I was with Operations helping evac a Vekoma flying coaster from the top of the lift hill and the ride mechanic who went below the train to unlock the restraints wasn't even wearing a safety harness. I thought it was incredibly dangerous. I'll never forget that. Everything worked out in the end though.
I know on the SLC we had safety rails but on the front row we all rad to have harnesses on because the front was gone. We put up a chain and blocked the path with employees with climbing harnesses on so the guests can get off easily.
I remember riding thunder bolt at six flags new England, and that's an older ride limits like now 85 years old. So when this scenario took place, this happened around 2018ish. But that ride doesn't automatically bring the train into the station, the staff have to manually do it, and one time they pulled it out too far, and we got to ride again lol
12:15 I always (been stuck for at least 10 times) ask (in a joking way) if we can get a cup of coffee while we're waiting to for the mechanic, have gotten it twice 😂
@@ryantheridemechanic sadly only one evacuated time, most mechanics get the ride going again. Got stuck 4 times on Untamed (RMC @walibi, as seen on my profile pic) twice on Goliath at the same park and a few seperate occasions at other parks. Walibi has okay coffee though 👍🏻 never got it at other parks. And for some reason Walibi brought only coffee when we were on the breaks, never on the lift 🤷♂️😅🤣
When I was a ride I, our SLC went down with a train full of passengers stuck in the station because the floor wouldn’t come back up. So we were entertaining the crowd on the train and in the station while waiting for maintenance and when they arrived it was like a hero’s welcome. Even better when they finally unloaded the train it was such a dramatic moment lol
The only time I've been evacuated was off Maverick at Cedar Point. We stopped on the far brake run(off near the train station). They then put it in manual mode and moved us up so we were outside the station instead. Came by with the jump pack and it only took about 15min total. They gave us exit passes after taking our name, phone number, and zip code. I have gotten stuck on the first lift of the Beast. after about 10min, they managed to get the train moving again and we completed the course, but the ride was down for about an hour after it.
Nice stories Ryan, I love hearing these! I am an industrial automation engineer myself and sometimes encounter 'fixes' like toothpicks to hold down a button. Have you ever encountered things like these, or other things that made you facepalm? Or maybe some actually clever solutions to things that haven't been engineered well? Might be a fun subject for a new video.
Yea I’ve come across some things. Honestly maintenance is the biggest offender of these. Operations typically can’t cut a corner. Their thing is maybe forgetting a step.
That makes sense! Operations cutting corners is likely something you'll see more in an industrial environment. And maintenance are obviously the guys who have to come up with clever solutions for things.
@@Deurklink yea it when it takes 3 operators to run a ride then they leave it for one maintenance guy. And the installed bypass eliminates 1 operator so you still have to be in 2 places at once
in my time as a ride operator, never did an evacuation, but was always acutely aware of how bad they could go. so would try if i was on unload, to just talk to the guests if i could get close enough, without leaving the station and just keep them occupied while waiting for whatever we were going to do happened.
We got evac'd off the Revenge of the Mummy at Universal in Orlando. Lights on in a dark ride was really interesting and felt totally safe at all times. Staff offered FastPasses for everyone involved. Really good experience......
I evac'd two coasters during my time at SFGAm. First was the Demon, probably one of the funniest calls I had to make to Park ops, the Train's lift dogs didn't catch the chain but the the anti-rollbacks did. Person at Park ops didn't understand me when I told her the train didn't engage so we brought the other train into the station, unloaded it and then ride stopped. Unload was mostly uneventful besides people getting very clausterphobic in that tunnel. I'm just glad we weren't higher up because those stairs sway like crazy. The other was American Eagle which was my favorite lift to climb. This one was a standard trouble light and Maintenance just couldn't get it restarted so it ended up being evacuated from about halfway up.
Being evacuated is something I REALLY REALLY want to experience. Been stuck on the final break run before the station for about an hour on The Beast once, but no evacuation.
Love hearing all these great stories! I am guessing that you work at six flags discovery kingdom based on the fact that you mentioned the skyrocket 2 and a Vekoma SLC, so unless you worked at multiple different parks, I can’t think of any other parks that have both of those ride types. Keep up the great work!
