SFNE - One Train Operation

I wrote a long report of my first trip to Six Flags New England yesterday, but then my internet connection conked out and I don't have the patience to do it over. So I'm in General Buzz now, addressing one specific issue.

I rode five coasters at SFNE on Saturday (May 10). Three of them, including the insanely popular (and wonderful!) Superman: Ride of Steel, only had one train in operation. This means (and I had SOOOO much time to figure it out!) that roughly every 4 minutes and five seconds, the line moved up another 32 people (yes, the train holds 36, but four seats are reserved -- and often went empty! -- for FastPass). Two hours even I waited for one ride. The other train sat on a service track, full of test dummys who mocked us. But Thunderbolt had one train running. And Mind Eraser had one train running (which only holds 20 people!). Going for Sunset Savings, that meant I drove 2.5 hours each way from Queens to ride six rides and come home. I feel like Six Flags wasted my day (though I loved all six rides). I intend to write them a letter, but I wonder if anyone can offer reasons for this insane inefficiency before I do so.

By the way, otherwise, I loved SFNE! Kind of small, but I'll take it's beauty and charm over the giant, shabby SFGAdv any day!

Thanks.

1. Thunderbolt only uses one train now, because of the manual skid breaks that they use, and because of an accident.

2. Superman genrally only uses one train early and late in the season because of testing.

3. Mind Eraser probaly same as superman.

4. Cyclone. You're lucky it ran 2 trains, as it usually only runs one

Overall, it's early in the season ,but still there is absolutly no reason for one train operation. SFNE is notrious for using one train operation. I'd write the letter, but it would probaly do little to nothing with no response.

I don't understand why people can't stand six flags great adventure. It's the best park I've been to besides cedar point (both are tide). I love everything about it. Is because they put a clone in or something?

I'll get my first trip to SFNE in a couple months...so I can't speak of the park directly...

But I just had to say HI to a fellow Red Dwarf fan! Greetings...:)

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coasterwiz said:

2. Superman genrally only uses one train early and late in the season because of testing.

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Well, late 2001 and early 2002 they were certainly only running one train because of the accident. Had nothing to do with testing. Early 2001 I got a two train day on memorial day. Late 2002 the *new* train came off around late Aug. (having been put on early July) for reasons still unknown to me. Not that it matters. I went on a weekday in late Aug. and with single train rode 10 times and got a spin on everything else in 4 hrs. At one point, there were 6 people in line (4 for front, 2 for middle).

Late 2000, I recall a 2 train-op as well, but I only went once.

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph

*** This post was edited by ApolloAndy 5/12/2003 1:49:59 PM ***

SROS's red train need's some more testing before it will be running. it should be up and running soon.

as for mind eraser everytime ive been there this season its had 2 trains going.

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John
Albany Entertainment
http://albany.n3.net
Great Escape Online Guide Coming Soon!

I liked SFNE, of course, we visited in August, so perhaps it was the time of year that meant multi-train operation. I have been to SF parks in the dead of summer with 45 minute waits and seemingly no reason to have one train running - that's when it gets frustrating.

On the flip side yesterday at Dorney Park both Talon and Steel Force were running trains that were never more than half full and both rides had two trains running. Even if they had cut back to one, there would've been no more than a one train wait. I wonder why some parks don't mind popping a second train on and others avoid it at all costs?

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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park Visits in 2003: 4

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Lord Gonchar said:

I wonder why some parks don't mind popping a second train on and others avoid it at all costs?

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....hmmmm.....my *guess-timate* is that some parks LIKE repeat business, and other parks get tired of seeing the same faces over and over...;)

Note to the parks that fall into category 2: Guess where we WON'T be taking our friends when they want to go to a park with us....;)

To Rollergator: Hate to disapppoint Red Dwarf fans, but my name is Kevin Kochanski. I've never seen Red Dwarf, but I do know of the name on the show because I've googled myself before.
*** This post was edited by KKochanski 5/12/2003 3:07:08 PM ***
*** This post was edited by KKochanski 5/12/2003 3:07:41 PM ***

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Derrick Whitsett said:
I don't understand why people can't stand six flags great adventure. ........... Is because they put a clone in or something?

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Sigh,

I dont understand either. I think it is one of the best run SF parks. Mayhaps its the crowds.......but that should be an indication of how good it is.

