Knoebels Discussion Thread

[Mr. Corn]

^Do they usually only run 1 train on Phoenix and Twister? Kind of seems to destroy the fact that they have the fastest operations in North America, with the fact that once the train leaves, you have to wait 1:30 till it gets back and the car reloads

[SkyToro]

I visit Knoebels at least once a season and I've only ever seen 1 train ops once or twice (one time being last year on Phoenix when they could only run 1 due to the new safety system they were working on). Still super interesting to see how they transfer on Twister. Makes you wonder what the procedure is on Phoenix and if it's similar.

[El Toro_Ryan]

^Do they usually only run 1 train on Phoenix and Twister? Kind of seems to destroy the fact that they have the fastest operations in North America, with the fact that once the train leaves, you have to wait 1:30 till it gets back and the car reloads

 

More often than not, the park only runs one train. But they really only need to run one train most days due to short lines and the park's fast load times. Watching them run two trains is quite the site, it's like watching a coaster in Roller Coaster Tycoon set to 10 second load times lol

 

I visit Knoebels at least once a season and I've only ever seen 1 train ops once or twice (one time being last year on Phoenix when they could only run 1 due to the new safety system they were working on). Still super interesting to see how they transfer on Twister. Makes you wonder what the procedure is on Phoenix and if it's similar.

 

I know GCI recently rebuilt Phoenix's transfer table and it is all automated now. But I believe in the past, the employees had to push the track as well just like with Twister.

[boldikus]

^Do they usually only run 1 train on Phoenix and Twister? Kind of seems to destroy the fact that they have the fastest operations in North America, with the fact that once the train leaves, you have to wait 1:30 till it gets back and the car reloads

 

When you have 20 second dispatches it doesn't matter.

 

(Skip to 4:23)

[A.J.]

^Do they usually only run 1 train on Phoenix and Twister? Kind of seems to destroy the fact that they have the fastest operations in North America, with the fact that once the train leaves, you have to wait 1:30 till it gets back and the car reloads

Yes, one-train operations are the norm, and they often don't even consider bringing the second train on until the early afternoon at the earliest. I actually prefer one-train operations as it means I can leave my bag on the platform without worrying about someone from the other train taking it.

 

During two-train operations, they release Twister's train 2 when the other train makes it past the first bowl spiral, and for Phoenix, they release train 2 when the other one makes it over the top of the double-up. When you stand in Phoenix's station, you can hear when the train hits the anti-rollback device on the top of the double-up, that's their auditory cue (unless it's automated now). Once the rhythm is established they start revolving those trains like clockwork.

[Jason Maier]

^Do they usually only run 1 train on Phoenix and Twister? Kind of seems to destroy the fact that they have the fastest operations in North America, with the fact that once the train leaves, you have to wait 1:30 till it gets back and the car reloads

 

When you have 20 second dispatches it doesn't matter.

 

(Skip to 4:23)

 

20 second dispatches . . . Holy Schnikes! That has to be a world record for any coaster!

[MisterBrow]

Now if we could combine that with an extra 10 seconds to collect and hold my fluffy fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo... we have solved a first world problem.

[ajfelice]

I witnessed the rare two-train operation for the first time this past weekend. It is amazing how fast Knoebels gets their trains in and out of the station so quickly. They get trains out so fast, that at first glance you think only one train is running as the station is waiting for the second to even make it to the brake run. Take out seat belts, do away with article bins that cause congestion, and little active enforcement of a loose article policy all make their dispatch times possible. The less restrictive operation policy for operators also helps as it appears their operators have little boundaries when it comes to proper track crossing and sequence of checking restraints. Works great for a smaller operation like Knoebels, but would be absurd to expect in most chain parks.

[I Like Theme Parks.]

Our family had our Fall trip to Knoebels on Saturday. The park was packed and there were some long lines, even for some of the flat rides that don't attract that many people, but that was fine since the operations were great (the line for Phoenix got backed up all the way to the gift shop across the midway and it only took 10-15 minutes) and I mainly focused on smaller rides I haven't tried yet in my 6 prior visits to the park. We got a ton of food, including cesari's, pumpkin ice cream, apple cider slush, and a near-lethal amount of potato with perogies, potato cakes, and fries. The cheap spooky theming was on point of course. Rides:

 

Cosmotron - This was my first time on it. It's one of the small music express rides, but the lights make it pretty fun.

Kozmo's Kurves - Finally got this credit. Quite an aggressive kiddie coaster.

Bumper Cars

Phoenix x 3 - Back car all three times.

