Whizzer doing a fireworks display.

Was at SFGAm yesterday (Saturday), and noticed that the Whizzer trains going up the lift were really sparking. Usually I just see some sparks near the wheels but the sparks were actually spreading outward looking like small fireworks going off under the trains.

I am assuming the increased sparks were due to the undercarriage and track being wet (it rained lightly throughout the afternoon and evening). They ended up closing the ride quite a few times throughout the day. Anyone else notice this?

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2 superheroes in Gurnee next season? Oh the humanity.

*** This post was edited by Chitown on 10/13/2002. ***

Hmmm, I was at the park yesterday as well... and around Whizzer a lot...but I didn't notice any sparking. It did close many times for the rain, yes, but I was able to catch a few rides on it when the queue was short just after they would re-open. I was on Hometown Fun Machine (the long-forgotten ride that never runs...haha) when they were testing Whizzer after a light rain, and I didn't see any sparks. Weird. Too bad we didn't meet up, chitown.

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Warning: This message was composed on a computer in a household where peanuts and peanut products are served.

YES! Lets hope it explodes and the flyer is put there and Shockwave is put back!

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"The password is, 'Nice rack,', and I'll reply 'I forgot my bra,'."
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Sworn Whizzer hater because it took Shockwave down

Wow, that was really unnecessary.

*** This post was edited by Coaster Zach on 10/13/2002. ***

i agree that was unessasary

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p.s. contrary to popular belief i am not an idiot nor i am i a child.

Man, that was very very immature swimmerkev. You might want to try the kindergarten room.

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Loyal fan of Nolimits.
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stoogemanmoe

sorry- i had always wished it would explode though

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"The password is, 'Nice rack,', and I'll reply 'I forgot my bra,'."
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Sworn Whizzer hater because it took Shockwave down

Okay, Swimmerkev. I've always wanted an oportuninty to say this: Don't hate The Whizzer! You don't have to like the ride (though I can't imagine how anyone could not), but remember this: It's just a machine. The coaster didn't take Shock Wave down. The people who lobbied to keep The Whizzer did (if you accept the fact that the "Save The Whizzer" campaign had anythign to do with Shock Wave's removal at all...).

Does anyone know how many volts those motors run? They have to draw some pretty major amps to pull up a full train. And lower volts means more amps. Put a little water on the rail at 240V and I'll bet it looks like the 4th of July!

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Without the chaindog, you'd never get up the lifthill...

Wait, I'm a few months behind on SFGrAm news. I thought Wizzer was being removed? What happened?

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Cedar Point, where the world records just keep on coming!
Paul

Hmmm... that's funny... I didn't help take Shockwave down, I didn't have a plasma cutter in my hand, nor was I there..lol. I don't think any of the other people that lobbied (SP) Great America did either. I hate to see Shockwave come down too, but let's face it. For it's time, it was what the Arrow company could design, and it was a headache inducer, and an ear banger.

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Loyal fan of Nolimits.
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stoogemanmoe

'Public outcry saved it.'

Quoted, because I believe it was just a publicity stunt to draw attention to the Whizzer. At any rate, Shockwave is being removed.

There were rumors of a small accident on Shockwave the week Whizzer was supposed to close (August 11th), though I can't personally back that up.

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"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation." - David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
http://www.loopscrew.com

I'm trying to dig back in my memorys of the Jumbo Jet. It has the same lift system as the Whizzer. Schwartzkopf used high voltage DC on a lot of his rides. The Giant Wheel at CP came with a motor/generator set to supply the current for the four gear motors. I seem to recall the Jumbo Jet had the same setup. It may have been as high as 600 VDC, but I can't confirm it. Yes, with damp pickups it would give quite a show. By the way, the streetcar systems in the US operated on 600VDC, and a lot of the early trolley parks just tapped into the lines for their power.

Yeah, there was an accident. It gave the park brass a reason to remove SW (which they hate) and use the public outcry as a buffer, rather than tell everyone about an "accident", which scares people away and the media has a field day with.

There was an accident. And it was fairly small. I saw it with mine own eyes. Not backing up anyones theories, just confirming what i saw.

I hope the sparks were only due to rain - that would be horrible if the Whizzer didn't work now after all of that hoopla to keep it there. Plus, it is a great ride, IMHO. Classic Schwartzkopf - if only he were alive, he could tell you why it was sparking i bet. But i digress...

Spacemountain, no disrespect here, just wondering how you know that park brass "hate" Shockwave. Did you get an invitation to management meetings? And why do they hate it?

Also, the accident couldn't have been the sole reason for its removal. It's not as though the ride couldn't have been fixed.

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SFGAm: 1)DV 2)V2 3)AE Blue 4)Viper 5)Bull

CP4LIFE said:
Wait, I'm a few months behind on SFGrAm news. I thought Wizzer was being removed? What happened?

Well, in the first week of August, the park announced that The Whizzer was not going ot be taken out. Public outcry was the reason they gave for this sudden change. This happened a few days after an accident on Shock Wave. That day was the last day Shcok Wave opperated. It remained SBNO until just a few weeks ago, when they began dimantling it. Many different reasons have been hypothesised as to just what went on: was closing The Whizzer just a ploy all along? Did the accident on Shock Wave promt management to remove it instead of Whizzer? and there are many other questions: Will the new ride go on Shock Wave's parking lot (almost definately)? Could they have fit the new ride in without taking out either Whizzer or Shock Wave? Since the park has stated that Shock Wave is merely being moved to a new home, where will it go now? Will it, with all its problems, accutally find a home?

Oh, and by the way, there's track in the employee parking lot. It's B&M track, colored exactly the same as Superman: Ultimate Flight in Georgia. Yep, SFGAm's gettign a clone (almost certainly).

Okay, I hope that brings you up to speed. Please, everybody else ignore this post, and continue with the topic at hand.

Just what happened in the Shockwave accident? A lot of people mention it, but no one ever really stated what exactly happened.

nelson324 said:
There was an accident. And it was fairly small. I saw it with mine own eyes. Not backing up anyones theories, just confirming what i saw.
I hope the sparks were only due to rain - that would be horrible if the Whizzer didn't work now after all of that hoopla to keep it there. Plus, it is a great ride, IMHO. Classic Schwartzkopf - if only he were alive, he could tell you why it was sparking i bet. But i digress...

Yea right! That seems to be a normal operation. I remmember the Zambezi Zinger doing this. At night you'll see it well. The speedracer cars have motors in them and when it goes up the lift hill sometimes it will have sparks come out. This is very normal, just think of the system being like a bumper car. You see Bumper Cars spark alot, it's the same thing on the speed racers lift.

I miss watching the Zambezi Zinger doing stuff like this. I had wished WOF had never taken out the Zinger. It was probally the best ride there.

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Chris Knight
My Favorite Site on the entire internet, I think you would like it too. check out:
http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forums/members/member.asp?action=tos

Sparks under the Whizzer trains is not uncommon. It works very much like a slot-car track.

Cam.

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Cameron Silver