We were short staffed one day and had to push a vekoma train. Only two of us showed up to the call, the other one being the foreman. He was real gun ho and decided to just have us two push the train. He did most of the work because I wasn't going to get hurt for something like that. Plus I had to open the brakes then start pushing. When my supervisor showed up I mentioned that I thought it was stupid to only have two people push a train. After that they made a 5 man rule when pushing trains.😅
I’ve pushed an SLC home several times. I can’t even count the times I’ve pushed a boomerang home forward or backward. Funny how rollercoaster don’t want to ROLL haha! I’m also pushed in Intamin impulse coaster , holy crap you need at least 10 people Sri start it rolling then about 5-7 after
I was evacuated off Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom in Florida once. We had to wait maybe half an hour until a cast member came by with a key to unlock the lap bars and let us off the boats and escorted us through the backstage area back to the park. We got all free FastPass tickets as a result (This was before Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane was a thing).
The only time I've ever been on a ride while it malfunctioned (so far) was when a lift motor broke down while the train was on the lift hill. We had a very friendly operator walk up the lift hill to let us know a mechanic was working on it, and about fifteen minutes later we all went over the top of the hill and enjoyed a normal ride.
Less than a month ago I was evacuated out of Maverick's Tunnel (which I know is super rare), and it only took 20 minutes. We got a free exit pass, so used it on Millennium Force and got to pick front row.
Love these stories! What’s the strangest place in a coaster layout that you had to perform an evacuation from (like outside the lift hill or brake run)?
Extremely rare for that to happen. I guess mine would be an SLC. Between the station and the lift there is a spot the train can valley if the chain dog doesn’t hook up. Done one there. Can’t move forward or backward. So 2 rows evac on the lift 2 in the station and the other 6 you need a lot of ladders to get people off.
All it takes is one bad apple… or Karen to spoil the barrel… and the fun! Too bad you couldn’t just tell this rider it’s either ride a second time or get off on the lift hill! There is not third choice or plan c!
I'm sure it varies, but on average how long do ARB dogs last? I cant remember if this is something you included on your annual refurb video. Edit: this comment was intended or a different video, as this question is otherwise out of context.
Ha! No problem. It depends on the dog. I’ve never replace a B&M dog….. on the Slc it uses a toothed cam on a rail. Those needed to be replaced every 3 months. Wood rollercoaster is about 2 years roughly depending on the lift condition.
Something I noticed. When Thunderhawk (SLC) was at Geaugua Lake, the Brake run did not have a platform, your feet dangled over the water with the transfer track on the left side. When it got moved to Michigans Adventure, I watched a video of it and there is a Platform under the Brake Run now, still with the Transfer Track on the left. Did all SLC have no platform then got one or was Thunderhawk an unusual case?
Most all SLC do not have a platform under the brake run. This is because the two structures could misalign due to land moving. I always wanted to add one to ours but the people above me said no way. Mainly because of the cost to engineer a structure that could hold people AND BE RATED TO DO SO. It’s that last statement that really pours on the money.
You just don’t give ppl options. You say Hey, this is what we need to do, xxxx and do it. If you need to run it around again, You do it, need to park it on the lift, you do it. Never give customers customers options.
I’d agree with you 100% until panic sets in. People’s fight or flight instinct will cause undesirable affects. I believe this is why people need to be ok with what’s going to happen. Just my thought.
A wave swinger/ flying carousel ride isn't exactly a kiddie ride. I'm sorry if I leave any typos but I am frustrated with this keyboard and am too tired to corre3ct my mistakes
Love your stories Ryan 😂😂 the overshoot story is hilarious!!
I was with Operations helping evac a Vekoma flying coaster from the top of the lift hill and the ride mechanic who went below the train to unlock the restraints wasn't even wearing a safety harness. I thought it was incredibly dangerous. I'll never forget that. Everything worked out in the end though.
I know on the SLC we had safety rails but on the front row we all rad to have harnesses on because the front was gone. We put up a chain and blocked the path with employees with climbing harnesses on so the guests can get off easily.
I remember riding thunder bolt at six flags new England, and that's an older ride limits like now 85 years old. So when this scenario took place, this happened around 2018ish. But that ride doesn't automatically bring the train into the station, the staff have to manually do it, and one time they pulled it out too far, and we got to ride again lol
12:15 I always (been stuck for at least 10 times) ask (in a joking way) if we can get a cup of coffee while we're waiting to for the mechanic, have gotten it twice 😂
Haha! What are you alway getting evacuated off of? And is the coffee good?
