Wicked Twister's new supports...

Upon arriving at Cedar Point today to get my Season Pass Processing over with, I noticed Wicked Twister has some new supports that are yellow and extend from the Track and attach to the Teal Towers. It looks pretty odd but I hope we get to see Wicked Twister run like it used to. Unfortunately, I forgot to get pictures as I was Distracted by a 420ft wonder. How do you think these will benefit the ride experience?

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It's all in Twisted Wicker... Can't you see?!

So I guess this is an Xcelerator-like thing, adding more supports to lessen the sway of the ride? I assume thats why Dragster was built with plenty of support rather than an Xcelerator-esque support structure.

I do hope that they get WT back to 100% for my first ride next month. I'm looking forward to it.

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The Trip: CP, SFWoA, PKI, KW, HW, IB, SFGAm, MiA and LeSourdsville too.
8 Days- 10 parks. May 2003

about the new supports, will all new impulses be built or was it specifically WT because of the height/location

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Tizzle Thrizzle Dragsizzle in 2003izle!
*** This post was edited by DaNo 4/23/2003 6:15:22 PM ***

S:UE has seemed to operate fine without any modifications for 3 seasons now. I'm guessing that this issue is something specific to WT for one reason or another.

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James Draeger
-Captain Sarcasm (aka Sour Boy)

isnt one reason because both sides twist on WT, or was this another problem

both sides twist, the speed, and the height, led to the gradual slowing down of twister due to stress on the train and towers. Twister pushed pretty hard when it was running 100%, alot better than any impulse I have been on, hopefully it will be back up to the 100% we experiance for a few very short weeks last season.

My guess is that it is the increased speed, height, and train weight (2 extra rows, remember) that contribute to the fact that it needs reinforcements...

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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
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Maybe they should run 2 trains! lol I didn't get to make it up to CP last summer, but I will this year. Maybe not early in the season, but I do need to try WT, and of course that 420 ft tall wonder.

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YOUNGSTOWN 2010

I think it has something to due with the fact that I saw a maintanence man up there welding the thing every other night :)

I would guess that the location on the lake has something to do with it. High winds, unsupported ride. Remember VertiGO?

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The Trip: CP, SFWoA, PKI, KW, HW, IB, SFGAm, MiA and LeSourdsville too.
8 Days- 10 parks. May 2003

Matt, being by the lake isn't a major design issue. It's a relatively small lake with little wind build-up. Structures are designed to withstand maxiumum wind gusts...for Northern Ohio that speed is 90mph....that applies to CP and SFWoA. The VertiGo incident could've happened anywhere...in fact it was a slow, sustained wind that brought it down due to harmonic vibrations. The wind swayed the tower at the right frequency...that is to say the height and the stiffness of combine to give the tower a certain frequency of movement. The fact that there was no dampening (cables and car) on the towers allowed them to sway in their natural period...when the speed was just right, it brought one of them down.
Perhaps the extra supports dampen WT's natural period of vibration or maybe it's a much more complicated issue of rotational stress fractures.

-Seth

I also noticed that the supports for WT are designed differnetly than other impulses. Maybe a slight underengineering problem led to it.

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My Girlfriend says I'm addicted, but all she wants to do is shop!

Shivering Timbers - Most underrated coaster Ever?

I thought water seeped into the joints on Vertigo, then expanded when it froze, causing the tower to break?

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"Jessica, you're turning me into a criminal, when all I want to be is a petty thug." -Bart Simpson

Craig, it was the slow harmonic winds. Thank you for playing. ;-) We need a final Jeopardy question...

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CBClub member #30 and #364 (renewal)

WT is WAY different then any other impulse (that I know of). It's not because of the two twists compared to the one twist either. It's how Intamin made the structure for the twists. For those who haven't really gotten to see this ride, the track actually goes up through the "center" of the support structures. Compared to other impulses WT suport "wraps" around the vertical towers, where others have them "leaning" up against the vertical towers. And yes, WT support structure does go up higher than other impulses. While I have not gotten the chance to climb up on WT and expect it myself (though we know how many enthusiasts would). I would be more than willing to bet that "wrap around supoort" has something to do with it.

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