Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit?

JROK

JROK

Member
Maurer-Sohne isn't looking too good right now... First the Anti-Rollback, and now this... Supposedly it was very windy and that was the cause... however, vallying shouldn't even remotely be an issue when designing a coaster of this scale... Somebody didn't run enough computer simulations :( I'm sure Universal is livid that this coaster keeps having delays...
 
EpcotServo

EpcotServo

Well-Known Member
JROK said:
Maurer-Sohne isn't looking too good right now... First the Anti-Rollback, and now this... Supposedly it was very windy and that was the cause... however, vallying shouldn't even remotely be an issue when designing a coaster of this scale... Somebody didn't run enough computer simulations :( I'm sure Universal is livid that this coaster keeps having delays...
Click to expand...


It's a sad sight, but it's actually not uncommon for many operational Coasters to valley. Not a "Fail". Everest has valley'ed more than a "few" times. Doesn't mean they "haven't run the computer simulations enough". That wouldn't help at all. You see a Coaster like this vallies because of those pesky unseen environmental conditions that are too unpredictable to program accurately. Heat and cold expand and contract the rails, meaning the friction between the wheels and the rails means the cars go faster-or slower. Wind resistance, friction, weight. All of these things come in to play when an empty train vallies.

While it may be a groaner to see, most EVERY coaster will valley at some point. WHY it makes you cringe isn't because it's a huge safety hazard (There is literally no chance for a loaded train to ever valley.) or because it's a huge delay. It's a sad sight because it means 3 to 7 hours of work taking out the thing that pulls it back up to the next brake zone. Not a fun job.
:lol:

Honestly it's good this happened NOW, because Everest didn't start valling until the early morning hours of the hot season-Meaning many delayed openings. (If you are curious, the Byron Curve is where empty trains would valley, It'd be going...going...slowly make it to the toppppp...then start going backwards down and down, spinning around for a awhile before stopping.)
 
Figment1986

Figment1986

Well-Known Member
Jasonflz said:
:hammer::( That's not good. I wonder if this will push back the opening date.
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probably not.. since there is no opening date that anyone knows of right now...

At this moment many webmasters are taking bets on when it will open... (We are also starting a pool at my internship... lol)

delaying is not necessarily a bad thing, though the fact it's delayed through the busy season does cause some issues...

Having a valley (after the loop before the first break zone) is not 100% bad.. granted they had to get the car cranked up to the break zone and hope starting from a full stop and less wind it would complete the circuit.. but they saw it happened and it is possible right there, if it happends a few more times they may end up installing a catwalk there for emergency use.
 
hardcard

hardcard

New Member
I've heard recently that Rockit likely won't open before August.. which means Universal is missing the entire 09 summer season with this coaster.. I guess they market-push it for 2010 now..


Try not to be to hard on them.. this is just their 'test track' :)
 
EPCOT Explorer

EPCOT Explorer

New Member
hardcard said:
I've heard recently that Rockit likely won't open before August.. which means Universal is missing the entire 09 summer season with this coaster.. I guess they market-push it for 2010 now..


Try not to be to hard on them.. this is just their 'test track' :)
Click to expand...

Yikes. Sounds like TT, and the issues DL had with F!.:lol:
 
Pete C

Pete C

Active Member
The mistake they made is that they tried to make a big coaster layout with a small train that carries no weight, thus no momentum. Then throw in more brake runs than any other coaster, making it carry even less momentum. :brick: It should help with some test dummies in there. However, it's obvious from the test runs that this thing carries no speed. Weight will help it make it though the course consistently, but will it be very thrilling? This is not a good sign. They should have stuck with B&M.
 
kcnole

kcnole

Well-Known Member
Then throw in more brake runs than any other coaster, making it carry even less momentum
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What does this have to do with the valley that happened a few days ago. It happened before it even made the first break run.
 
Pete C

Pete C

Active Member
kcnole said:
What does this have to do with the valley that happened a few days ago. It happened before it even made the first break run.
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I pointed that out because the train does not look like it is carrying any speed throughout the ride. If it is barely making the first brake run, that's a problem. It will make for a boring ride with a lot of pauses. I hope I'm wrong on this.
 
J

JT3000

Well-Known Member
Pete C said:
I pointed that out because the train does not look like it is carrying any speed throughout the ride. If it is barely making the first brake run, that's a problem. It will make for a boring ride with a lot of pauses. I hope I'm wrong on this.
Click to expand...

65 mph isn't enough speed? The brake runs barely have any effect on it.
 
hardcard

hardcard

New Member
JT3000 said:
65 mph isn't enough speed? The brake runs barely have any effect on it.
Click to expand...

65 mph is the max speed after the first drop... you are forgetting that a coaster gains absolutely ZERO energy after the first drop.. (unless the coaster has multiple chain lifts, like BTMRR, for example).. Any 'gain' in energy from subsequent drops is negated by the loss of energy in the preceding climb to the apex of that hill.. it takes more energy to climb, then it gains dropping down the opposite side..

In other words.. I wouldn't be surprised to see them adding tire-drive 'booster' segments into the coaster to ensure that it continues to have enough energy to make the climbs along the circuit..

Basically, they are spending almost all of the energy gained in the lift, on the first drop.... Same reason coasters like top thrill dragster at cedar point roll back to station here and there.... the different is that this coaster has many trains, and it cannot afford random roll backs and valleys....

This is a MAJOR engineering F-UP... Hopefully they can get it worked out quickly and SAFELY.
 
J

JT3000

Well-Known Member
hardcard said:
65 mph is the max speed after the first drop... you are forgetting that a coaster gains absolutely ZERO energy after the first drop.. (unless the coaster has multiple chain lifts, like BTMRR, for example).. Any 'gain' in energy from subsequent drops is negated by the loss of energy in the preceding climb to the apex of that hill.. it takes more energy to climb, then it gains dropping down the opposite side..
Click to expand...

I never said anything about the ride gaining or losing energy in my previous post. However, if you're trying to say that the initial drop is the only place along a coaster's course where it can reach its top speed, this is false. The speed obviously won't remain constant, but depending on how a ride is designed, it can easily regain whatever momentum was lost in previous elements midcourse. And just because one drop is taller than another, it doesn't necessarily produce a faster moving vehicle. Especially if the vehicle is already moving at a faster speed when it takes the shorter drop. And considering the slow descent of a usual first drop on rides with chain lifts, this is often the case.
 

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