@@ryantheridemechanic sadly only one evacuated time, most mechanics get the ride going again. Got stuck 4 times on Untamed (RMC @walibi, as seen on my profile pic) twice on Goliath at the same park and a few seperate occasions at other parks. Walibi has okay coffee though 👍🏻 never got it at other parks. And for some reason Walibi brought only coffee when we were on the breaks, never on the lift 🤷♂️😅🤣
@@HaroldKuilman 😂
When I was a ride I, our SLC went down with a train full of passengers stuck in the station because the floor wouldn’t come back up. So we were entertaining the crowd on the train and in the station while waiting for maintenance and when they arrived it was like a hero’s welcome. Even better when they finally unloaded the train it was such a dramatic moment lol
The only time I've been evacuated was off Maverick at Cedar Point. We stopped on the far brake run(off near the train station). They then put it in manual mode and moved us up so we were outside the station instead. Came by with the jump pack and it only took about 15min total. They gave us exit passes after taking our name, phone number, and zip code.
I have gotten stuck on the first lift of the Beast. after about 10min, they managed to get the train moving again and we completed the course, but the ride was down for about an hour after it.
Nice stories Ryan, I love hearing these! I am an industrial automation engineer myself and sometimes encounter 'fixes' like toothpicks to hold down a button. Have you ever encountered things like these, or other things that made you facepalm? Or maybe some actually clever solutions to things that haven't been engineered well? Might be a fun subject for a new video.
Yea I’ve come across some things. Honestly maintenance is the biggest offender of these. Operations typically can’t cut a corner. Their thing is maybe forgetting a step.
That makes sense! Operations cutting corners is likely something you'll see more in an industrial environment. And maintenance are obviously the guys who have to come up with clever solutions for things.
@@Deurklink yea it when it takes 3 operators to run a ride then they leave it for one maintenance guy. And the installed bypass eliminates 1 operator so you still have to be in 2 places at once
in my time as a ride operator, never did an evacuation, but was always acutely aware of how bad they could go. so would try if i was on unload, to just talk to the guests if i could get close enough, without leaving the station and just keep them occupied while waiting for whatever we were going to do happened.
Good call! People need that
We got evac'd off the Revenge of the Mummy at Universal in Orlando. Lights on in a dark ride was really interesting and felt totally safe at all times. Staff offered FastPasses for everyone involved. Really good experience......
Nice. Mummy is a good ride however I’ve only been on the one in California but I believe they are clones.
I evac'd two coasters during my time at SFGAm.
First was the Demon, probably one of the funniest calls I had to make to Park ops, the Train's lift dogs didn't catch the chain but the the anti-rollbacks did. Person at Park ops didn't understand me when I told her the train didn't engage so we brought the other train into the station, unloaded it and then ride stopped.
Unload was mostly uneventful besides people getting very clausterphobic in that tunnel. I'm just glad we weren't higher up because those stairs sway like crazy.
The other was American Eagle which was my favorite lift to climb. This one was a standard trouble light and Maintenance just couldn't get it restarted so it ended up being evacuated from about halfway up.
@@DokiKimori no fun when trains don’t make the lift.
Being evacuated is something I REALLY REALLY want to experience. Been stuck on the final break run before the station for about an hour on The Beast once, but no evacuation.
An hour?! That’s a bit excessive. If we couldn’t get the ride fixed in 15-20 min we called an evacuation.
I’d love to get evacuated off a lift hill someday (as long as the weathers nice and I don’t need to use the bathroom lol)
@@S.J.C._Entertainment it doesn’t work that way. Evacuations only happen when you pass the bathroom threshold about 20min ago!!!Haha!!
