLC and sitdown loopers they got.

Vekoma got the "operate every 36 seconds" part down right with Space Mountain at DLP.

Moosh,

even more specifically, they should have talked to Silver Dollar City, who kept Buzzsaw Falls for only 4 freakin years. Nobody who makes a capital investment mistake like that makes it twice.

In 2000 was in a meeting with some Herschend folks from SDC and gushed about how cool Buzzsaw Falls looked, and they literally rolled their eyes and said "Never again.. we will never build another prototype"

All I am going to say is that if this were the prevailing attitude - we would still be riding 100 foot woodies with no inovations. Premier made rock n roll coaster at MGM (great ride), they are trying something very unique which could be very popular when perfected. Patience is a virtue.

^Actually Verkoma made R&RC.

Premier has made some great rides, I love the FoF clones (especially the ones without a MCBR) and I actually think BLSC has it moments too.

^You're missing something. Nobody here has a problem innovation or prototypes, it's just that this one seems kinda pointless and not worth the effort.

I mean, if it worked...great, cool, that's a neat trick we've never seen before. But it doesn't and it makes what should be a pretty reliable coaster a ride that doesn't even work yet.

Innovate all you want but at least make your headaches worth something more than a neat-o lift system.

^ don't go "it doesn't" just yet. Give them some time to get it going. If the problems persist once they get it open , then maybe, but right now I am in watching mode.

I can see where if this ride had a little more going for it than the lift system, but from what I've seen of the layout, it looks pretty dull. I'm proud of Premier for attempting something so unique, but until there's something else besides a gimmicky lift, this seems to be a waste of money for HRP. I DO hope they get the kinks worked out because then we could be in for a whole new era in lift technology on better coasters, but I remain pessimistic at this time. Fingers crossed on this one!

Absimilliard: good point, though I think Everest's mechanism is different; I thought DLP Space had a standard "slide" transfer, not Everest's "flip".

FWIW, the Big Thunders with their dual load stations have been switching every several dozen seconds for a lot of years, too.

Brian: Nope, Space Mountain DLP has the flipping track switch, 4 of them actually! One behind every station (transfer tracks, each can store 2 trains) and one at each end of the double stations.

The flipping is very, very fast! So fast, the cast members can add or remove trains without calling maintenance or stopping the ride! Back when the ride could run 5 trains, adding the fifth train was a touchy procedure that required exact timing. One experienced cast member in the tower could add the fifth train without even causing stacking.

If guessing, my guess is that the lift motors are causing a problem because the ride disobeys the laws of basic ferris wheel operation.
1) Car enters at bottom, lift turns 1/4
2) Car enters at bottom, lift turns 1/4
3) Car leaves top, lift turns 1/4
4) Car leaves top, lift turns 1/4, go back to #1

In all 4 steps the wheel is off-balance, and with the maximum weighted position in the "going up" process.

Any ferris wheel operator in the world will tell you that this is a recipe for non-success, so unless those motors are way over powered and can quickly ratchet torque up and down there will be issues for a time to come.

I'm sure they at least thought of that gamndbndr.

Great video of the ride in operation and apparently it has taken its first riders. This ride is going to have horrible capacity.

http://discovermyrtlebeach.com/video/MaximumRPM1strun.cfm