I like your "name any German manufacturer" game when you were talking about the hydraulic drive wave swingers. You almost got it, but it's Zierer. I don't even think that Gerstlauer or Mack ever built wave swingers, in fact the one at Mack's showcase Europa Park is a Zierer Model. (Fun Fact: This ride was actually designed by Anton Schwarzkopf's brother Franz who worked at Zierer back in the day.) There are some Zierer wave swingers that have an electric drive system for the rotation though. But it's rare. When it comes to AC drives vs DC drives, many manufacturers are moving to AC variable frequency drives for new designs. That doesn't necessarily mean they redesign the electricals for existing designs, but anything more new is more likely to be AC. Just for comparison - the good old Huss Breakdance, like most Huss rides, used DC drives (many operators today have them converted to AC by third parties because they are cheaper to get and you don't need to worry about the brushes anymore), but when Huss came up with the Booster, they went to AC drives. For those who don't know the background: The main reason for them to use DC in the first place is that DC drives were a lot easier to control in variable speeds. You basically just had to add some resistors in series and the motor would go slower. That could even be done using contactors, you didn't need power electronics. To change the speed of an AC motor (beyond the two fixed speeds you get with a delta/star switch), you need to change the frequency, and that requires power electronics that weren't readily available back then. Despite being about 20 years old, the Technical Park Streetfighter swing ride has an all AC drive system, just as an example. The temperature issues aren't necessarily a DC thing - I remember working with a Huss Breakdancer, that you could basically switch on even during a cold morning, and it would just run. Sure, you'd let it run at a low speed for a while to make sure the gears and bearings give the grease time to warm up, but that's it. I hate to say it, but Italian rides are kind of notorious to be unhappy when temperatures are outside of a certain band. Especially when it gets cold, a space heater in front of the control cabinet works wonders. 😂
MAXIMUM COMMENT PLEASE!! haha! It’s funny I never really connected the dots. Your right, all the Zamperla DC motors had so much trouble. But like you said HUSS (I had 3) power on, start, every time.!! Man! I wonder what that was? I always thought we neglected the motors as we were in California and the weather is never really bad at all no freezing, rains once a year. But I never thought I was just he Italian rides. Makes me think again.
Sometime consider making a video about proximity limits, photo eyes, and other sensing devices. I can't remember if I asked you before but I'd like to know why some coasters have both proximity switches and photo eyes for occupancy detection (in the same block) while others only use proximity switches. Some used photo eyes on every block and some rides only used them in some blocks. Is it just manufacturer preference?
Interesting video once again. Always fun to hear how other mechanics at other parks do their daily start-ups, but you will always hear they put safety as their number one priority. Weird to hear you have had such issues with the Tivoli model, in my experience that thing always runs cold or not. But guessing by the train length you had a Tivoli Large, while I work with a medium (might be a difference). Just wondering, I once worked a B&M with a Siemens operating system made by EMNIS engineering (German programmers) and it required some daily sensor checks. We had to trip all block sensors, gap sensors, maximum reach sensors, light curtains etc before the ride would even start for the day. Doesn’t the one you worked on do that? Because I see this more and more on newer ride from different manufacturers these days.
Sounds like the park/ company you worked for got into an issues over some of those sensors. Those are hard lessons to learn. So the knee jerk reaction is not to test them all the time. We have only had daily tests on estops on some models and speed safety relays.
Hey Ryan! I worked at Cedar Point many moons ago and to my knowledge, park operations still transfers all trains on in the mornings, does block checks, and then would transfer off. On Raptor we would always run three trains, no question, so block checks were easy. Mantis, the B&M stand up cannibalized train 3 for parts back in the early 2000s, so we only had two trains but with an identical block set up to Medusa. With that extra block, to block check on the lift we would have to go up to the block brake and use a legit canoe paddle to break the photo eye and confirm the train would stop at the top of the lift. First, is it common practice for park ops to do this themselves because I typically only see maintenance so it at other parks? Second, if you have a B&M with 5 blocks (lift, block, main, transfer station), and only two physical trains available, would you also trip the photo eye or was it considered okay to park a train in the block brake and then dispatch the next up the lift?
