Nrthwnd Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 They serve a orange chicken burrito at the Panda Express in Pasadena. If SFMM has that, I'm in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM3988 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Of course it doesn't matter as long as they ride great but those new trains look really weird. Not at all what I would've expected. The headrests are so... tall. I wonder why they didn't go with the trains Super Dooper Looper got. I agree with this, I don't care for the trains either. I thought they were going to go with something entirely new. The trains are odd looking. I love the foliage of the area and the new fences they put in. Waterwise or not, the area is really cleaned up and looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil009 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I feel silly of course because the trains aren't new, just refurbished. I haven't been on the ride so I wasn't very familiar with how they used to look. Still, between the new paint contrasted with the white underneath, and the front of the train being flat, and those headrests, you guys have one weird looking train on your Schwarzkopf. I guess something decorative is still going to go on the front of the train? I can't really see that making it look less weird... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatdaddy Posted March 8, 2016 Author Share Posted March 8, 2016 From what we were told the trains are new from the ground up. Now, I'm assuming that means completely new and not referbished, but I could be wrong. In any case the design was said to be the same as the original trains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillseeker4552 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I feel silly of course because the trains aren't new, just refurbished. I haven't been on the ride so I wasn't very familiar with how they used to look. Still, between the new paint contrasted with the white underneath, and the front of the train being flat, and those headrests, you guys have one weird looking train on your Schwarzkopf. I guess something decorative is still going to go on the front of the train? I can't really see that making it look less weird... I'm pretty sure that they have yet to add the lead car/cover. It's been all over the promo video, and they advertised it in the park with the old train decorated up. I doubt they would leave that front car flat and empty like that, even though this is Six Flags we're talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linearinduction Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 From what we were told the trains are new from the ground up. Now, I'm assuming that means completely new and not referbished, but I could be wrong. In any case the design was said to be the same as the original trains. That's what I thought was said by the park, but even if you copy the chassis and wheel housings, there should be differences. Having worked on, and sometimes under, Fire Dragon at Lagoon, I'm not seeing any on these. One would think a change to the manual release on the lapbars would be an obvious change to make, as anyone who's had to do it knows it's a pain. lol Also, the flag mounted on the tread plate on the back right wheel housing doesn't even look as they cared to paint it completely. Yin is correct that these Schwarzkopf chassis and wheel housings were built to last. Perhaps they originally planned on new chassis and wheel housings, but didn't like what they would have cost, especially when you have 2 trains worth of parts to pull from. The newer wheel housings Lagoon had built for Jet Star 2 cost a pretty penny, mostly because they are built out of thicker steel, since after 40 years, the old ones were starting to show signs of stress. What I'm most surprised about is that the park replaced the old braking system with new PTC brakes, instead of new magnetic braking. I mean, it's smart to get rid of all the MAVs (magnetic air valves), limit switches, spring cup assemblies, etc., but it really makes you wonder why they didn't go with switchable ECBs or permanent ECBs, when they could perform the same braking without as many moving parts and necessity to replace brake pads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimaster1227 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 They serve a orange chicken burrito at the Panda Express in Pasadena. If SFMM has that, I'm in! That sounds absolutely wonderful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDown Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 One would think a change to the manual release on the lapbars would be an obvious change to make, as anyone who's had to do it knows it's a pain. lol Also, the flag mounted on the tread plate on the back right wheel housing doesn't even look as they cared to paint it completely. What I'm most surprised about is that the park replaced the old braking system with new PTC brakes, instead of new magnetic braking. I mean, it's smart to get rid of all the MAVs (magnetic air valves), limit switches, spring cup assemblies, etc., but it really makes you wonder why they didn't go with switchable ECBs or permanent ECBs, when they could perform the same braking without as many moving parts and necessity to replace brake pads. I also thought the trains would have updated lapbar technology, one that wouldn't require a seatbelt. Ugh! Seatbelts! Whyyyyy? I'm not sure I'm seeing the "flag mounted on the tread plate" that you're talking about. If its what I think you're talking about, then it's under the train, and won't be seen by anyone but mechanics anyway. I am also surprised they didn't mount magnetic brakes as well, atleast