Attraction Top Thrill 2

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Attraction Type
Roller Coaster
Attraction Status
Existing
Attraction Manufacturer
Zamperla
Attraction Model
Lightning
My only real dissappointment is that they didn't take the opportunity to add a small bunny hill to the final brake run (or launch, which seems safe to assume will remain flat since they seem to be recycling all of the track) similar to Red Force.

Also, if they make the small section of track that is ahead of the maintenance track switch a block zone. That spot can act as a holding block if a train is being launched. Allowing a train to be dispatched even if one is going through the launch sequences.
 
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AlpenChariot said:
Isn't it the other way around? Dispatch time is determined by time it takes to clear the top hat?
Click to expand...
Either way, how is the average time for a coaster leaving the station to clearing the top hat (when the next train is able to leave the station) going to be faster now that they have added a swing launch and 420' spike?
 
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I liked Kingda Ka, but its main thing was launching so fast in one go and in such short time. Having said that, the reverse launch and spike should be fun and you do end up going as fast as before, so you'll get the wind effect. The thing I find dumb is the spike being as tall as the top hat. There is no way it gets near the top of that, is there? Seems like a huge spike just to say it's the tallest spike. It's like putting an antenna on top of a tall building and including that in it's height statistic.
 
CoasterMac said:
See the 2nd picture of my post here. Spike pictured there is 420ft, launching in at about the correct speed, so I expect the train to go about that high.
Click to expand...
But it's not the speed of TLD on that backwards launch, so surely it's only to go say, 2/3 of the way up? I'm not a physics expert, though.
 
Crunchewy said:
I liked Kingda Ka, but its main thing was launching so fast in one go and in such short time. Having said that, the reverse launch and spike should be fun and you do end up going as fast as before, so you'll get the wind effect. The thing I find dumb is the spike being as tall as the top hat. There is no way it gets near the top of that, is there? Seems like a huge spike just to say it's the tallest spike. It's like putting an antenna on top of a tall building and including that in it's height statistic.
Click to expand...
The spike is likely tall enough to give room for a full roll back, where the third launch doesnt clear, without needing additional braking.
 
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Yep. And it's notably easier for the train to reach the top of a spike than to clear a top hat of the same height:
  • The entire train must clear the full height of a top hat, meaning the train's center of mass must be catapulted all the way up to that altitude (minus a small handful of feet, for the quibblers reading this). But on the spike side, only one end of the train needs to approach that height, while the bulk of the train including its center of mass remains considerably lower. So you get almost a half-train-length of "free" vertical reach on the spike end of the launch vs. on the top hat.

  • At its highest point on the spike, the train is completely stalled. But on the top hat, it needs to carry a reserve of extra kinetic energy so it can be assured of actually clearing the thing. Not a lot of energy -- those first 5-10 mph above zero are the easiest to achieve from an energy perspective -- but still more than would be required to simply stall at that height.
Both of the above factors make it easier (i.e. lower speed required) to fire one end of a train to nearly 420 feet than to fire the same train all the way over a 420 foot top hat.

How much easier? We don't have enough info yet to fully determine that. But I'm willing to bet the train will climb more than 2/3 of the spike's height after the backward launch.

Selected counterpoints & added considerations in rebuttal to @halfabee (aka myself):
  • How long is the train? A half-train-length of "free" vertical reach might not mean that much
  • Each added 1 mph requires more energy input than the 1 mph that was added just before it, scaling with the square of speed. When you get up around 100 mph you're adding considerably more achievable height per additional 1 mph than when you added the "same" 1 mph at lower speeds. So a modest increase of perhaps 10-15 mph in top speed during the third launch can make a major difference in achieved height, reducing the energy (and therefore height) you really needed to carry into the spike after the first two launches. So perhaps you don't really need to achieve considerably more than 300 ft up the spike for successful ride operation, and its top 1/3 or so really will be just for show.
  • I have no idea (yet?) what speeds are achieved on each segment of the launch, which would be a much easier and more direct way to judge all of this than via the text wall above
  • Ignoring rolling and aerodynamic resistance, assuming a similar train to TTD, and estimating or knowing the speed of each launch, it isn't too difficult to estimate most or all of the above. Maybe I should do the math before making judgments...?
 
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I think they should call it Top Thrill Maverick. Confuse the hell out of the guests, but I'd do it just to see if Paramount tries to sue. You could push their buttons by theming it to a jet fighter.
 
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I like the new design. I can never get enough of stalls and spikes - my favorite parts of Pantheon.
 
5BF9B122-6CE4-4074-85A9-E47F74B48574.jpeg
they are on the MOVE

Apparently 6AM tomorrow morning the first piece of dragsters spike will be placed, and then media will be there filming the reaction of guests, they already have a tent set up.

It’s Christmas Eve y’all. Cannot wait for my presents
 
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Blog post

They actually named it Top Thrill 2....
 
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I305Evan said:
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Blog post

They actually named it Top Thrill 2....
Click to expand...

That is genuinely one of the worst fucking coaster names EVER.
 
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