Top Thrill 2 faces extended closure for modification

TTD closed because bolts sheared off causing a chunk of metal to fly off a train. I'm not sure what that has to do with "misalignment issues."

Wasn’t the final straw because it clobbered a brake fin and that’s what tore the flag plate off?

Jeff:

What is pushing the train from the sides?

I have only a basic understanding of LSMs. I know they work by creating an electromagnetic field that repels the train, and that the sequential timing of the individual stators results in forward or backwards force along the length of the launch track.

I am wondering if, when the LSMs are energized, if that repellant force could act laterally on the train.

The electromagnetic field simply wants to push the fixed magnets (or magnetic metal or whatever it is on the trains) away.

While the series of LSM motors firing in sequence creates a force that moves the train forward (or backward), I wonder if the individual electromagnetic fields will just push the opposing magnetic body (the train) away, in any direction, whatever is the path of least resistance.

If the spring loading (or whatever they are using) on the guide wheels isn't firm enough, could the repellant electromagnetic fields from the individual LSM stators cause the train to shuffle sideways a bit, to be repelled away in whatever direction where there is room to give?

So perhaps there could be some incidental lateral component to the force being exerted upon the train by the statora?

Re: that video... The nose wobble is pretty obvious, but look at the tops of the seats wobbling in relation to each other, that's pretty wild. I got a last-car Beast ride yesterday on a nearly empty train and its wobble on straightaways wasn't much worse...

Watching that suddenly planted this earworm in my head.. might be good queue music for TT2

I haven't posted much thoughts about my one ride on TT2, but seeing the Coaster Studios video where the train is really shaking on the brake run validates my opinion that I didn't care for the bumpiness of it. Granted, I was in the very back and kind of braced myself knowing that it was going to have a shimmy. For me, it was headache inducing and really led to a one and done feeling about riding the back of it. My riding partner, my younger sister, experienced some significant back pain from riding it and felt like this was a one time ride for her as well.

I can tolerate bumpiness to an extent in my more advanced age. I stay away from row 18 of Magnum and frequently do rows 16 and 17 because I don't want to ride above the wheels. I have no problem marathoning on my mornings that I go to the park before the crowds fill in.

My early opinion was that I must have had a bad ride on the black train. But seeing video of how much each of the different trains shuffle, and I wonder if it got progressively worse as time went on, or if our passenger weight distribution was off balance. I hope that whatever mods are happening, the shimmy is resolved.

Maybe it's just because I know you IRL, but you lend credibility about any shake there is. It also leads me to believe that it developed over time, because I do not recall any discomfort on media day. Interesting.

Tommytheduck:

I've had 2 total rides, both in the last row. Yes, the shuffling was very noticeable.

That's where the shuffling occurs. Those are absolutely lateral forces acting on the train.

Definitely a shimmy to the train, to me it's very noticeable, could be because last row.

Oh... it's because we never met? Now I get it.

Apparently pallets of parts landed yesterday, and being unloaded.

Tony was also CPZ and said opening announcement date soon.

Which really makes me laugh when I look at Knott’s.

Silver trains got some wheels.

Adam dropped this over at P-Buzz.

https://twitter.com/TopThri...pfTVA&s=19

Sharpel007:

pallets of parts landed yesterday

Why did my mind immediately go to this?

Could just be replacement parts for the multitude of benches removed from Camp Snoopy.

More like how can an outdoor theater be delayed a whole year… especially when you already shot yourself by saying memorial day at first, now summer for most of the overhaul, and have the footer and sight prep already done?

My though is one wheel had a stress fracture, or the bearings where undersized, spec’ed, and they had to scan and test all the others, put new bearings in.

It's new lockers.

And seatbelts.

and Maverick.

Also find it amusing the other big coaster for the year, Hyperia less then a week after opening and a day or two is closed until next week or so as well, and also looking like hard shakes.

Testing has resumed per The Sandusky Register.

Gravy buffet is delicious.

Jeff, you rode on Press Day, correct? My understanding (as one who hasn't ridden TT2 at all) is that on press day it was running great, and the excessive lateral motion in the train did, in fact, develop over the course of the week. I almost rode it with a group of people who had ridden it a lot over the course of that first week, and they told me that the rides were getting progressively worse as the week went on.

Of course, the question is, why did that not develop when they were running the heck out of it for three months in the off seson; the only thing that makes sense to me is the shift from constant loads (water dummies) to random loads (people) caused changes in the dynamics of the ride that never showed up in testing.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I rode on two different trains on the last day of passholder previews and did not notice a thing. Maybe I am just insufficiently discerning?