Well I personally feel little or no airtime on the 3rd hill.
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My Top steel: Millennium Force, Magnum XL-200, Raging Bull, Desperado, Speed the Ride. Wood: Viper, American Eagle, Twister II, Zeus, Cyclops.
Actually, I've seen a train stop on that little hill. They were running three cars, and obviously, somebody had thrown up on the ride because they had everything stopped, and then they sent out the train empty, and immediatly loaded/ unloaded the next train, while letting the train stopped on the hill go.
I think there is only enough space in the station (station + pre-station braking patform) for 2 trains, so I guess they needed a 3rd place for a train...
Actually there is plenty of room on the final brake run for all three trains. I have seen them stack all three on rare occasions. I thought the reason for the brake on the third hill was to reduce the g-forces and so that it doesn't fly through the mid course brakes too fast. Doesn't Apollo Chariots have a brake one of its hills too? I think B&M made them both so they would have trims to control the speed.
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Mike
Favorite Wood: Viper at SFGAM, Shivering Timbers
Favorie Steel: Magnum and Raging Bull
RB has more than enough room to fit all three trains stacking out of the station. I was on the lead train of a three train stacking and the ops readily admitted to stacking when one of them got on the PA and said "Allright, three train stackage!"
as for stopping the train on that third hill, its impossible. the brake wasn't meant for that and even if it was there would be no way to get the train moving again.
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Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park
Well, somehow they did. I'm telling you, I was standing there when it happened...
JoNoJ27 do you mean on the midcourse brakes before the picture??? Otherwise it is impossible to stop a train on the third hill and then get it to go uphill.
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My Top steel: Millennium Force, Magnum XL-200, Raging Bull, Desperado, Speed the Ride. Wood: Viper, American Eagle, Twister II, Zeus, Cyclops.
I believe the reason for the third braking system is due to that fact that when it first opened, they noticed that as it went over the area where the third braking system is located, the train would lift off the track slightly putting alot of pressure on the up stop wheels.That part of the wheel setup can only take so much. Seeing as that it only has one sorce of support, the metal end of the spine, they had to cut down on that. So, that is why those were added. That was the first prototype of that kind, the hyper. So they did not know the amount of tension that could be put upon those parts of the ride. I hope that helps. I am pretty sure about that, but if someone wants to add something or correct me on something, go ahead.
Sounds good to me:)
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My Top steel: Millennium Force, Magnum XL-200, Raging Bull, Desperado, Speed the Ride. Wood: Viper, American Eagle, Twister II, Zeus, Cyclops.
Well I know they didn't add the breaks there, it was built when the ride was built. I was talking to someone in line, (must have been some coaster enthusiest because he knew what he was talking about) and he said that they are there in case the train doesn't make it over that hill, and if it falls backwards it would stop it there. He may be right because there are spiral stairs from the trim break.
I allways thought they were there because maybe the train could be going to fast up the hill and it could have been dangerous some how (I don't know how) That was my guess.
I was talking about the flat track that has trim brakes that's near the station at about the same height...
I've never seen any other brakes... I'll have to check it out!!
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Did you know that 1 in every 5 American teenagers believes that the US declared its independence from FRANCE???
*** This post was edited by JoNoJ27 on 1/6/2002. ***
one train was in the station and, in previous runs, there was two train stacking where one train would be in the station and one just outside. while my train was loading both trains behind us got stacked. I assume that it was just slow guests and/or ride ops. as for stacking all three outside the station, I believe that there is enough room to do it, but I wouldn't want to try and you're right, they would probably stop one on the midcourse or lift.
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Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park
Hmmm... All these brakes on RB and I didn't even notice them last year when I rode it (of course, I noticed the brake run and midcourse brakes)...
I guess I'll have to pay more attention on the youth group trip this year!
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RCT hypercoaster crazy!
coasteraddict - which rows have you sat in when you've ridden RB? I've ridden it only in the first two and last two rows, and only in the evening/night. I've gotten excellent air on that third hill, though. I'm wondering if time of day (temperature, etc.) plays into the airtime equation as well. I also preferred the timing of the airtime in the back of the train - you start feeling it before you even crest the hill.
Anyway, there are great pictures of the brakes (and RB itself) on coastergallery.com and joyrides.com, in case anyone needs to see pictures of what we're all talking about.
Olsor: temp and time of day does factor into how fast the train is going and therefore into the ammount of air that one gets. I always feel at least a little upward tug on that third hill, but if you aren't fully aware of it the air can seem like nothing at all.
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Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park
I believe I read in an ACE publication that the brakes (which HAVE always been there) are there because of the limitations of the site on which the ride was built. IE they had to slow it down somewhere to make it fit into the limitations of the lot, and they decided to do it there so it wouldn't greatly impact the rest of the ride. No idea if this is exactly the reason, but it sounds probable.
On the other hand, Sidewinder sounds like he knows what he's talking about. Maybe its a combo of the 2.
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Kicking screamin' Gucci little siggy.
Whoever brought up the spiral stairs next to the trims, they are probably so maintainence can have access to them. Trims normally aren't used to stop a train, they aren't designed to. Anyays, who would be crazy enough to try to remove people from that point? First of all the brakes are trims and probably not strong enough to hold a train there for long. Second, it's inclined. Who wants to get off when the train is 25-45 degrees angled? Third, wouldn't it be easier to have it valley, roll back and forth, and stop at the bottom, very close to the ground? The spiral stairs aren't for anything other than maintainence access.
Ding ding ding, give TrBiggar a prize! :)
The third hill trim is not so there can be a three train operation. It's there to slow the train down to acceptable levels set by B&M, just like basically every other trim in existence.
Rides without the trim are amazing. Rides with the trim are amazing. It's just an amazing coaster. ;)
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"That's BS you MF! They're WT!" -- CP's R&D team
Thankyou Legendary. I was wondering when you were going to chime in here. I guess my theory was wrong.
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"The Peoples Elbow" or "The Spinaroonie?. Cant decide which is the most electrifying move in sports entertainment!!! LOL
The trim on the third hill does not ruin the ride, especially in the back row. You still get very good air in that particular row.
X Factor
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SFWoA: An Unofficial Guide
http://sfohio.tripod.com
SFGA2001 said:
The only reason I can think of is maybe the forces were too extreme, [..] There's another trim right before the figure 8 finale which I think hurts that part of the ride. There could be nice laterals if it didn't slow it down.
That brake near the final turns almost never actually touches the train .. I think it's there just in case the train is really moving faster than it should. In the 3 seasons that we've had Bull, I have seen (well, felt/heard) that brake activate only about 3 or 4 times.
Those turns at the end of that ride (actually, all the turns on Bull) are so over-banked that you'd never get laterals .. brakes or not.
Cam (who hopes over-banked turns quickly become as unfashonable as wood-paneled station wagons!)
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Cameron Silver