So I’m answer First, a lot of parks have OpS do block checks and maintenance only does check in the PM of the ride. The logic however is a little of. You normally want to test the system under normal condition for the day. If I did it at 2 am then it was done again at 9am I would argue that the system was not the same hours of “off” time later. However like your park manny will say it’s perfectly fine and not to worry. I believe more parks have OPS check the blocks as trains are brought out not required to have maintenance. If that makes senses. Second You always want to check blocks next to each other. How the park does it is up for debate. Most prefer to use people to block the eyes and stop a train as it’s much more forgiving than playing with two 14 ton trains. Does that help or answer the questions?
Great video! I think it would be really cool if you did a video covering all the different type of brakes and how they work (with schematics). I’ve been super confused at the pinch brakes on space mountain and big thunder mountain at Disneyland, I’m not sure exactly how that mechanism works. Thanks! Edit: To add on, I have pictures and videos of the brakes and such if you would like any.
Some newer B&M have a block test function on the panel views for ops. You would go to that screen hold the HMI Enable button and then press the hold on section button theres one for each block section typically we will do a hold on service brake first in a 2 train operation. Dispatch the train after we have enabled the hold the train will go around the course and hold in the service brake. We then dispatch the 2nd train ans it will stop on lift park we then on the HMI enable hold on safety and then release the safety the train would roll Forward and stop. Then we would press hold on transfer and release from safety. After that the lift will now allow us to strar it back up and the train would continue and stop in service. We then bring the train into the station with advance and then the train in the safety would automatically roll forward to the transfer when the teain in the station parked. Fury 325 has the same block check mechanism on its HMI screen for ride ops to do block tests with
Ayo dog don’t forget to make your announcement …..before you start your list/test lol. 😂 and yes I’m a rides mechanic too . Keep up the good videos brother 🤙🏽
Most rides are set to where each train has its own bay. Numbers don’t mater on 99% of roses out there. Some stack trains 2 or 3 deep but you don’t want to play Musical trains with a broken 12ton vehicle.
Do you use checklists when you perform these procedures? If not, you could take some wisdom from the aircraft industry. There checklists can be customized to deal with the particulars of the ride, & transfer some of your wisdom & experience to others starting things up. How do you check hydraulic restraints, which don't click?
No check lists. But it was trained from person to person. Hydraulics, you unlock one side of the cylinders, and just pull up firm. If the restraint feels spongy, that cylinder is bad.
Another nice video keep them coming! Speaking of Zamperla did you see that beautiful train they made for TT2. I definitely thought about you as I checked out those sweet road wheels. Quite a few nice trains for this season from the major players in the US.
I would love to see a deep dive on ride lockout. Many folks may have only seen the procedure used with high voltage / gas line shutoff. The idea that the master key for the ride is not present- thus it is safe to work on the ride is what people may have in mind. Having a physical padlock for each person involved is not intuitive for many.
Not on the kiddo rides. Most mechanics don’t even test them. If there’s a problem they will let maintenance know. Mechanics just test the integrity of the joystick it’s self.
@@ryantheridemechanic The airplane kiddie at our park has a function to test the joystick without moving the ride, it will just give it al little pop up like halve a meter.
It’s more like they would call the ride back up and then go back and get the replacement bulb and head back out to the ride with it running. Then just change it between cycles.
He mentioned that on a smaller ride you can try to push the train with a few people or pull using a vehicle or a winch. If all else fails, you have to get a crane there, take the coaches off the track and re-assemble them in a different spot. So, depending on the type of coaster and where the train valleys, the action plan is somewhere between these two extremes. Some coasters actually have means to get a stuck train moving again when there are spots that are prone to that happening. Phantasialand's Colorado Adventure (Vekoma mine train) actually has an additional chain lift mechanism built in close to the final brake run as the trains used to stall there quite often. In normal operation, it is not used, but it's there just in case. I guess then someone just needs to operate the right key switches and push a button to get the train out of that spot.
This got stuck under hold for review. Anyway, the answer is swear a lot. Then look to see if there are any little kids around that are now traumatized, then swear some more. Punch things, kick things, place blame where blame is needed. The start to pull it out of where ever it is.
Great video Ryan. You mentioned these checks are after the rides have been standing for several days. Is it the same checks if they’re operational daily?
Depends on the day. If it’s a run up day you could have 3 rollercoasters and 10 small rides. On a standard summer day you could have a major rollercoaster and 2 small rides. Major rides always take priority over kids or small rides.
I touch on it in my off season work vide but I don’t focus on it. Mainly because I come from a an area that doesn’t have extreme demand during the winter so there was no need to winterize rides. So really what I know is from the manuals and talking with other mechanics.
