Superman reopens at Six Flags New England, investigation results announced

No, Jim, unfortunately the photo is sitting on my desk in front of me. If I get a free moment this afternoon (hard to say whether that will happen or not...) I'll scan it and make it available. Maybe you can understand the circuit better than I can; I'm not sure what this little black can is attached to the side of the cylinder below the solenoid valve...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Perhaps the busted line blew a piece of air hose up the line, effectively plugging it. The plugged line wouldn't allow air to escape thus allowing the brake to close.

Far fetched? Perhaps...

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Yeeee Haaawwww!

Could Intamin pull an Arrow and have the brakes unpowered position is Arrow? On nearly every Arrow coaster they're springed open, and only close with air which would result in disaster if it lost air pressure... A few are springed close and worked vice versa...
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.:| Brandon Rodriguez |:.
http://www.coasters2k.com

I totally would believe this because when I was a sfne a about a week before the accident and I heard a loud hissing and the air gates were opening really slow. This meant that there was a leak in that pipe so there could just a easily be a leak in the braking system.

The reason you heard this "loud hissing noise" was because in the weeks prior, the air gates were broken due to guests pushing on them constantly.  Some of you may remember the alternate loading procedure that they used (loading from the front to the back, no choice of seats).  Well, they finally got them fixed two weeks later but in order to due this, they had to bypass the main air system and used a remote switch at the back unload of the station to open the gates.  The loud hissing was comming from this switch which had nothing to do with the main supply on S:ROS

Okay, I've got a quasi-explanatory page up, showing a couple of photos from Darien Lake and a description of what appears to be going on, along with a plea for more accurate detail... :)
http://capital2.capital.edu/admin-staff/dalthoff/sros.html

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
*** This post was edited by Jeff on 8/20/2001. ***

Hmmm...can't access it yet?
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Rideman going all out on this one!

The magnetic brake caliper's on Millennium Force look different from that I believe. The physical brakes themselves are the same but the cylinders and wiring are different.

I still can't believe Intamin would have not put enough counterweights on the things to make them lock close if the air supply was ruptured. I would be more concerned about making sure they locked close in the event of a power outage or a loss of pressure similar than messing with hoses.

No-one answered my question, here it is again;

Why doesn't Intamin leave the brakes closed permanently? Or is it because the train will slow down so much it will need a lot of energy to pull it out of the brakes?

Taipan,

Thats a good question. Based on what I've seen of a nearly empty MF train creeping through the stationary trim brakes at the end of the ride I would guess they could use the system you suggest. The only negetive I can see with this system would be if it's raining out. At that point the way they have the drive tires configured may not work. Good chance they would slip trying to pull the train through the brake. Also Dave, I have stood less that 6 feet away from that very spot you have in your picture and can not quite figure out the circuit, so unfortunately I cannot shed any light.

Taipan, you've answered your own question. Consider the stopping power that those brakes have, then consider trying to overcome that stopping power while dragging the train into the station. Even Millennium Force...which has permanent-set brakes...uses retractable brakes at the points where the train is expected to actually stop, so that the train can be easily pulled out. With Superman, Intamin went with a very short brake run (because they could, I presume) and didn't use any permanent-set brakes because there simply isn't any place to put them. And the retractable brakes are strong enough that additional trims simply aren't needed.

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I understand how losing air pressure could cause the caliper to unlock so that it could be easily pushed open. I can even understand (though it doesn't look right) how a blown air supply line could unlock other calipers as well. What I can't understand is what pushes the caliper open, since there is no air pressure to move the brake and the counterweight should hold the caliper closed.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Yesterday, 5/1/2004, a man of 55 fell out of the the Superman at about 3 PM. As the ride was approaching the end of it's run, according to the statement from the park. The man, whose identity wasn't immedietly released, was transported to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and pronounced dead at about 3:45. The ride is closed pending an investigation by the park and Agawam, Mass. police. The Mass. Department of Public Safety, which oversees rides in the state, was also notified.