coasterbruh wrote:mark40511 wrote:Maverick at CP looks awesome! Now that I have my giga wish coming true, I agree next coaster should be a launch......
Does B&M not make launch coasters? I know carowinds doesn't need another B&M after this.....
Is this sole reason CF isn't dealing with Intamin right now is because of the maintenance issues their rides have? Or are there other reasons?
I highly doubt its anything to do with that. To me, it seems the parks are shifting from thrill ride after thrill ride after thrill ride. Im sure we are gonna see more intamin rides (not just coasters) at cedar fair parks in the future...
and after thursday we will know for sure if B&M make launch coasters...hopefully.
The explanation for Hulk's roughness over other B&M coasters is directly tied into the launch system. A bit of history on Hulk's development is in order. B&M were contacted by Universal and initally turned down the bid for the attraction because of not wanting to deal with the launch system. The complexity of the actual launch mechanics was only part of why they didn't want to do it though. Using a launch system tied to friction (the rubber tire pinch wheel assembly) would mean that B&M's greatest advantage over other competitors at the time would be compromised - their adjustable wheel assemblies. B&M was the one of the first on the coaster market that allows tension adjustments on the wheels that allow the "slop" between the wheel and the rail to be adjusted down to a minimum.
The friction launch system by its very nature requires that the train have some movement between the rails to compensate for wear and tear on the rubber wheels. If there is not enough "slop" in the gauge between the wheel assembly and the track, the friction and stress of the pinch system would stress the train's wheels and assemblies.
The extra roughness you feel on Hulk is because it cannot keep all of the wheels (road, guide, and upstop) in constant contact with the track. The shock of the train bouncing from rail to rail is what is maginified on Hulk vs. other B&M coasters. Why Hulk sometimes seems smoother than others is directly related to the current condition of the wheels (new wheels are thicker and have less slop) and to some extent, heat - when it's hotter, the ride may be running faster (depending on the compound of the wheels in use) and when faster, the train can stay "seated" on the rails a bit better.
Iron Wolf, now Apocalypse (B&M's first coaster) has trains without the adjustable wheel assemblies and has the same issues with roughness.
So in short, Hulk is a bit rougher than the average B&M because of the complex history of the launch system - which B&M didn't want to be involved with anyway. It's amazing what a few millimeters of slop in between the wheels and the track can cause. On Hulk it's really just a small amount. If you ever want to take a close look at huge amounts of play between wheel and track - look at an Arrow or Vekoma creation from the 80's. Some of them have inches of play. It is quite common to see only one of the 3 wheels in a set making contact at any given time.
Jay wrote:Put trains from Cobra on Cyclone. Get rid of Cobra. Problem solved!
chknwing wrote:to add to my carowinds wishlist, carowinds needs to add some light kits to rides throughout the park. the whole place is very dark and dull when the sun goes down.
tylerSC wrote:chknwing wrote:to add to my carowinds wishlist, carowinds needs to add some light kits to rides throughout the park. the whole place is very dark and dull when the sun goes down.
The Windseeker should have major lighting if similar to the one at Cedar Point.