Great content, random question.......went to a park (UK) recently where they stopped rides for fireworks display and then fired all the rides back a little later. Heard one guest ask a staff member what this alarm sound was that was going off.....to which she replied just the start up procedure for the rides (in this case it was a woodie. Just wondered if that was normal or something completely different to your experience
Why can’t there be a train in service and safety/transfer and safety brake at the same time but there can be a train in the block and service at the same time? (The order is transfer safety service isn’t it?)
Most B&M’s don’t stop in the safety. Not sure why but i’m sure there’s some like very rare scenario where having safety empty is extremely useful for something because B&M thinks of everything.
@@ryantheridemechanic this is going over earlier or later in the season where they're closed on the weekends, so is the procedure different when it's open every day since it'll have been touched and ran the day before
@@beowolf9480 mainly just a lot of the double Check becomes inspect. I might do a video one day on inspecting a ride but not sure as it would be hyper focused on one small thing.
Your content is always worth the time it takes to watch.
Thank you so much!
Popcorn ready!
I have a photo of a gerstlauer euro fighter coaster in the uk with a birds nest on the 1st loop thay ran it all season with the birds still there
Run-up crew was the best shift ever at Magic!❤
If you got picked for it. It changes every week.
I like your "name any German manufacturer" game when you were talking about the hydraulic drive wave swingers. You almost got it, but it's Zierer. I don't even think that Gerstlauer or Mack ever built wave swingers, in fact the one at Mack's showcase Europa Park is a Zierer Model. (Fun Fact: This ride was actually designed by Anton Schwarzkopf's brother Franz who worked at Zierer back in the day.) There are some Zierer wave swingers that have an electric drive system for the rotation though. But it's rare.
When it comes to AC drives vs DC drives, many manufacturers are moving to AC variable frequency drives for new designs. That doesn't necessarily mean they redesign the electricals for existing designs, but anything more new is more likely to be AC. Just for comparison - the good old Huss Breakdance, like most Huss rides, used DC drives (many operators today have them converted to AC by third parties because they are cheaper to get and you don't need to worry about the brushes anymore), but when Huss came up with the Booster, they went to AC drives.
For those who don't know the background: The main reason for them to use DC in the first place is that DC drives were a lot easier to control in variable speeds. You basically just had to add some resistors in series and the motor would go slower. That could even be done using contactors, you didn't need power electronics. To change the speed of an AC motor (beyond the two fixed speeds you get with a delta/star switch), you need to change the frequency, and that requires power electronics that weren't readily available back then.
Despite being about 20 years old, the Technical Park Streetfighter swing ride has an all AC drive system, just as an example.
The temperature issues aren't necessarily a DC thing - I remember working with a Huss Breakdancer, that you could basically switch on even during a cold morning, and it would just run. Sure, you'd let it run at a low speed for a while to make sure the gears and bearings give the grease time to warm up, but that's it. I hate to say it, but Italian rides are kind of notorious to be unhappy when temperatures are outside of a certain band. Especially when it gets cold, a space heater in front of the control cabinet works wonders. 😂
MAXIMUM COMMENT PLEASE!! haha! It’s funny I never really connected the dots. Your right, all the Zamperla DC motors had so much trouble. But like you said HUSS (I had 3) power on, start, every time.!! Man! I wonder what that was? I always thought we neglected the motors as we were in California and the weather is never really bad at all no freezing, rains once a year. But I never thought I was just he Italian rides. Makes me think again.
Sometime consider making a video about proximity limits, photo eyes, and other sensing devices. I can't remember if I asked you before but I'd like to know why some coasters have both proximity switches and photo eyes for occupancy detection (in the same block) while others only use proximity switches. Some used photo eyes on every block and some rides only used them in some blocks. Is it just manufacturer preference?
Electrical engineer preference. Optical is really easy to mess up though so most parks stay away from them as block control unless it’s indoors.
Interesting video once again. Always fun to hear how other mechanics at other parks do their daily start-ups, but you will always hear they put safety as their number one priority. Weird to hear you have had such issues with the Tivoli model, in my experience that thing always runs cold or not. But guessing by the train length you had a Tivoli Large, while I work with a medium (might be a difference).
Just wondering, I once worked a B&M with a Siemens operating system made by EMNIS engineering (German programmers) and it required some daily sensor checks. We had to trip all block sensors, gap sensors, maximum reach sensors, light curtains etc before the ride would even start for the day. Doesn’t the one you worked on do that? Because I see this more and more on newer ride from different manufacturers these days.
