Unloading off of a flyer's lift?

A friend/co-worker & I were randomly yacking about coasters today in class. We started talking about flying coasters and then I wondered- How would you unload a train on the lift if the situation arose?

Good question, probably the same way you would off of Jubilee Odyssey. Both are a mystery to me. That's for the beemers.

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The below statement is true.
The above statement is false.

You can walk down a Vekoma's lift. For a B&M, I think I remember a gas powered "car" that can go up the lift to unload, like on Raptor.

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- Peabody

On the vekoma flyers the crews have to walk up the lift & then get under the car by laying on their back to reach & activate the emergency release system on the trains.

I've seen it happen quite a few times on Batwing and it's by no means a quick or easy process at all,as for the B&M flyers I'm not sure how they would unload from the lift unless there was a walkway under it like on their inverted models.

It is a lengthy process to unload a B&M flyer on the lift (example: SUF). First, you have to remove the "inside" handrails, done by lifting them out and. Then you start up the gas powered lift vehicle. I am not sure if this vehicle has a gas engine on it, or if it is powered by a generator on site (SUF has an auxilary generator under the transfer shed. It may be used to power minimum requirements to run the ride, or to power the lift vehicle).

The car will go up to the last car, stop under it, and the seats will be lowered manually via screw mechanism, then the harnesses and leg flaps will be released. Guests will be escorted off the ride and down the lift by employees. Then the lift car will move to the next row and repeat the process.

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the member formerly known as MisterX

Hmmmm.....
Unloading a B&M flyer sounds like unloading a B&M Inverted with the little motorized lift vehicle. How weird is that?

That friend/ co-worker would be me. I was thinking that maybe, they unlocked the leg restraints first, so people could get their legs down ready to drop, then opened the harnesses.

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Rob

"Some people spend an entire LIFETIME wondering if they made a DIFFERENCE. The MARINES don't have that problem." -President Reagan 1985

I was referring to a B&M flyer. I figured there would be some sort of lift unloading platform but I wasn't sure how they'd get the riders from the train onto the L.U.P.. I didn't know if the seats could go to "sitting" position on the lift or not, and if they could... How?

Yes, they can... there is a slot in the back of each car that a crank is insterted into. You turn the crank and the seats lower via a screw mechanism. Once it's down it really doesn't matter which restraints are opened first... although it would seem to make more sense to open the foot flaps first though.

The shoulder harness is opened by a key, one at a time. The keyhole is located in the center of the harness (the portion that locks into the cars themselves). Turning the key counterclockwise will pull the locking pins in and the restraint can be opened.

Foot flaps are opened by a custom made and very unusual device that is inserted into bottom of the mount the flaps are hinged on. Pulling the opener toward the "front" of the mount will release the piston that closes the flaps.

I would also like to note that, at least on SUF, at the base of the lift there are concrete stairs that go up about 15 - 20 feet. This is the point where trains are normally stopped on the lift by the operator if they notice a problem as the train is leaving the station. During a block check, the train will stop much higher on the lift.

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the member formerly known as MisterX

*** This post was edited by General Public on 10/23/2002. ***

*** This post was edited by General Public on 10/24/2002. ***

Superman Ultimate Flight at SFOG was "stuck" in the lift hill for almost 30 minutes on the 10/2, but they did not unload, they just sent them on their way once they got it working. I was actually thinking about posting this question because of that.

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-Bret Pritchett
AIM: DrFrreezz
If at first you don't succeed... skydiving isn't for you

*** This post was edited by Dr. Freeze on 10/23/2002. ***

I'd rather be stuck on Batwing's lift on my back than be stuck on S:UF's lift with all of my weight pressed into those restraints.

I'm sure after a 15-20 minute wait to re start the ride while hanging in that position is by no means comfortable.

Thanks for all the info, GP.

Are there any pictures of the gas-powered car (either on a flyer or inverted)?

I know there's a pic. of Raptor's somewhere. I'm sure someone will post the link.

Xflight didn't do a single unload of its lift all season. Props to maintenance on that one. Last year was a little different story. I think it would be pretty interested to be unloaded off an invert or a B&M flyer. I actually kinda wish it would happen.

We don't! It is a time consuming process that involves a fair amount of people. In general supervisors give the OK to start unloading a train, and usually they will do so after about 10 minutes if the ride cannot be restarted. For SUF they give more time simply because it takes an enormous effort to get everything in place to unload. I guess it's one of the ride's drawbacks.

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the member formerly known as MisterX

At least being stuck on SUF's lift is not nearly as painful or exhausting as being stuck on the brake run (staring down at dried up saliva and vomit...yuck) due to the angle of the train on the lift hill.

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Sean, who was asked for ID when buying RCT2.
Nitro, Gemini, Laser, Ice, Thunder...The American Gladiators!
The only Coasterbuzz member with Ridgeline Racer in their Track Record.

At least the advantage to being stuck on S:UF's brake run are thast you are face down & shaded to an extent from the hot sun by the track overhead.

On Batwing it's a different story all together,I ended up stuck on the brake run once this season and it wasn't fun at all with that hot afternoon sun blazing down directly on your face.,what happend was as our train was coming into the station to unload we got half way around the turn & all of a sudden just came to a dead stop while another train had stalled on the lift.

I sure hope never to have to undergo that experience ever again, unless there's a canopy or some sort of shading added to the brake run.