Single train AND Fastlane... Chalk up one more to my conspiracy theory that they *want* the lines to be long so as to sell more Q-bots...

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Mayhaps its the crowds.......but that should be an indication of how good it is.

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Or maybe the crowds are there becuase it lies in the middle of some of the most populated urban areas in the US.

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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park Visits in 2003: 4

Well so is Magic Mountain, and I have never, ever, ever, seen crowds there comparable to Great Adventure's.

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Krimson n' Kream, Spr 98

Hmmmm...maybe. I still think there is a much great concentration of population within and hour or two of SFGAdv than there is the same distance from SFMM. Couple that with the fact that SFGAdv is seasonal and SFMM is year round and I think that accounts for the difference.

I'm kind of indifferent on SFGAdv, I've been to better parks, I've been to worse. Some nice coasters, some not so great coasters. Overall I find it pretty average. Not bad, not outstanding.

I can say that I've never seen one train operation at SFGAdv when more was needed - they seems to get two and three running when the crowds come. Perhaps I'm lucky.

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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park Visits in 2003: 4

*** This post was edited by Lord Gonchar 5/12/2003 3:55:06 PM ***

back on topic, i would say write the letter, big corperations allways love to hear feedback from customers. Chances are they will send you a few comp tickets!

Back off topic (sorry!), I just thought I'd explain more why I personally don't like SFGAdv, since some people seem interested. First of all, I think it just looks shabby. Everything seems to need a coat of paint...especially the coasters. The themeing needs an update in most places (the whole Frontier area is a joke, with those ugly 70's fixtures, like the giant conestoga and the giant teepee!). When I look at gorgeous parks like SFNE and Hershey, SFGAdv just doesn't compare, and I think it's a shame...like because they know they'll get huge crowds, they don't even bother with upkeep. On that note, yes, I hate having to contend with all of Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York City while I'm there. I don't like any park that's so big I feel like I'm missing something because I don't have time to ride everything, not just the coasters, but everything.

Another big disappointment with SFGAdv is the coasters themselves. Yes, some are amazing, but I don't like they way they feel plunked down, like they could be anywhere. No interaction with landscape, or cool tunnels. Take the sooperdooperlooper at Hershey for instance...it's corny and outdated as a steel looper, but it's still fun because of the way it clings to the landscape, swoops over the stream, and tunnels through the hill...and even cooler now, intertwined with the Great Bear. Now look at GASM at SFGAdv. It might as well be part of a travelling carnival. The only well themed coaster in the park is the otherwise lame Runaway Minetrain.

All that said, their rides are thrilling and no one should miss SFGAdv...I'm just always a little disappointed.

*** This post was edited by KKochanski 5/12/2003 5:07:09 PM ***

You won't get **** if you write them a letter. They would run two trains if they could. For example, there were two trains in working order on Cyclone so they ran them.

Thunderbolt is in a bad need of fin brakes, but that would require whole new (or drastically reconfigured) train.

B:DK always starts out w/ two trains unless the place is dead, in which it really doesn't need it as the wait gets to 15 mins. max.

Mind Eraser train was under repair as reported by one of the people on my forums.

S:RoS, as you know, is very close to getting the red train back. That ride has just had some really bad luck. Intamin wasn't too speedy about getting them to required parts either.

As for the other coasters, they only have one train. =P

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SFNE Central v5- Online Six Flags New England Resource

Again off topic. (Sorry.)

KKochanski said:
Everything seems to need a coat of paint...especially the coasters. The themeing needs an update in most places (the whole Frontier area is a joke, with those ugly 70's fixtures, like the giant conestoga and the giant teepee!).

They recently painted the teepee and Rolling Thunder. I agree the themes could use some help.

SFGAdv usually is running more than one train.

I'm sorry KKochanski, but besides the Axle Canyon area, which was done before the big transformation, Six Flags New England is cramped and rusty dusty. My preference also goes to SFGAdv because it's general setting and placement of rides is much more soothing than the poorly layed out SFNE and restricted SFMW.

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Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

KKochanski ruffed:

"blah blah blah...............The only well themed coaster in the park is the otherwise lame Runaway Minetrain"

And that, dear friend, is in the section that you despise so much. I happen to think Batman/Viper/Chiller are the best themed coasters there. Honorary mentions to Skull Mtn and the aforementioned Runaway Train.