to initially slow the train down as it goes into the final brake run, to cut down on wear and tear on the train brake plates and track mechanisms. Maybe there wasn't enough angle on the track to make sure the train would make it through depending on the varying weights of the train, and weather environments. Of course moving magnetic brakes would be a solution to that, but probably would have cost vastly more, so they just went with something that was basic and known to work. Good post, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linearinduction Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 One would think a change to the manual release on the lapbars would be an obvious change to make, as anyone who's had to do it knows it's a pain. lol Also, the flag mounted on the tread plate on the back right wheel housing doesn't even look as they cared to paint it completely. What I'm most surprised about is that the park replaced the old braking system with new PTC brakes, instead of new magnetic braking. I mean, it's smart to get rid of all the MAVs (magnetic air valves), limit switches, spring cup assemblies, etc., but it really makes you wonder why they didn't go with switchable ECBs or permanent ECBs, when they could perform the same braking without as many moving parts and necessity to replace brake pads. I also thought the trains would have updated lapbar technology, one that wouldn't require a seatbelt. Ugh! Seatbelts! Whyyyyy? I'm not sure I'm seeing the "flag mounted on the tread plate" that you're talking about. If its what I think you're talking about, then it's under the train, and won't be seen by anyone but mechanics anyway. I am also surprised they didn't mount magnetic brakes as well, atleast to initially slow the train down as it goes into the final brake run, to cut down on wear and tear on the train brake plates and track mechanisms. Maybe there wasn't enough angle on the track to make sure the train would make it through depending on the varying weights of the train, and weather environments. Of course moving magnetic brakes would be a solution to that, but probably would have cost vastly more, so they just went with something that was basic and known to work. Good post, thanks for sharing your thoughts. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the tried and proven Schwarzkopf lapbars, and seatbelts are most certainly not required. It can just be a pain to slip the manual release under the guard and push down the tab. I never really had a problem with it, but some ops had trouble. I won't even get into trying to release the far seat in a lift evac situation, yikes! The "flag" would be the square tube welded onto the tread plate on the right wheel housing. If the wheel housings were indeed new, one would imagine everything would have been thoroughly painted. Schwarzkopf designed all of the brake runs/reduction brakes with push motors/drives/kickers to clear the brake block quickly. They turn on as soon as the speed sensors release the brakes. Switchable ECBs would have provided the same stopping power and the drives quickly cleared the brake block. Just really seems like a missed opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arrow Dynamics fan Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 This should make the ride 200% better, just by getting rid of the horrible OTSR that landed on an awkward position. I don't care how it looks, as long as it rides good. Frankly the new paint job and refreshment look fantastic. Good job! Thanks for sharing this update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDown Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I gotta say, the addition of the seatbelt is a big bummer, but hey, even Montezuma's has one, and if that's what it takes to rid of those horrendous awkward OTSR's that did nothing but push on people nipples and create a headbanging experience, then I'm fine with it! The "flag" would be the square tube welded onto the tread plate on the right wheel housing. If the wheel housings were indeed new, one would imagine everything would have been thoroughly painted. Interesting. I never noticed that square tube before. Why is it called a flag, what is it for, and why does it appear to only be on the very last car of the train? My first guess would be it's an old school sensor to let the computer know the train has cleared a block. Schwarzkopf designed all of the brake runs/reduction brakes with push motors/drives/kickers to clear the brake block quickly. They turn on as soon as the speed sensors release the brakes. Switchable ECBs would have provided the same stopping power and the drives quickly cleared the brake block. Just really seems like a missed opportunity. Agreed. And it would really make the ride feel not only new in appearance, but new as in using modern technology. I'll be honest, I'll hold judgement until I actually ride, but I have a feeling this ride is just going to feel "refurbished" with only lapbars as it was meant to be, instead of feeling "new & improved" which I really feel like they had an opportunity to do with this upgrade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJeXeL Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 The "flag" would be the square tube welded onto the tread plate on the right wheel housing. If the wheel housings were indeed new, one would imagine everything would have been thoroughly painted. Interesting. I never noticed that square tube before. Why is it called a flag, what is it for, and why does it appear to only be on the very last car of the train? My first guess would be it's an old school sensor to let the computer know the train has cleared a block. The flag is what the ride's sensors "see." Rev