Launches and Block Sections

[cschnizer]

Having watched ElToroRyan's video on Hagrid's coaster at Universal, I've definitely gained a new perspective on roller coaster block zones and how they can work with launch sections. When I first watched it, I was so overwhelmed with how block zones worked on Hagrid's and got frustrated trying to make sense out of it. I always thought that for one, a block zone always had its train stopping point at the END of it. Two, I didn't really know that rolling launches also counted as block markers; I thought they couldn't because the purpose of a launch is to ACCELERATE a train instead of stopping it. These two things really got me confused when I first watched the video, but I think I have an idea why the block set up on Hagrid's is made so. The block sections with launches have the stop point either at the beginning or somewhere in the middle (where the base of the launch is). It's probably done like this in case of rollbacks, especially given that almost all the launches on this coaster have an incline in direct succession of them. If you've looked at the manual for Backlot Stunt Coaster, you know that the first block on the ride starts with the load station and ends at the top of the helix. The next train cannot proceed into the load station until the one ahead clears the top of the helix, and this is in case it rolls back. And when it rolls back, it has to return to where it started in the launch, which is the load station, in order to restart. Any other thoughts?

 

[Jonesta6]

I believe Intamin generally sets the stop towards the middle of a mid-course launch in more recent rides so that it can 'swing' for a relaunch in case of a rollback or aborted launch. However, not having witnessed this much, I could be totally wrong.

Watch his video on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad if you really want to bake your noodle on block zone setups though TLDR is they're weird because of enforcing capacity over normal coaster designs.

 

[I305Evan]

If you've looked at the manual for Backlot Stunt Coaster, you know that the first block on the ride starts with the load station and ends at the top of the helix. The next train cannot proceed into the load station until the one ahead clears the top of the helix, and this is in case it rolls back. And when it rolls back, it has to return to where it started in the launch, which is the load station, in order to restart. Any other thoughts?

Backlot can be kind of confusing if you read the operations manual. While the ride manual does say to the top of the helix- operators are able to advance the train as soon as the back car is off the launch track as the train begins ascending the helix. In the event of a rollback, there may be a train in the load station. In this scenario, the train that rolled back would be at the end of the launch track. When maintenance arrives, if there is a train the load station (rare), the train in the load station would have to be reversed/ pushed into the unload block. Then the train on the launch track would be pushed backwards into the load station where riders will be "evacuated."

Fun fact: The slowdown brakes (final brake run located before the transfer table), while they are able to stop a train- are not apart of the block sections. The train in the warehouse (show building/ MCBR/ whatever you want to call it) will not launch until the transfer track has cleared. The only time a train would stop in this section would be if the ride experienced an emergency stop (whether it is triggered by an operator or if it is triggered by the ride system experiencing a fault).