Sounds like the park/ company you worked for got into an issues over some of those sensors. Those are hard lessons to learn. So the knee jerk reaction is not to test them all the time. We have only had daily tests on estops on some models and speed safety relays.
Hey Ryan! I worked at Cedar Point many moons ago and to my knowledge, park operations still transfers all trains on in the mornings, does block checks, and then would transfer off. On Raptor we would always run three trains, no question, so block checks were easy. Mantis, the B&M stand up cannibalized train 3 for parts back in the early 2000s, so we only had two trains but with an identical block set up to Medusa. With that extra block, to block check on the lift we would have to go up to the block brake and use a legit canoe paddle to break the photo eye and confirm the train would stop at the top of the lift. First, is it common practice for park ops to do this themselves because I typically only see maintenance so it at other parks? Second, if you have a B&M with 5 blocks (lift, block, main, transfer station), and only two physical trains available, would you also trip the photo eye or was it considered okay to park a train in the block brake and then dispatch the next up the lift?
So I’m answer
First, a lot of parks have OpS do block checks and maintenance only does check in the PM of the ride. The logic however is a little of. You normally want to test the system under normal condition for the day. If I did it at 2 am then it was done again at 9am I would argue that the system was not the same hours of “off” time later. However like your park manny will say it’s perfectly fine and not to worry. I believe more parks have OPS check the blocks as trains are brought out not required to have maintenance. If that makes senses.
Second
You always want to check blocks next to each other. How the park does it is up for debate. Most prefer to use people to block the eyes and stop a train as it’s much more forgiving than playing with two 14 ton trains.
Does that help or answer the questions?
Great video! I think it would be really cool if you did a video covering all the different type of brakes and how they work (with schematics). I’ve been super confused at the pinch brakes on space mountain and big thunder mountain at Disneyland, I’m not sure exactly how that mechanism works. Thanks!
Edit: To add on, I have pictures and videos of the brakes and such if you would like any.
I can do a pinch brake video
That’d be great! @@ryantheridemechanic
Some newer B&M have a block test function on the panel views for ops.
You would go to that screen hold the HMI Enable button and then press the hold on section button theres one for each block section typically we will do a hold on service brake first in a 2 train operation. Dispatch the train after we have enabled the hold the train will go around the course and hold in the service brake. We then dispatch the 2nd train ans it will stop on lift park we then on the HMI enable hold on safety and then release the safety the train would roll Forward and stop. Then we would press hold on transfer and release from safety. After that the lift will now allow us to strar it back up and the train would continue and stop in service.
We then bring the train into the station with advance and then the train in the safety would automatically roll forward to the transfer when the teain in the station parked.
Fury 325 has the same block check mechanism on its HMI screen for ride ops to do block tests with
were you watching a race while you were filming?
One of my own yes.
@@ryantheridemechanic perhaps you could tell us more about your racing career some day
What is the process to start a LIM launch ride
see if this video has it
ua-cam.com/video/oZshEbKHLQc/v-deo.html
Ayo dog don’t forget to make your announcement …..before you start your list/test lol. 😂 and yes I’m a rides mechanic too . Keep up the good videos brother 🤙🏽
thank you!
Does each train get its own bay and that's it's bay for ever or does it not matter which bay the trains go into?
Most rides are set to where each train has its own bay. Numbers don’t mater on 99% of roses out there. Some stack trains 2 or 3 deep but you don’t want to play Musical trains with a broken 12ton vehicle.
Do intermediate block brakes typically run off their own local air compressor or are they plumbed into the rest of the system?
@@sharkheadism into the rest of the system. It’s less headache to worry about satellite air systems running.
Do you use checklists when you perform these procedures? If not, you could take some wisdom from the aircraft industry. There checklists can be customized to deal with the particulars of the ride, & transfer some of your wisdom & experience to others starting things up.
How do you check hydraulic restraints, which don't click?
No check lists. But it was trained from person to person. Hydraulics, you unlock one side of the cylinders, and just pull up firm. If the restraint feels spongy, that cylinder is bad.
Yay my request is uploaded 😁
👍👍
1 hour gang 🎉
Trying to figure out what race is playing on the screen😂. Also... really liking the longer videos! Thanks
One of my old stock car races. I like to watch them from time to time
Another nice video keep them coming! Speaking of Zamperla did you see that beautiful train they made for TT2. I definitely thought about you as I checked out those sweet road wheels. Quite a few nice trains for this season from the major players in the US.
