The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[cfc]

By three trains, they mean they'll be running three Train songs on a loop while you're in the two hour line right?

 

Welcome to Hell!

[gisco]

I can see them getting three trains and trying to run them the first season. After that they will pull the 3rd train off and use it for spare parts.

[Meteornotes]

By three trains, they mean they'll be running three Train songs on a loop while you're in the two hour line right?

 

This is the most frightening idea I've ever heard.

 

dt

[SharkTums]

^Fright Fest overlay!

[bostonlva]

^Fright Fest overlay!

 

I dont know why but I feel their next attraction will be for SFHH. Seems like we keep hearing that they have plans for Flashbacks old spot... Plus they are due for something new (last one was tornado right?)

[singemfrc]

By three trains, they mean they'll be running three Train songs on a loop while you're in the two hour line right?

 

Welcome to Hell!

Still better than the Riddler's que.

[XYZ]

This is why in SFMM 3 trains is better than 2 trains:

 

3 trains: 1 train is always on the transfer track and 2 trains are in operation.

2 trains: 1 train is always on the transfer track and 1 train is in operation.

 

You can't beat SFMM operations.

[Wes]

By three trains, they mean they'll be running three Train songs on a loop while you're in the two hour line right?

 

Welcome to Hell!

Still better than the Riddler's que.

 

Go put "Hey Soul Sister" on for 45 minutes straight.

[Tmcdllr]

Well I never doubted it myself, just remembered somebody said it would only get 2 trains.

 

I'm pretty sure it was Robb that confirmed it will only have two trains.

[Sir Clinksalot]

^^ 45 seconds is torture enough.

[simaticable]

^Really, I couldn't get through 5 seconds.

[EastCoastn07]

Even if Full Throttle did run with three trains (which it won't), there really isn't much of a benefit in terms of blocking. Regardless if there's two or three trains, I'm pretty sure only one train will be able to be on the course at any given time. Since there is a risk that a train can roll-back on the top hat and return to the second launch area, you obviously can't have another train launch out of the station until it clears the top hat. That means if you have three trains, you'll have one in the station, one on the course, and one stacked on the brake run. I personally don't see the benefit of having three trains if you're constantly stacking a train. Maybe if this ride had a dual loading station it would be worth it, but the blocking of this coaster doesn't really allow for two trains to be running on the course at once, thus three trains really isn't worth it.

[TXman308]

^The question is whether or not the train launches directly out of the station or not. If it doesn't, then it would be very beneficial to run three trains. However, given SFMM's operations I think they're better off just sticking with two.

[Sammy*]

This ride is too short for successful three train operation

[A.J.]

No it isn't, at least in my opinion.

 

The great thing about the second launch is that trains come to a complete stop in the tunnel. It's a block, so you could theoretically hold a train there until another train is on the first launch section ready to go.

[thestripedtaco]

^ This is a good point. They could easily put in some soundtrack or some effects in the tunnel to add to the ride and give time for the other train to get in position. Three train operation could happen if they wanted it to.

[Sir Clinksalot]

The benefit of 3 trains is that if a train is in rehab you don't have 1-train operations like what happens on Apocalypse and pretty much every other ride at the park. Having 3 trains doesn't mean you run 3 trains, it means you wouldn't ever have to run 1 for an extended period, well in theory if we weren't talking about SFMM.

[coasterfreak101]

^That's what I brought up a while ago, but Robb confirmed (or replied based off the announcement, not positive and I don't want to put words in his mouth) that the park bought two trains. Good ol' Magic Mountain.

[Jew]

No it isn't, at least in my opinion.

 

The great thing about the second launch is that trains come to a complete stop in the tunnel. It's a block, so you could theoretically hold a train there until another train is on the first launch section ready to go.

 

 

Possible? Technically. Efficient? No way. Since you couldn't safely launch the next train until the tunnel is completely clear, it would be pointless to have a 3rd train.

[DJeXeL]

Even the coasters that have 3 trains still have 1 train operation a lot of times! IE: Goliath, Viper, X2 and Colossus.

[A.J.]

The great thing about the second launch is that trains come to a complete stop in the tunnel. It's a block, so you could theoretically hold a train there until another train is on the first launch section ready to go.

Possible? Technically. Efficient? No way. Since you couldn't safely launch the next train until the tunnel is completely clear, it would be pointless to have a 3rd train.

Aha, good point. The ride really is that short, isn't it? Must not have realized that.

[Tmcdllr]

The great thing about the second launch is that trains come to a complete stop in the tunnel. It's a block, so you could theoretically hold a train there until another train is on the first launch section ready to go.

Possible? Technically. Efficient? No way. Since you couldn't safely launch the next train until the tunnel is completely clear, it would be pointless to have a 3rd train.

Aha, good point. The ride really is that short, isn't it? Must not have realized that.

 

Imagine this.

 

Actually you cannot launch a train from the station until the train on the course launches out the tunnel and makes it over the loop, which is the end of the ride, then the train in the station can launch. If the train in the tunnel launches and rolls back from the loop as the train from the station launches, since there is no additional block between that, they will collide. This has been discussed before and this is the reason it would not make sense to run three trains as two would always be at the station. Having three trains is different, run two and rehab one, that makes sense.

[Moose]

The benefit of 3 trains is that if a train is in rehab you don't have 1-train operations like what happens on Apocalypse and pretty much every other ride at the park. Having 3 trains doesn't mean you run 3 trains, it means you wouldn't ever have to run 1 for an extended period, well in theory if we weren't talking about SFMM.

 

This. For a park that has year round operations, a train will has to be taken out at some point for rehab. If they only have two trains, that would leave only leave one left on the ride.

[gisco]

No it isn't, at least in my opinion.

 

The great thing about the second launch is that trains come to a complete stop in the tunnel. It's a block, so you could theoretically hold a train there until another train is on the first launch section ready to go.

 

 

Possible? Technically. Efficient? No way. Since you couldn't safely launch the next train until the tunnel is completely clear, it would be pointless to have a 3rd train.

 

I'm with you, the course is too short to support 3 train operation efficiantly. They could never fill the trains fast enough to keep from holding one at one of the launch points. But what is going to suck is that when a train is down for refurbishment, then there will be only one train operation. Which for MM is normal!

[rcdude]

The only way I could see three trains working on Full Throttle would be if the ride used separate load and unload stations. Assuming it launches directly out of the station like almost all other Premier coasters, the dispatch interval is limited by the ride cycle time (which I'd estimate is about 70 seconds based on the promo video). If the trains just have a lapbar like the ones on Superman Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, they should be able to make this interval (if the Goliath crew can send a 30 person train in 60 seconds, the Full Throttle crew should be able to do that with an 18 person train), giving a capacity of around 900 riders per hour (based on the 70 second interval). Since a third train would be stacked most of the time, I can't see it increasing capacity by more than a few percent. Of course, I believe it has been confirmed by the park that the ride will only have two trains, so this is somewhat of a pointless discussion.

 

I've got a feeling this ride will have better capacity than many are expecting. 900 riders per hour might not sound like a lot, and is definitely one of the lower theoretical capacities for a major coaster at SFMM, but it is still probably only a couple hundred less than the actual capacity at many of the park's other coasters, and is definitely better than anything else at that park can do with one train. I just hope the park is smart enough to run both trains daily, staff the ride with an efficient crew, and schedule necessary rehabs in November through February instead of spring break or summer (and not drag the rehab out for three months).