bostonlva Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 I am guessing a lot of the rides are closed due to wind today? Its been very windy today (I dont remember it being this windy in a while) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bostonlva Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 (edited) also, Â Â says SFMM is FINALLY getting new trams? Edited January 20, 2013 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jray21 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 I hope not, the trams were the scariest and roughest ride at the park! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 IF they are new trams, it's about time. Â But these are obviously buses and if they are indeed the new "trams" then loading/unloading is going to be a LOT slower than it is currently. Â I just can't help but wonder if these are for something else. Guess we'll see eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bostonlva Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 IF they are new trams, it's about time. Â But these are obviously buses and if they are indeed the new "trams" then loading/unloading is going to be a LOT slower than it is currently. Â I just can't help but wonder if these are for something else. Guess we'll see eventually. Â I think there is more then one, of these new "trams". Only other thing I could see these being used for is employees. But I thought they already have something similar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 ^ I think he said he saw two. I'm trying to remember how many trams SFMM has now, but I think it's 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double0Kevin Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Could be that they weren't all delivered at once and there are more. The buses seem like a good idea, especially with penny pinching Six Flags. You could run 3 or 4 buses on staffing for only 2 trams. The bus wouldn't require a safety spotter on the back so it's just the one driver. Also, I'm sure from a maintenance standpoint the old trams are too costly, where a new bus would be relatively easy to maintain. Â Plus, as already stated, the buses would likely have AC and be much more comfortable for the passengers (though I'm sure that's just a plus and didn't factor into the purchase). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bostonlva Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 in the comments section of the report I’m hearing there will be six buses total. Two were delivered today. Each has 60 seats, but standing will be allowed, increasing capacity far beyond what the trams currently hold.  If that is true, that seems to make more sense.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 So what old airport or 1970's corporation did they find these at?!!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dylanreich Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 (edited) So what old airport or 1970's corporation did they find these at?!!? They look to be the same as some city buses I've seen, such as the Octa buses in Orange County. Edited December 20, 2012 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 ^I just can't believe SFMM would get something new...I mean those old trams were the old USH ones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WFChris Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 I think I'll be walking from the lot from now on if they are going to use accordion buses. I can't imagine the SFMM crowd trying to squeeze into one of the 3 entrances to those...these seem like a logistical nightmare for the park unless they plan on staffing the tram stops to maintain a single orderly line. Â I would like to think they will be used for staff transportation or even some kind of service linking the park to Amtrak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSum1_55 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 If these buses are 100% new, then I think this is a better announcement than all the announcements in the past two years combined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azza29 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Maybe there are plans which will involve moving part of the carpark (public or staff) so shuttles have to drive across a public road, in which case the trams might need seatbelts (but enclosed buses would not). Â I know on the Warner Bros studio tour they have seatbelts on their carts specifically for the 10-second drive from the tour meeting area to the studio gate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WFChris Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Does anybody know of any other parks that use osculating buses for parking lot trams? It just seems to be a poor choice due to the bottleneck that will occur at the entrances. The more I think about it the more I'd like to think they will be used to transport guests / employees to and from the Valencia Amtrak Station, or a similar public transit hub. I mean, why would they need a system that is street legal anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acq10uaz Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Does anybody know of any other parks that use osculating buses for parking lot trams? It just seems to be a poor choice due to the bottleneck that will occur at the entrances. SFNE added them for the beginning of the 2012 season and they've worked great. The A/C is really welcomed in the summer. Busses at SFNE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 I remember Schiltterbahn using them to get between the two parks, but I don't think that really counts (or if they are still using them). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 (edited) ^ They do, but they also ran like, 40 of them, and it was more of a "transportation around the resort" system much like Walt Disney World than a parking lot tram. Â I think I'll be walking from the lot from now on if they are going to use accordion buses. I can't imagine the SFMM crowd trying to squeeze into one of the 3 entrances to those...these seem like a logistical nightmare for the park unless they plan on staffing the tram stops to maintain a single orderly line. Yeah, agreed. Maybe these busses work fine at a smaller location like SFNE, but (and I wish I could find a picture), when you witness the seething mass of humanity that is the SFMM crowd on a summer day, pushing onto a tram that has about 20 openings, it's going to look worse than any "gate lice" I've seen at LAX trying to squeeze into three small doors. Â Simple logistics and match tells me that getting 120 people onto a vehicle with 20 openings is going to take significantly less than getting 120 people through three openings. But then again, since when has SFMM really worried about being efficient? Â Parks don't use vehicles like this to get people from the parking lots to the entrance for a REASON. Â EDIT: I just noticed...there are only TWO doors on those busses! Edited December 20, 2012 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jray21 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 But Robb, you know that the good people in LA will get in a nice line and be orderly when they get on the bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bostonlva Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 But Robb, you know that the good people in LA will get in a nice line and be orderly when they get on the bus. Â The only time I would really use the tram was when it was 100 degrees outside. Most of the time, its a nice walk, and its not like we are walking as far, as when we go to a baseball game like from LAD/LAA stadium to the parking lot. Right? Â And that issue hapened with the old tram to. Its one of the reasons why I avoid it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 It wouldn't be SFMM if it wasn't an operational nightmare. Â The other thing about these buses are that they are sure to require far more training than the current parking lot trams. With how little SFMM pays, i'd be slightly terrified being on a bus driven by an SFMM employee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolliger&Mabillard Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 ^i work for LACMTA, if it hits a public road, it will require a Class B license, with air brake and passenger endoresments. It would have to be a valid CDL from DMV, the park would not be authorized to issue that type of training. I'm not sure what the requirements are if it's operated on private property. With that type of license you could drive a transit bus for any public agency and make three times what an amusement park employee makes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUSHIE Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 I doubt these are brand new, they must have gotten them from the city or something. Â I really don't think loading and unloading will be too much of a problem. The Ski resort I worked at and have been going to for over 20 years has been using similar buses for the past 5+ years. That's people carrying Skis/Snowboards, poles and all kinds of other equipment. It really isn't ideal for them though since the seats are configured like a normal bus so many times seats are left empty or people are forced to stand just because of how much extra crap people have. The ride from the parking lot to the stop at the village is literally over a mile too. What does suck though is that there are multiple stops, and sometimes it can be super hard for people to get off. I've actually had to stand in the doorway once and had to keep getting off and back on to let people out. This couldn't possibly be any worse than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 This couldn't possibly be any worse than that. Â Disagree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 (edited) The Ski resort I worked at and have been going to for over 20 years has been using similar buses for the past 5+ years. This couldn't possibly be any worse than that. *shakes head* Â *face palm* Â *insert any other internet meme here for amazingly stupid thing said that I'm in disbelief over* Edited December 20, 2012 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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