Buzz Bars (Questions/Opinions/Rants)

[LuminousAphid]

The supervising companion is there to make sure a kid stays restrained properly (like on the lift hill/break run) and "demonstrates appropriate rider behavior" (term stolen from CP's website). The restraints can hold someone only 42" tall just fine, but we want them to be with an adult until the kid is older.

I guess I wasn't thinking of how... naive kids are sometimes. That makes perfect sense, thanks!

edit: You just made me realize this is the reason behind the reason things moved toward ratcheting bars; they're not so much safer as they are more idiot-proof. Both restraint types are perfectly safe if used properly, but a single-position is easier to misuse. I forget sometimes that protecting against human stupidity/curiosity is a main goal in a lot of design

[DirkFunk]

Someone bumped a dead thread, but I have input, so what the hell? I worked several wood coaster with ratchet bars *including* Blue Streak, and I assure you that if the reason to add them was to prevent riders from standing up on the ride, it failed. The reason rides were retrofitted is because it reduced liability on the park's behalf by establishing that they had taken action that would better contain a theoretical incapacitated rider. That perhaps no one or very few people over thirty years had been rendered incapacitated was unimportant. Same with the possibility that someone might have fashioned themselves a lapbar key (you joke; I don't. People did that!) to free themselves anyways. Doing that shows intent, and showing provable intent on the part of the rider is great for insurance companies if that rider manages to get themselves mangled.

[Kyle Coleman]

Count me firmly in the buzz bars are awesome camp. Gives a nearly alarming amount of airtime on Phoenix and really speeds up dispatches too. Shame we don't see more woodies with them.

[SFOG1991]

Count me firmly in the buzz bars are awesome camp. Gives a nearly alarming amount of airtime on Phoenix and really speeds up dispatches too. Shame we don't see more woodies with them.

I completely agree, pretty much every classic woodie running PTCs should have the trains you find on Phoenix.

 

The 20 second dispatch time on Phoenix is amazing and consistently met. I still can't believe the train is only stopped in the station for 20 seconds (stop, unload, loading new riders, clearing the platform, checking restraints, and dispatch). It's a sight to see.

[GCI Wooden]

Yep, I love single-position lap bars! One of the reasons I loved Cornball Express was because of the restraints!

 

Also, I love how High Roller at VF is a single position lap-bar. I don't think that many corporate parks still use those.

 

The world needs more buzz bars.

[LuminousAphid]

The 20 second dispatch time on Phoenix is amazing and consistently met. I still can't believe the train is only stopped in the station for 20 seconds (stop, unload, loading new riders, clearing the platform, checking restraints, and dispatch). It's a sight to see.

So there are no seat belts on Phoenix? That was the main thing on Timber Terror that slowed down operations; the seat belts have old airline-style buckles that are very hard for the GP to figure out

It would be awesome if there are still coasters out there without belts...?

 

Can anyone tell me if Coaster @ Playland PNE has buzzbars or are they ratcheting? I want to get up there before the season ends and ride it

 

edit; Would you rather I start a redundant threat instead of bumping an old one? That's what I thought

[andreja6]

The 20 second dispatch time on Phoenix is amazing and consistently met. I still can't believe the train is only stopped in the station for 20 seconds (stop, unload, loading new riders, clearing the platform, checking restraints, and dispatch). It's a sight to see.

So there are no seat belts on Phoenix? That was the main thing on Timber Terror that slowed down operations; the seat belts have old airline-style buckles that are very hard for the GP to figure out

It would be awesome if there are still coasters out there without belts...?

 

Can anyone tell me if Coaster @ Playland PNE has buzzbars or are they ratcheting? I want to get up there before the season ends and ride it

 

edit; Would you rather I start a redundant threat instead of bumping an old one? That's what I thought

 

The coaster has buzzbars. Or something like them. All they do really is block you from the exit so you don't fall from the sides. I swear, if you don't hold on, you will fly out

[Henry M]

The 20 second dispatch time on Phoenix is amazing and consistently met. I still can't believe the train is only stopped in the station for 20 seconds (stop, unload, loading new riders, clearing the platform, checking restraints, and dispatch). It's a sight to see.

So there are no seat belts on Phoenix? That was the main thing on Timber Terror that slowed down operations; the seat belts have old airline-style buckles that are very hard for the GP to figure out

It would be awesome if there are still coasters out there without belts...?

 

Can anyone tell me if Coaster @ Playland PNE has buzzbars or are they ratcheting? I want to get up there before the season ends and ride it

 

edit; Would you rather I start a redundant threat instead of bumping an old one? That's what I thought

 

This reminds me of Lisebergbanan, which although has individual restraints, the despatch time is very fast. This is due to the staff not thoroughly checking the lap bars. On a 5 train service, the despatch time is brutal. Even with a really long queue, you basically walk through it!

[GCI Wooden]

This is kinda old news, but we've lost another set of buzz bars.

 

High Roller at Valleyfair is going under a renovation which includes new trains, which means new lap bars.

 

Individual ratcheting lap bars.

[cal1br3tto]

^Well, at least it was one of the worst wooden coasters I've ever ridden in its recent state (always thought that was a shame since I've seen it compared favorably to Phoenix, and if it were even a few notches better I'd really appreciate both the former trains and its overall classic-ness). At least I got to ride it on two occasions to confirm this--and better yet, a couple of my rides made the most of it with surprise airtime in the front car.

 

I've never really been a detractor of PTC trains, but it's too bad the new ones are not likely to improve the ride experience like Millennium Flyers (which I actually don't particularly like) are generally said to do.

 

Edit for reading comprehension fail: my post was actually written about Thunderhawk at Dorney. All the non-specific parts still stand; I had a slightly different riding experience on High Roller, but I've always considered it roughly equal to Thunderhawk in lack of quality and sad loss of former glory.