Flyers x 2 - I got my most insane rides on it yet. I was in line for my second ride at night, there was a ride op who would slow down the flyers every time, but right before I got on a new operator came in and he let us snap!

Roto-Jets - First time I tried it, and it had really strong lateral forces. Definitely didn't feel like a kiddie ride! Not the most comfortable, but really cool.

Scenic Skyway - Another new-to-me ride I never bothered to try. Not as great as Lake Compounce's ski lift, but I'll take what I can get lol.

Merry Mixer - Also my first time riding this. The cars, rotating arms, and center axis all looked really strange compared to other scramblers. It also wasn't as forceful as a normal scrambler, but there are unexpected lateral forces pushing you to the left in between the whipping motions that push you to the right. It's hard to explain without being on the ride, but it's weird. Does anyone know who made it, or if it's built in-house or what?

Downdraft

StratosFear

Twister x 3 - Second row once, second-to-last row twice, all at night!

 

Can't wait to come back next season.

[cal1br3tto]

^Merry Mixer is a Garbrick Merry Mixer. It's definitely a bit weaker than a Scrambler. Sounds like an awesome visit; I can't imagine skipping some of those rides, but you don't have to do everything at Knoebels in order to have an amazing visit that feels complete. I still haven't ridden some of the flats that I always "figure I will someday," because their top-tier rides and rare classics are more compelling than some of their generic ones.

 

...During Phoenix Phall Phunfest, I got to see the Twister crew transfer on the second train....

Gotta love old-school train transfers. It's always a treat to see something like that in person.

[Pseybert]

Thinking of making the trip here with a few first timers on Friday. Is it worth it with the shortened hours? (6-10) Hoping it won't be too packed!

 

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[jray21]

Knoebels is always worth a visit! Phoenix and the food are reason enough for me to visit!

[coasterbill]

Knoebels is continuing their time honored tradition of re-tracking sections of Phoenix in the offseason even though it's running like a dream anyway. This year they're focusing on the low turnaround before the final series of bunny hops.

 

 

 

From Amuse

 

... I love this park.

[Canobie Coaster]

Unbelievable. With this kind of attention, the day that Phoenix gets rough is the day that the world ends.

[A.J.]

Fun fact, the last time that stretch of Phoenix was re-tracked was in 2010. How many wooden coasters have gone without re-tracking for decades? Here's Knoebels - it seems like they do a section during each off-season so it's always somewhat fresh.

 

Here's a photo I took in the middle of the summer season, 2010:

 

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Awesome. Phoenix is perfect, and I love that they do stuff like this. Knoebels is such a special place.

[WolfBobs]

As often as their carpenters re-track this ride I doubt they even need to look at blueprints anymore.

 

I often doubted people when they said Phoenix was worth the trip alone. I made my first pilgrimage in 2015, needless to say this coaster instantly became one of my favorites rides I've ever ridden and now Knoebel's is a once a year park for me.

[jray21]

Phoenix is definitely worth a trip to Knoebels, and so is the food!

[Canobie Coaster]

Everything is worth a trip to Knoebels. Even the things that look childish and unassuming like the slide are far better than they have the right to be.

[Habreno]

As often as their carpenters re-track this ride I doubt they even need to look at blueprints anymore.

 

I often doubted people when they said Phoenix was worth the trip alone. I made my first pilgrimage in 2015, needless to say this coaster instantly became one of my favorites rides I've ever ridden and now Knoebel's is a once a year park for me.

 

Do they even have blueprints for the ride? I don't remember...

[dkepler]

 .

[ytterbiumanalyst]

You're going to love Knoebels. Flying Turns is awesome. When you get to the station, they'll ask you how many are riding, and you'll get on a scale. They'll tell you where to sit based on weight. They don't have you sit with strangers.

[larrygator]

You're going to love Knoebels. Flying Turns is okay. When you get to the station, they'll ask you how many are riding, and you'll get on a scale. They'll tell you where to sit based on weight. They don't have you sit with strangers.

[BigBad]

I thought Flying Turns was fun. The turns had surprisingly good whip as we changed direction.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

You're going to love Knoebels. Flying Turns is okay. When you get to the station, they'll ask you how many are riding, and you'll get on a scale. They'll tell you where to sit based on weight. They don't have you sit with strangers.

I see what you did there.

 

I thought it was really great, and definitely a unique experience. It was a different sort of ride, and didn't feel much like a roller coaster really. Just a lot of fun.

 

I think we can both agree, though, that it's one of the top 3 wooden coasters at Knoebels.