It might have something to do with weight. But the theming did go well with the train.

__________________

Anyone?

I don't know of any full POV video clips of Xcelerator online. www.themeparkreview.com has a video of Xcelerator, but it's a mix of POV and off-ride shots.

Good video, interesting to see a roll back (not seen one before)

The two extra seats increased the capacity by about 11% from around 1022 PPH to about 1150 PPH. This is at 56.4 second maximum overall launch interval.

To get theoretical capacity of 1500 PPH with 16 seats, the trains need to be launched every 38.4 seconds. It turns out that the train last dispatched takes too long to clear the brake block. There used to be a way to correct that problem, but due to sneak problems including limitations of parts of the system, it never worked as designed. Without that function in the system, running 6 trains only make that delay issue worse. This also has the effect of getting higher capacity with 5 trains than 6.

It used to be that even without that function disabled, running 5 trains had worse capacity. This was back in May of 2003. The system would ghost a 6th train with only 5 trains on the track. Since they had 5 trains at the time, the program ended up getting changed to the current one improving 5 train capacity. When they got the 6th train, they quickly found out that they got better capactity with 5 trains.

As of right now it doesn't appear that 6 trains will be used or capacities higher than 1150 PPH will be achived.

So one train is there for extra, when another needs maintainence? Looks like CP lucked out, that's good.

So anyway, are there any POV videos of Xcelerator.

They can run SIX trains?

Apparently there aren't aside from Robb Alvey's.
It was designed to run six trains. It's got the blocking for six trains. It just doesn't run six trains.

__________________
ThrillNetwork editor emeritus
Voyage is the best roller coaster ever.
Raptor ride count - 1,146.

While 1,150 seems low for capacity for such a popular coaster, the line does seem to move pretty good when there are nor problems. The line had a good amount of people in it when I went there in September and it only took 45 minutes and even less later.

__________________
YOUR HATRED AMUSES ME

America Coasters has a Xcelerator POV video, but you have to be a member, which isn't free. I think it's around $12 a year.

Speaking of their videos, they have a bad setup for them. If you wanted to save one, they try to disable you, but on browsers such as avant, it will bypass it.

Wow, for being such a short coaster, I didn't know it can run six trains at one time. Thats a lot of blocks.

I wonder, maybe KK will be able to run 4.

I heard that KDK went with the dual load/unload station to get rid of the blocking problems that plagued TTD. It's also supposed to make the dispatch times much better and keep the RPH up. Another added bonus is if you have a bunch or prizes or bags, you can leave them on the side and not worry about someone on another train stealing them.

__________________

Well, that's only true if there are only two trains. Otherwise, a train may come into the station after you, and probably will.

What surprises me is that rocket coasters don't have a set of LIMS or something like that on their top-hats to pull trains over the top...That would eliminate the need of someone having to go all the way to the top of the top-hat to push the train over.

__________________
Silver Bullet - - December 7th - - Knott's Berry Farm

^nice concept. that is interesting

__________________

Yea but its a thrill to sometimes go back the way you went up. Even though it really never happens, it would be a great thrill to go back down then over.
They would also have to inspect them in thr morining. EEEKKK What a height. I love being up that high, just not in open air like that.

__________________

^ The train very rarely gets stuck, so putting a set of lims up there for that reason alone would be rediculous.

Both trains on a side dispatch at the same time and come back to the station not at the same time, but close enough. Also, the train can't go unless the circuit is closed so that it comes back to the side which it dispatched from a la Storm Runner.

__________________

Yes, but that doesn't mean that another train didn't pass through there. Unless the ride runs only two trains. If there are three though, that means another train can go into the station you were in. There would be two stations with three trains. Besides, people rarely steal a stuffed toy. And a cell phone, well, I can take it on ride, just like I do with my camera.

And how exactly would you place these electromagnetic staters on a parabolic curve of track? And where would all the wiring for the power go if the "LIMS or something" are 200'+ in the air?

Also, it wouldnt work 'cause the underside of the trains is set up to attach to a catch-car and has magnets with certain specifications that works with the steel fins on the track for braking.

And it'd be a waste in the first place. And if there were LIMs, that means no roll backs.

Accelerator/rocket coasters are not set up for LIMs or LSM. Can't be done without major and unnecessary modifications. Let them rollback, taking too long to clear the tower (meaning the back of the last car passing the highest point) means the ride will automatically shut down. If the train isn't very close to making it over, the motors are at high risk of burning up.

I'm sure Kingda Ka will have problems rolling back on cold nights as does TTD. When it's cold and windy the pressure in the hydraulics will max out. What can whip the trains over the top at dangerous speeds (25-30MPH) in hot weather can barily get the trains over in cold weather if at all. When TTD ran with the last couple rows to couple cars roped off for lengths of time, they probably can't get them over fully loaded. The other problem is changes from empty to fully loaded. Most of the time they get an error that the pressure dropped below a certain pressure when they go from empty to fully loaded. The changes are minor in good weather, but in cold weather a relitivally small amount of weight differentiation can cause a rollback. This is why you may see them phase in rows.

Marc - i really enjoy reading your posts. the are very detailed and helpful and it seems like you know what your talking about. i am planning/working on becoming an engineer of some sort so i am very interested in what you write. just thought i'd let you know that. keep up with the great posts!!

__________________

You're misunderstanding me. If your train leaves from the left side of the station, it can *only* return to the left side of the station. It's a Dual unload/load station. The station holds all 4 trains at the same time. NO trains can *only* dispatch if the circuit is complete so that the trains return to the same side that they departed from. The track behind and in front of the station slide to the left, completing the circuit. The left side of the station dispatches BOTH trains on that side simultaneously. The first train stages, launch. The second train stages, and launches when the first train finishes. The first train has to return to the left side because the track has to be on that side. The second train also has to return to the left side because the track is over to the left. The same thing happens for the other side. If the track is set up so that the right side can dispatch, but it would return to the left, the computer will not let the train dispatch.

__________________

Plus, the transfer tracks controlled by the computer know which side the trains have to be on. Theres probably sensors in the station that show that the trains are gone from that side, so the transfer track has to be on that side.

Plus, I doubt they'd want the trains to switch sides, seeing how people leave stuff in bins. I don't think they'd be happy having their stuff in the opposite side of the station that they are in.

That's on TTD, they both dispatch. KK will only have 1 train per station, not 2. I'm talking about KK, it will have only one trai ndispatching at a time, because only one trai nwill fit in each of the two stations.

Kingda Ka has room for 2 trains on each side of the station. I just watched the video again to make sure. There's 2 sets of airgates on the side that the train is returning to in the video.

__________________
ThrillNetwork Moderator
Houston Thrills Central | Freude Am Leben
Bayerische Motoren Werke: Freude am Fahren
Marvel McFey is dead.

Oh wow, I didn't know that. Well then they will probably run 4 trains, right? That gives the ride ops a break (kind of) because of longer intervals in between loading times.

EDIT: Ok, I see, in this picture:

http://www.sixflags.com/parks/greata...Station_TN.jpg

That also shows how trains won't all be yellow, you can see a blue one. Hmm, this is an odd looking one, the back looks like the front.