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I noticed in the days I was there, the train was down a lot due to unforeseen maintenance issues.

I don't know if this was because they are getting used to new safety protocols or maybe because they don't have their usual daily driver (BC) and DH/AE aren't used to being the workhorses but I found it odd. Was quite irritating how I'd wait 15 minutes in the station due to single training just to get a call from Caribou that the train stopped working.
 
I noticed in the days I was there, the train was down a lot due to unforeseen maintenance issues.

I don't know if this was because they are getting used to new safety protocols or maybe because they don't have their usual daily driver (BC) and DH/AE aren't used to being the workhorses but I found it odd. Was quite irritating how I'd wait 15 minutes in the station due to single training just to get a call from Caribou that the train stopped working.
I spoke with one of the employees that works in the various stations. She told me that she’s been at the park and in the stations for the past three years and the trains were basically destroying themselves during CT doing the round trip and they’re running detrimentally worse after the round trip constant operation in freezing temps.
 
I spoke with one of the employees that works in the various stations. She told me that she’s been at the park and in the stations for the past three years and the trains were basically destroying themselves during CT doing the round trip and they’re running detrimentally worse after the round trip constant operation in freezing temps.
Also was made worse by the fact that they added some of Balmoral cars to the back of both trains to increase capacity. So not only was it cold but they were pulling more weight.
 
But we had a mild season compared to some other years. Also, wouldnt it make sense that the starting would be the most stressful part? So with less stops would in theory be less stress.
 
But we had a mild season compared to some other years. Also, wouldnt it make sense that the starting would be the most stressful part? So with less stops would in theory be less stress.
I think it was more the extra weight they were pulling didn't CT they were pulling 2 additional cars each I believe
 
... it was mild for metal trains having to constantly run, pulling extra weight and going up hill.

This is all anyone needs to read. They obviously over exceeded the tow capacity. Take your car on the freeway and it's fine, usually causing less wear and tear than stopping and starting on surface streets. Now slap a trailer on the back of your car, weigh the trailer down, and drive it on the freeway for extended periods of time. Everything from your wheels to your drive train to your engine will be jacked.
 
I wasnt disagreeing on the extra weight but CT has gone on for many years with much colder temps....I wasnt referring to If I felt warm this CT season.
 
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The cold and season has little to do with it since these engines have a wide range of operating conditions, as do most engines.

The extra weight is the most likely reason the trains were impacted long-term. Though since there were many different variables during the CT runnings, we can't know for sure pending an investigation.
 
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That ordering only makes sense if the trains travel in the opposite direction around the loop.

Of course, to a map maker / station labeler looking at a map, the direction of travel may not matter as much. Perhaps it’s convention to number counterclockwise. If an engineer (math, not train) assigned the station numbers, then you’d more likely than not get counterclockwise numbering. Unit circle, right hand rule...

Any chance that station 2 is actually the partially covered maintenance and parking yard behind the actual Caribou station?

Though thinking about it serving as a placeholder for Oktoberfest is much more interesting.

Also where is B2 code “G” for goose? Wouldn’t be the first time a goose got annihilated by a BGW train or its passenger...
The Station #'s are a bit misleading. They are for the Railroad only phones. The major rides have one or two park phones (usually Controls and Entrance) and ride phones at every position for communication between team members. Railroad, and other rides where all the team members are spread out, have both at every position. Pressing 1 on the ride phone will get Caribou... etc. 2 is for the Raildeck, the crew break area and where crews wait for the train between shifts. And FYI, if you ever smell a pipe or cigar at Caribou, most likely, it's coming from the Raildeck.
 
The Station #'s are a bit misleading. They are for the Railroad only phones. The major rides have one or two park phones (usually Controls and Entrance) and ride phones at every position for communication between team members. Railroad, and other rides where all the team members are spread out, have both at every position. Pressing 1 on the ride phone will get Caribou... etc. 2 is for the Raildeck, the crew break area and where crews wait for the train between shifts. And FYI, if you ever smell a pipe or cigar at Caribou, most likely, it's coming from the Raildeck.
So 2 is for another location at Caribou.

14777
 
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James City County Property Viewer provides a better contour map that shows a bit more detail. You’ll have to enable contours in the left panel though. The only issue with a station in Germany is that Alpen Express cannot make it from that spot to Caribou from a full stop while under load. The park has tried, and if Alpen does stop at that spot, they have to either use another engine to pull her out or backup all the way to Festa.
Moving to the train thread so I don't clog up the other thread.

I know this is the reason why there's isn't a train stop in Germany, but once Balmoral is back, how often will they run Alpen? Like it was a rare thing to see Alpen run.

That being said, I wouldn't mind, for the listed reason above, if they made Alpen an actual express train when they do run it. Have it skip that Germany station and head straight to Caribou. I see why they wouldn't want to. Since Alpen would run on extremely high crowd days, although I've been there when the park hits capacity and they didn't run Alpen. And it would likely confuse guests, but also like everything else you announce it over and over again that this is the Express train, it's gonna skip that Germany station. I think it'd be possible. (Again this is after bringing Balmoral back and Alpen is just the extra help)
 
Moving to the train thread so I don't clog up the other thread.

I know this is the reason why there's isn't a train stop in Germany, but once Balmoral is back, how often will they run Alpen? Like it was a rare thing to see Alpen run.

That being said, I wouldn't mind, for the listed reason above, if they made Alpen an actual express train when they do run it. Have it skip that Germany station and head straight to Caribou. I see why they wouldn't want to. Since Alpen would run on extremely high crowd days, although I've been there when the park hits capacity and they didn't run Alpen. And it would likely confuse guests, but also like everything else you announce it over and over again that this is the Express train, it's gonna skip that Germany station. I think it'd be possible. (Again this is after bringing Balmoral back and Alpen is just the extra help)


The reason for that is what do you do when Alpen inevitably catches one of the other two engines in Germany? Spend the money for a switch track and an expansion just to run around a stopped train?
 
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I think that'd be cool, but aside from confusing guests and capacity issues, it just wouldn't work logistically.

The trains run in harmony because of each of them communicating effectively and staying scheduled apart from each other. Notice how you never have two trains at one station.

One train having effectively one fewer stops means it completes the circuit faster. Which means either the train would have to sit in the station much much longer, or risk trains stacking on each other, ruining the timing of the trains. Which would also make capacity abysmal and increase confusion.

Edit: warfelg beat me to it and said it in a quarter of the lines. Pardon my length
 
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With 4 stops and 3 trains it just means that by the time Alpen leaves Festa, Caribou has to be clear.

It's already a timed balancing act to begin with. I've been on the train when a train hasnt cleared the next station. You just sit there.

EDIT: as long as Alpen lead's the pack, so to speak, the math should work out. You're gonna have that 4th empty station.
 
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