| Comments |
BGWfanatic
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1871
View Park/Ride Count
|
The mechanism disengaged during the ride? That sounds pretty serious.
|
| 3/18/2007 9:35 PM |
|
coasterman1234
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1463
View Park/Ride Count
|
That does sound very serious, glad that no one was hurt too bad. Imagine if that had happened with the general public on it. Good old Vekoma quality!
|
| 3/18/2007 9:41 PM |
|
rjholla2003
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1637
View Park/Ride Count
|
That just shows how ridiculously safe roller coasters are. The fact that it was able to brake once the seats disengaged shows just how much thought was put into safety.
|
| 3/18/2007 9:49 PM |
|
vedved82491
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 913
View Park/Ride Count
|
^Thats true.
|
| 3/18/2007 10:07 PM |
|
Pcw
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1801
View Park/Ride Count
|
Interesting that this would happen with FireHawk going into PKI this year. I guess that'll be closely inspected as well.
|
| 3/18/2007 10:13 PM |
|
CHILLERLC1
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 8039
View Park/Ride Count
|
Something I was afraid of hearing about by some freak chance.
Once again the safety procedures that quickly engaged is part of the great care designers/engineers take. Thank you.
|
| 3/18/2007 10:36 PM |
|
Nitro Luvr
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 424
View Park/Ride Count
|
I always wondered what would happen if this ever happened to one of the flying coasters. Although its a Vekoma flyer, it could of happened to a B&M one too. I mean the mechanism that holds the seats in the locked position has to be pretty strong, but also subject to failure too. I'm glad to see the safety systems on these rides work so well though.
|
| 3/19/2007 1:19 AM |
|
CoasterDJ
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 573
View Park/Ride Count
|
Not to make light of the situation...because I am glad that no one was hurt, and that the safety systems worked exactly as they were designed to do.
However, since it is Cedar Fair's first full season of ownership...and of course, I would be more than willing to be one of the first to ride it when it opens (although it is unlikely I will make a trip there that soon) back up...you think Viacom/CBS may have told Paramount to send in a few Borg nanoprobes?
Like I said, good thing that no one was hurt...if there had been serious injuries, I would not have said it.
|
| 3/19/2007 6:44 AM |
|
Wes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 11180
View Park/Ride Count
|
I guess we'll have to leave Vekoma alone for a while since their design actually worked. lol j/k
Here's a pic of the train sitting before the loop if anyone wants to check it out.
http://img295.imageshack.us/my.php?i...=0000512vh7.jpg
|
| 3/19/2007 8:01 AM |
|
Brian P
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 649
View Park/Ride Count
|
^Thanks for posting the picture.
I never realized such a safety system existed for these coasters. I knew that they would have something, but I didn't know that it would stop the train like that. Anyone have an idea as to how it works?
|
| 3/19/2007 11:23 AM |
|
Wes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 11180
View Park/Ride Count
|
Little aliens pop out of the head rests and put on the magic brakes. LOL
I also didn't know about this, it would be interesting to find out.
I'll have to ask one of the mechanics this year sometime.
|
| 3/19/2007 11:31 AM |
|
coasterman1234
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1463
View Park/Ride Count
|
I bet it was a nightmare getting the train through the rest of the track after it had stopped.
|
| 3/19/2007 2:40 PM |
|
DmnAdam14113
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 241
View Park/Ride Count
|
^^^It sounds like there is some kind of braking system on the train itself that is designed to engage when this situation happens.
|
| 3/19/2007 3:03 PM |
|
Timbersman
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 580
View Park/Ride Count
|
^ I dont think Vekoma is that high tech. it's probably a simple bracking system.
|
| 3/19/2007 6:03 PM |
|
Johnny Upsidedown
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1834
View Park/Ride Count
|
Http://www.wsoctv.com/news/11298370/detail.html
The park responds. Ride is safe,
|
| 3/19/2007 6:54 PM |
|
Marc
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2709
View Park/Ride Count
|
Given the timeframe, my assumption is that they rebuilt the trains incorrectly. Parks don't always have the brightest bulbs working on the rides.
|
| 3/19/2007 11:36 PM |
|
The Gent
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 97
View Park/Ride Count
|
Actually, the ride engineers are among the best and the brightest - probably at the insistence of the lawyers and the insurance companies. The problem may be that the safety systems on most rides allow the ride to move backward to the last retaining point (or call it what you will). This is where, as in this case, people get hurt. What might be better is an ABS type system which, once the train completely stops, locks the train to the track until help arrives.
|
| 3/20/2007 6:43 PM |
|
Michael C
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1971
View Park/Ride Count
|
That can be dome by staff once they arrive. Last thing you want a Brake on the train that can malfunction and stop the train.
Good to hear the riders were only slightly hurt and were OK. It's also good to hear the Safety systems that were in place stopped the trains from continuing.
|
| 3/20/2007 10:47 PM |
|
Wes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 11180
View Park/Ride Count
|
A new story came out now.
It was operator fault.
They pushed the release button in the station to release the lock that keeps the seats flat.
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/11308720/detail.html
|
| 3/21/2007 1:13 PM |
|
bk2004
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7735
View Park/Ride Count
|
Why would they even have that button in the first place?
|
| 3/21/2007 2:07 PM |
|
More about News
Mar. 18th, 2007 -- According to Carowinds spokesman Scott Anderson, seven employees were taken to the hospital for examination after a malfunction occured on BORG Assimilator Saturday evening.