also has proximity sensors that "see" the wheel bogies as the trains pass by. (Highlighted in image below) Any part of a train can be used as a flag such as: Car chassis, Wheel bogie, or brake fin. It all depends on what the programmer of the ride's control system is trying to monitor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoinItForTheFame Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 . . . OTSR's that did nothing but push on people nipples. . . If that's what the OTSR's then some people might be all for the OTSR's remaining on the trains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zingoman Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Schwarzkopf designed all of the brake runs/reduction brakes with push motors/drives/kickers to clear the brake block quickly. They turn on as soon as the speed sensors release the brakes. Switchable ECBs would have provided the same stopping power and the drives quickly cleared the brake block. Just really seems like a missed opportunity. Revolution does not have kicker motors at all. It originally had drive wheels set to govern the speed entering the loop's entry ramp, but that's it. The wheels you are referring to are not motorized. They release the anti rollback mechanism if the trains stall and try to roll back. Several of Schwarzkopf's coasters have this feature. Sooperdooperlooper, Shock Wave, Revolution, and Whizzer all use this system. SFOG Mindbender used to as well. Ever wonder why the anti rollbacks are silent except on the lifts? That's why. These coasters originally had silent lifts as well but they have all since had this mechanism removed giving us the traditional clicks. A very keen eye will still be able to spot where these little tires used to be attached to the lift hills on all of these rides except Whizzer. The only way those wheels ever spin is when the trains roll over them. They will continue spinning after the train has passed on their own momentum. 1977 footage from the movie "Roller Coaster" shows the wheels when they were still on the lift hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linearinduction Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Schwarzkopf designed all of the brake runs/reduction brakes with push motors/drives/kickers to clear the brake block quickly. They turn on as soon as the speed sensors release the brakes. Switchable ECBs would have provided the same stopping power and the drives quickly cleared the brake block. Just really seems like a missed opportunity. Revolution does not have kicker motors at all. It originally had drive wheels set to govern the speed entering the loop's entry ramp, but that's it. The wheels you are referring to are not motorized. They release the anti rollback mechanism if the trains stall and try to roll back. Several of Schwarzkopf's coasters have this feature. Sooperdooperlooper, Shock Wave, Revolution, and Whizzer all use this system. SFOG Mindbender used to as well. Ever wonder why the anti rollbacks are silent except on the lifts? That's why. These coasters originally had silent lifts as well but they have all since had this mechanism removed giving us the traditional clicks. A very keen eye will still be able to spot where these little tires used to be attached to the lift hills on all of these rides except Whizzer. The only way those wheels ever spin is when the trains roll over them. They will continue spinning after the train has passed on their own momentum. 1977 footage from the movie "Roller Coaster" shows the wheels when they were still on the lift hill. Sorry I wasn't clearer. I was referring to the push motors/drives/kickers in the reduction brake/brake run. I never knew about the wheels on the lift and anti rollbacks to make them silent, so I'm kinda glad I wasn't clearer on specifying reduction/brake run block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zingoman Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Ah! I understand what you meant now. Haha. Sorry. I love geeking out about that feature on Schwarzkopf coasters. I saw the opportunity and had to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 ^^^ Man, that looks like some kind of bro-mance going on there, on that lift hill. "Rollercoaster" with SENSSSSUROUND* was awesome, by the way. *Using HUGE concert-like speakers in every corner of the theatre, to reverberate through the theatre when the coaster was on the move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCI Wooden Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 I have to say, those supports look amazing! They look really good next to the white track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmcdllr Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Schwarzkopf designed all of the brake runs/reduction brakes with push motors/drives/kickers to clear the brake block quickly. They turn on as soon as the speed sensors release the brakes. Switchable ECBs would have provided the same stopping power and the drives quickly cleared the brake block. Just really seems like a missed opportunity. Revolution does not have kicker motors at all. It originally had drive wheels set to govern the speed entering the loop's entry ramp, but that's it. The wheels you are referring to are not motorized. They release the anti rollback mechanism if the trains stall and try to roll back. Several of Schwarzkopf's coasters have this feature. Sooperdooperlooper, Shock Wave, Revolution, and Whizzer all use this system. SFOG Mindbender used to as well. Ever wonder why the anti rollbacks are silent except on the lifts? That's why. These coasters originally had silent lifts as well but they have all since had this mechanism removed giving us the traditional clicks. A very keen eye will still be able to spot where these little tires used to be attached to the lift hills on all of these rides except Whizzer. The only way those wheels ever spin is when the trains roll over them. They will continue spinning after the train has passed on their own momentum. 