@@ryantheridemechanic uh oh 😂
Love hearing all these great stories! I am guessing that you work at six flags discovery kingdom based on the fact that you mentioned the skyrocket 2 and a Vekoma SLC, so unless you worked at multiple different parks, I can’t think of any other parks that have both of those ride types. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for the comments!! Glad your here
We were short staffed one day and had to push a vekoma train. Only two of us showed up to the call, the other one being the foreman. He was real gun ho and decided to just have us two push the train. He did most of the work because I wasn't going to get hurt for something like that. Plus I had to open the brakes then start pushing. When my supervisor showed up I mentioned that I thought it was stupid to only have two people push a train. After that they made a 5 man rule when pushing trains.😅
I’ve pushed an SLC home several times. I can’t even count the times I’ve pushed a boomerang home forward or backward. Funny how rollercoaster don’t want to ROLL haha! I’m also pushed in Intamin impulse coaster , holy crap you need at least 10 people Sri start it rolling then about 5-7 after
I was evacuated off Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom in Florida once. We had to wait maybe half an hour until a cast member came by with a key to unlock the lap bars and let us off the boats and escorted us through the backstage area back to the park. We got all free FastPass tickets as a result (This was before Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane was a thing).
The only time I've ever been on a ride while it malfunctioned (so far) was when a lift motor broke down while the train was on the lift hill. We had a very friendly operator walk up the lift hill to let us know a mechanic was working on it, and about fifteen minutes later we all went over the top of the hill and enjoyed a normal ride.
15 minutes went by in the blink of an eye for that mechanic, but I’m sure for you, it felt like an hour
Less than a month ago I was evacuated out of Maverick's Tunnel (which I know is super rare), and it only took 20 minutes.
We got a free exit pass, so used it on Millennium Force and got to pick front row.
Nice! Silver lining to the evacuation.
when you were talking about the B&M flourless that overshot, I though you were gonna say you sent the train again despite the one guy's objections
Love these stories! What’s the strangest place in a coaster layout that you had to perform an evacuation from (like outside the lift hill or brake run)?
Extremely rare for that to happen. I guess mine would be an SLC. Between the station and the lift there is a spot the train can valley if the chain dog doesn’t hook up. Done one there. Can’t move forward or backward. So 2 rows evac on the lift 2 in the station and the other 6 you need a lot of ladders to get people off.
All it takes is one bad apple… or Karen to spoil the barrel… and the fun! Too bad you couldn’t just tell this rider it’s either ride a second time or get off on the lift hill! There is not third choice or plan c!
I'm sure it varies, but on average how long do ARB dogs last? I cant remember if this is something you included on your annual refurb video.
Edit: this comment was intended or a different video, as this question is otherwise out of context.
Ha! No problem. It depends on the dog. I’ve never replace a B&M dog….. on the Slc it uses a toothed cam on a rail. Those needed to be replaced every 3 months. Wood rollercoaster is about 2 years roughly depending on the lift condition.
@@ryantheridemechanic ooo cool! Thank you!!
Hey I would take a free funnel cake or a food voucher!
Something I noticed. When Thunderhawk (SLC) was at Geaugua Lake, the Brake run did not have a platform, your feet dangled over the water with the transfer track on the left side.
When it got moved to Michigans Adventure, I watched a video of it and there is a Platform under the Brake Run now, still with the Transfer Track on the left.
Did all SLC have no platform then got one or was Thunderhawk an unusual case?
Most all SLC do not have a platform under the brake run. This is because the two structures could misalign due to land moving. I always wanted to add one to ours but the people above me said no way. Mainly because of the cost to engineer a structure that could hold people AND BE RATED TO DO SO. It’s that last statement that really pours on the money.
@@ryantheridemechanicoh see…To me it’s B&M all the way baby 🫠💖. Maybe pricy rides but they know how to build them
Interesting stories!
Thank you!
You just don’t give ppl options. You say Hey, this is what we need to do, xxxx and do it. If you need to run it around again, You do it, need to park it on the lift, you do it. Never give customers customers options.
I’d agree with you 100% until panic sets in. People’s fight or flight instinct will cause undesirable affects. I believe this is why people need to be ok with what’s going to happen. Just my thought.
Oops! ...wrong button! Lol
Are you still a ride mechanic or have you moved on to another field?
Moved on when the family had to relocate. But me not being a ride mechanic now is the only way I can talk about this stuff.
A wave swinger/ flying carousel ride isn't exactly a kiddie ride.
I'm sorry if I leave any typos but I am frustrated with this keyboard and am too tired to corre3ct my mistakes
Well for most people here it’s not a major coaster. So when you ask people about a swing ride, people default to a kids ride not a major thrill.
Rct restraint stuck closed
Stuck closed is not fun. Most people get super embarrassed even know it’s nothing they did.