Apollo's Chariot
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
I think the slower release speed puts less stress on the chain and helps it to last longer.
I believe this is partially also because of the Variable Speed lifthills. Prior to the computer system upgrades, they all just stayed at the same speed all the way up- but after the new computer system upgrade it sounds like they are also given the variable speed lift. Essentially allowing for them to dispatch a train before they technically can and it wouldn’t have to block check at the top of the lift, because it would start off slow until the train ahead cleared the next block, then resume full speed. You’ll notice once the train is on the lift you’ll feel a little tug as the train lift speeds up.
Oh ya…. It poured its ass off at the park today. All week long our local weather guessers had Saturday as a wash out and Sunday at a 10-20 percent chance of rain… until Friday. Then Saturday started to dry up and Sunday looked a little sketchy. So much for accurate 7 day forecasts…
…. Anyway, watched the weather this morning and they were still calling for very isolated showers with most everything staying north of Williamsburg. Needless to say that was wrong.Rain started at 11:30 and poured for about a hour. Lightning stayed in the area until almost 2. We left the park at 1:30 and a section of I-64 near the Oyster Point exit had 2 lanes flooded out it rained so hard.
Why does the train slam to a full stop on the first part of the final brakes if the train ahead is on the transfer track? It doesn't roll to the end of the brake run and stop there like Dominator does.
Probably something to do with older B&M programming for safety plus the park prefers to have that large of a gap. Perhaps maybe it's also easier to move the train to the transfer brake from there as it'll have more momentum?
This. If you notice, if the train has to e stop *after* it has cleared the final brakes- the back 2 cars are not reached by the catwalks
I believe I heard that they found the train sometimes won't have enough momentum to make it around the turn to the transfer if it stops farther up. I can't remember who I heard that from though.
The block between the transfer and main brakes are called the safety brakes. The programming is such that they act as one block in case the train slides far during rain. I have seen it where a full train on wet brakes slides halfway down the two blocks and it very much needs all of those brakes to stop the train. Probably not how I would have programmed it, but this was a prototype ride built in 99, so I'm guessing Consign eired on the side of caution.
I think remember being told this on a coaster tour YEARS ago. Judging by what @ControlsEE is saying though, I'm guessing trains have no problem coasting from the "safety brakes" to the final brakes?
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I've never heard that it would have issue coasting around the turn. I'm sure it helps with speed, but it is angled down quite a bit, so I doubt it has to only do with that. Personally, I don't know why they never parked the train further up on the transfer and allowed the 3rd train to stack beside the maintenance bay.
I think what @cschnizer is referring to is that the final brake run on Dominator (KD split it up into two sections - service/ safety brakes. But, it was still considered one block. When the ride was at Geauga Lake, it was rumored to be two) When the train is coming back from the helix, the train hits the service brakes (next to the station) and the system slows it down to a manageable speed, then it slowly rolls forward through to the safety brakes (directly next to the storage bay), where it will stop if the transfer is occupied. Where as Apollo comes to a dead stop in the service brake instead of trimming the speed down to a manageable speed where it will stop in the safety brakes if the transfer is occupied.
Leading to @Zachary and I suspicions (Zach was probably the one who told me if I'm being honest) of it parking in the service brakes so it can gain enough speed to make the turn around into the transfer block.
Maybe visibility? I’m aware they have cameras but if the cameras are not functioning, you can see the train from the current stopping position. Parking behind the maintenance bay would make that harder, no?
Unless they've eliminated the op positions at the rear of the station, you have 2 ops that could look that direction if needed. Plus, how hard can it be to rig up any cameras needed?
Edit: just realized you were referring to the brakes right before the turn. (Where is a block diagram when you need one?) I'd guess that it shouldn't be a big issue for normal operations since they're automated and unless something's wrong there's no way for passengers to get out of their restraints.
Additionally, I'd assume that if they were to reprogram the ride to hold trains at the end right before the turn instead of dead stop as soon as it gets to the first brakes, they'd also enable stacking next to the maintenance shed plus transfer table (and maybe even multi-move? That can't be just an Intamin feature) meaning even with slow ops no train is going to sit there long enough to be a safety hazard.
Edit: just realized you were referring to the brakes right before the turn. (Where is a block diagram when you need one?) I'd guess that it shouldn't be a big issue for normal operations since they're automated and unless something's wrong there's no way for passengers to get out of their restraints.
Additionally, I'd assume that if they were to reprogram the ride to hold trains at the end right before the turn instead of dead stop as soon as it gets to the first brakes, they'd also enable stacking next to the maintenance shed plus transfer table (and maybe even multi-move? That can't be just an Intamin feature) meaning even with slow ops no train is going to sit there long enough to be a safety hazard.
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Figured I'd bring this up. Apollo ran through Christmas Town, Winter Weekends and Mardi Gras last winter. Do we think it goes down for maintenance this year? I was wondering if they'd probably just rotating the larger coasters for the cold months.
I think the odds are extremely likely that it will be down.
Especially if Pantheon is running, but that could be a crap shoot given what horseboy experienced today with the wind.