1977 footage from the movie "Roller Coaster" shows the wheels when they were still on the lift hill. Thank you so much!!! I have been wondering about that for YEARS on all of the hills with anti rollbacks and these wheels, and I could not understand what they were for or did as there were no motors driving them, yet after trains passed over them you could see them still turning. I too thought they were kicker wheels to help the trains crest the hills or 'push' them over if they ever stalled, but it didn't make sense too me there was nothing driving them. Could you elaborate a little more on how these wheels release the anti rollbacks on the hills? I'm still trying to understand that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linearinduction Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Thank you so much!!! I have been wondering about that for YEARS on all of the hills with anti rollbacks and these wheels, and I could not understand what they were for or did as there were no motors driving them, yet after trains passed over them you could see them still turning. I too thought they were kicker wheels to help the trains crest the hills or 'push' them over if they ever stalled, but it didn't make sense too me there was nothing driving them. Could you elaborate a little more on how these wheels release the anti rollbacks on the hills? I'm still trying to understand that one. I second this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalJasonland Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 "I have been wondering about that for YEARS on all of the hills with anti rollbacks and these wheels, and I could not understand what they were for or did as there were no motors driving them, yet after trains passed over them you could see them still turning. I too thought they were kicker wheels to help the trains crest the hills or 'push' them over if they ever stalled, but it didn't make sense too me there was nothing driving them." I believe those are anti-rollback wheels. The wheels have lubricated ball bearings and will keep spinning like a bicycle tire will keep spinning to reduce resistance against the train. The wheels have a ratchet mechanism so they will only spin in one direction and stop the train if the chain breaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterlvr Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 a bit off topic, but i just noticed that Rollercoaster is actually coming out in HD soon. www.blu-ray.com/movies/Rollercoaster-Blu-ray/101899/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixFlagsAstroworld Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 ^"Save the Revolution! Save it from the bomb!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 a bit off topic, but i just noticed that Rollercoaster is actually coming out in HD soon. www.blu-ray.com/movies/Rollercoaster-Blu-ray/101899/ Too bad, it won't be coming with... "Senssssuround!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edgeboy Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 So I'm a local here to LA, but I just returned from a visit to Dallas, where I got to preview the VR on Shockwave. I have to say, I was also in the "very skeptical" category. I have no real interest in VR at all. But I have to say, I was very impressed. The timing with the ride is exquisite, and really enhances the experience. I had a total blast, and nearly can't imagine riding it without the VR. A few points, both good and bad: I was fortunate enough to ride it twice. The first time, I felt the quality of the graphics were fuzzy. When I rode the second time, they were much sharper (though still not HD quality, that's for sure). Which leads me to believe some headsets are better than others. If things look fuzzy, try to request a different one and see if it's any better. While I had the time of my life the first time, the second time did admittedly lose a bit of it's impact, since I knew what was coming up. The VR experience doesn't change. So it does remain to be seen how much repeat value this will have in the long run, unless they anticipate using different scenarios over time. It's also hard to say how much this will impact lines. Admittedly, we did have some slow dispatch times. But the wait was on the train, not at the station. And while you're on the train, you're already busy exploring the VR, so you don't really care so much. Plus, basically the entire train was using the VR, so there was more to check. I think here, previews aside, most will be a mix of some VR, some not. For the VR event (which was Season Passholder only), you went to the ride and were then given a return ticket. This ensured the line never got too long, and sure enough, there was never a wait at the station, which does allow for plenty of time for everyone to get their VR headset adjusted. Difficult to say if they'll be doing something similar here, either for the preview or beyond. Some here were guessing people would try to walk off with the headsets. They were collected before the restraints were released (and very quickly... that won't add much time), so I don't think that will become an issue. Lastly, I will say that the GP seemed to be having the time of their lives. They were screaming and laughing on the ride like I've never seen before. I think this will be a huge hit with most people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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