Roar @ SFMW had a small "fire" on one train
I rode Roar at SFMW yesterday and on one ride at about 5:45pm I was on the orange train in the second to last row I smelled burning rubber about mid ride (starting in the tunnel). In the first set of brakes, my friend sitting to the right of me turned to talk to me about the awesome ride we just had when he started yelling "Fire! Fire!" When I turned to look (thinking maybe the lift motor was on fire because I smelled the most smoke near it) and ended up seeing that smoke was coming out from under the train.
When we stopped on the brakes before the station (the transfer track) People started to yell at the ops in the station "The train is on fire!" More smoke came out from under our car only. I was pretty freaked our along with my friend. Because more smoke came out (not like a whole bunch but enough to star what we thought would be a bad fire) we were wondering how we would get out of the train. I tried to look for flames but I could only see some smoke coming out.
Apparently in the station they couldn't see the smoke, so they couldn't understand what we meant by saying fire. They wouldn't dispatch the gold train if there was a fire and so they just sat in the station and watched us (I assume making sure we weren't in danger) and I saw there talking into the phone.
When there was no more smoke but just a burning rubber smell (about 4 minutes later) they dispatched the gold train and let us into the station. The let us out of the train and explained how it was probably people's hair stuck to the wheel and it was just burning off.
My friend and I went and rode the ferris wheel and then those Whales that go in circles right next to Roar's exit and got off just in time to see a mechanic leaving Roar's station. Wondering what caused all the smoke and burning rubber smell, I asked the mechanic what was going on. He said something to the effect of People's hair gets caught in the wheels and it eventually burns off. He said nothing else around the wheels could catch fire and there was no reason to worry about a fire.
My question is does this happen on other woodens or only Roar? I would think if it happens on Roar it must happen on Lightning Racer and Wildcat @ Hershey because they have the Millennium Flier trains too. Also, it was the first time I have feared for my life on a coaster, not being able to get out and the feeling that the train was soon to be engulfed in flames. I know it will be a little hard for me to get back on Roar, even though I know I will get over it.
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Formerly known as CoasterCrazyOne
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Im the #1 Canobie Lake Park Fan!!!These are my top 3 coasters:
1. S:RoS @ SFNE 2. Yankee Cannonball 3. Cyclone/B:TDK
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Formerly known as CoasterCrazyOne
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The worst day at Cedar Point is better than the best day at work.
Hair? Did they say who the hair might have been attached to? Did they find the head???;)
Hair? LOL! .............riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
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www.tripowered.com
But I've not heard anything like this before....
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"To get into this head of mine, would take a monkey-wrench, and a lot of wine" Res How I Do
Jim's got it! Makes sense, esp. where's there more smoke than fire, and the smell, etc.....makes sense....good try jeremy, but I'd expect someone to be standing around crying if they lost THAT much of their weave...(enough to cause a small fire)....
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(Former Signature replaced due to bad joke with accident) The Beast at night-Two peas in a pod? http://www.geocities.com/moviecoaster/safetyeditorial- Next article against Markey!
Currently working as a mechanic (of cars) I'm with Jim on this. A trashed bearing will indeed create a lot of heat, capable of smoking the grease seal and burning off the grease. Burning grease and rubber especially produces alot of smoke. Pretty soon the wheel would seize also and make a squealing noise as it hits the track.
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Insert clever signature.
"We love Megan!"
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