MagicSpringsGuy Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Man, I actually love this ride. I've been going to Magic Springs every year since it re-opened in 2000, and X is definitely one of my favorites. As much as it would suck to be stuck upside down for that long, I'll still be riding it. But thank God everyone is OK, and that the lapbars did their job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdude5 Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 ^ Haha, good, I'm not alone. Â The lapbars, IMO, make the ride better. I'd probably hate it if it had OTSR's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twister II Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 2 things: Â 1.) I just don't understand when people say things like, "I will never ride it again!" Like this story, and when SheiKra just got stuck on the holding drop. I just don't see any point in that quote except to make the park look bad. Â 2.) When a park buys a ride (especially a coaster) isn't it an option to have a backup power source in case things like this happen? Im not sure on this, anyone know? Like on more ... 'regular' coaster lifts, it could just push the train over with a few mantince guys, or get patrons off the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 I still want to know why they designed this ride to have a Vertical/Upside-down lift, I think it's one of the most stupidest ideas ever.  Hopefully after this Maurer Söhne will redesign these rides to "launch" the coaster instead of using the lift hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AT0527 Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 ^No kidding. whos dumb idea was it to have a chain lift going upside down in the first place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thibault Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 I have to agree with MagicSpringsGuy, I absolutely like Sky Wheel, although it's the only X-Car I've been on. And personally, I find the lapbars very comfortable, especially upside down, compared to other rides with OTSR's. Â Anyway, too bad they got stuck upside down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJMouse Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 That's bad. I can't believe the park doesn't do anything about even the 'seconds' poweroutages. Dude! Another pic (from telegraaf.nl) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 File another one under Maurer Sohne's "stupid/oops" file  One-man, restraint-popping, walkway-dropping spinners coasters to uncomfortable, almost universally-hated X-cars that require a very manual reset after a failed launch and defeat centuries old common sense failsafe systems... I wish they would just go back to building highway bridges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahecht Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 So, if something were to happen that couldn't be fixed quickly (like the lift motor burning out or a power surge taking out the PLC), this is their evacuation plan? I can't imagine any other coaster that doesn't have an easy way to get people off the lift in the event of a power failure that doesn't involve the fire department. Even the old-school SLCs have their own dedicated color-coordinated cherry picker to get people down from the lift. Â You would think it would be pretty simple to design an emergency manual winching system to get the coaster off the lift once it goes past vertical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Yeah, this seems like a pretty bad design flaw. There should be a way to get the riders off the lift during an power outtage. Hanging upside down like that could give a person the worst headache of their life. Power outtages are extremely common during the Summer months when the power grid is taxed from all the AC running. The Summer months are also typically when coasters operate. So, go figure. I guess these people have never heard of the philosophy of planning for the worst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krouvi Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 I cant imagine myslef being stuck like that for 30 minutes. I think this would cause me major anxiety not to mention being dizzy for a month. Poor and brave people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 ^ Same here. Drayton's X-Car had me in discomfort (and that aching dizzy feeling) just from the progression of the train down into the loop, and that was just a few seconds hanging upside down like that. I can't even imagine what I would be like after half an hour. Â Glad nobody was hurt. Those lifthills are the stupidest gimmick ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Just more proof that inverted lifthills are a seriously bad idea. After riding G Force, I had little desire to ride one of these again; after hearing about this power outage, I now have zero desire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterguy618 Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Thats one of the reasons I will never go on a big x car coaster like that. The other reason is because everybody says thier horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 The old Chance Toboggan cars were more comfortable than the X-car. Â The engineers are probably congratulating themselves how nobody fell out due to the superior design of their restraint. Maybe they'll come up with an inverted launched lift hill next as another way to torture riders and prove how robust the restraint is. Â It has never been and never will be fun to hanging upside down with blood trying to make your head explode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StyleStorm Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 You can actually get the X-car coaster with the Sky Loop in a 40 mph. upwards launch version. Â Good thing no one got hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Nagel Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 I suprised that there isn't a gas powered motor for back up given the lift hill setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twister II Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 The engineers are probably congratulating themselves how nobody fell out due to the superior design of their restraint. Maybe they'll come up with an inverted launched lift hill next as another way to torture riders and prove how robust the restraint is. If I was an engineer I would! Oh yea! Think about it, the restrains did their job, just as Maurer Söhne has advertised. Although unlikely, it could be used as a way to almost boast the coaster. Comfortable or not, those restraints held those patrons from a 200ft fall to their death.  Watch some videos on their website: http://www.maurer-soehne.de/en/amusement_rides.php?cat=x-coaster&sub=x-car  In a way, this is the parks fault. The situation has happened before, and nothing was done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillMontu Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 I don't understand what's so great about that type of restraint. Schwarzkopf had been doing it safely for years  Of course, not only with the blood rushing to your head on the inverted lift, the restraints are countering it by cutting off circulation to the lower half of your body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Even though the one at Drayton sucked, I'm sure I would ride this one if I ended up at Magic Springs because I AM A COASTER WHORE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 After reading how painful the restraints are, I couldn't imaging being upside down like that for 30 minutes. At least no one got hurt, but it brought back memories of when Demon did the same thing back in the mid 90s. Rescuers had a difficult time with that, so I can't imagine the trouble to help these people who were stuck roughly 60ft. higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitsch transporter Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 To anyone who blames poor design from the manufacturer: You are WRONG!  Maurer Söhne has tested and offered four different ways to deal with power outages and/or the train getting stuck in various positions on the lift.  The situation Mamoosh described is the easiest solution: an emergency program, activated by pressing two buttons will lower the train back to the station.  There is a physical device to pull the train forward in case it gets stuck before or after the "dead-spot". Howerver these devices need a second, independent energy source. Gerstlauer says that every customer is aware of this.  They have also tested to evacuate the train in any degree of "stuckage". It is possible but its described by the manufacturer as the least safe and least convenient way to handle the situation.  So either the training of the employess was faulty or the park just failed to provide an independent energy source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 The question is if Mauer Sohne offers a system for dealing with these problems, is it in fact installed and didn't work( due to training ?) or is it optional and the park chose not to install it. The worst thing a manufacturer can do is allow improper installation/implemenation of their product since the liability can always fall back to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitsch transporter Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 The emergency-systems are part of the design and not optional. However providing an external powerline is certainly not the responsilbility of the manufacturer. I also don´t think they are liable, as the operation of the ride lies in the hands of the owner and operator. The negative publicity is big enough for MS, as you can see with the reactions on message boards worldwide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 The emergency-systems are part of the design and not optional. However providing an external powerline is certainly not the responsilbility of the manufacturer. I also don´t think they are liable, as the operation of the ride lies in the hands of the owner and operator. The negative publicity is big enough for MS, as you can see with the reactions on message boards worldwide.  I'd think that the ride wouldn't pass the state inspection if the emergency systems were not properly installed. But, then again this is Arkansas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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