So nice looking. Can’t wait to see how it performs.
Very interesting video! Also, I spy a racing video on the monitor lol
Yes
I would love to see a deep dive on ride lockout. Many folks may have only seen the procedure used with high voltage / gas line shutoff. The idea that the master key for the ride is not present- thus it is safe to work on the ride is what people may have in mind. Having a physical padlock for each person involved is not intuitive for many.
7:39 I would of thought there would be a way for each vehicle to be tested individually via the joystick without haves to cycle the ride
Not on the kiddo rides. Most mechanics don’t even test them. If there’s a problem they will let maintenance know. Mechanics just test the integrity of the joystick it’s self.
@@ryantheridemechanic The airplane kiddie at our park has a function to test the joystick without moving the ride, it will just give it al little pop up like halve a meter.
@@Scjheinen nice.
ua-cam.com/video/wpReh5u22oQ/v-deo.html can you guys INOP tag the light?
It’s more like they would call the ride back up and then go back and get the replacement bulb and head back out to the ride with it running. Then just change it between cycles.
Arrow mega looper, block check by yourself, im thinking a little impossible...
some systems allow enough manipulation to do something like that. some don't.
I'm intrigued. You make me want to go back and try. :D
Always amazing!! Fantastic information to know.
Love your videos! Very informative! I've always wanted to work on roller coasters, but had to settle for working on cars instead.
Work is work
I look forward to your videos. Let’s go!
What do you do when a ride valleys. P.s love your videos man!!!
Thank you
He mentioned that on a smaller ride you can try to push the train with a few people or pull using a vehicle or a winch. If all else fails, you have to get a crane there, take the coaches off the track and re-assemble them in a different spot. So, depending on the type of coaster and where the train valleys, the action plan is somewhere between these two extremes.
Some coasters actually have means to get a stuck train moving again when there are spots that are prone to that happening. Phantasialand's Colorado Adventure (Vekoma mine train) actually has an additional chain lift mechanism built in close to the final brake run as the trains used to stall there quite often. In normal operation, it is not used, but it's there just in case. I guess then someone just needs to operate the right key switches and push a button to get the train out of that spot.
This got stuck under hold for review. Anyway, the answer is swear a lot. Then look to see if there are any little kids around that are now traumatized, then swear some more. Punch things, kick things, place blame where blame is needed. The start to pull it out of where ever it is.
Great video Ryan. You mentioned these checks are after the rides have been standing for several days. Is it the same checks if they’re operational daily?
Much more in depth inspection not just a quick look.
any thoughts on Falcon's Flight?
I still think they are going to spend a lot to time replacing wheels.
How many rides was each mechanic allocated and how long did this take before the
Depends on the day. If it’s a run up day you could have 3 rollercoasters and 10 small rides. On a standard summer day you could have a major rollercoaster and 2 small rides. Major rides always take priority over kids or small rides.
I love all of your videos. Keep this amazing content coming!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoy them
Ryan have you done a video on how a park winterizes various rides for the winter?
I touch on it in my off season work vide but I don’t focus on it. Mainly because I come from a an area that doesn’t have extreme demand during the winter so there was no need to winterize rides. So really what I know is from the manuals and talking with other mechanics.
Great content, random question.......went to a park (UK) recently where they stopped rides for fireworks display and then fired all the rides back a little later.
Heard one guest ask a staff member what this alarm sound was that was going off.....to which she replied just the start up procedure for the rides (in this case it was a woodie.
Just wondered if that was normal or something completely different to your experience
Yeah thats common, depends on the park and manufacturer
Most newer rides have an alarm or siren to warn that the lift hill is starting. Also some rides have a warning that the control power turned on.
Yep!! Thanks
Why can’t there be a train in service and safety/transfer and safety brake at the same time but there can be a train in the block and service at the same time? (The order is transfer safety service isn’t it?)
Most B&M’s don’t stop in the safety. Not sure why but i’m sure there’s some like very rare scenario where having safety empty is extremely useful for something because B&M thinks of everything.
The layout for ours was service safety transfer. We tempered the term from furthest out was remember to SERVICE your SAFETY brakes before transfer.
Cool that you used a video of raptor at cedar point at 55:47
How about general daily things that are done to get the ride started up?
Such as? Some idea / thought in specific.
@@ryantheridemechanic this is going over earlier or later in the season where they're closed on the weekends, so is the procedure different when it's open every day since it'll have been touched and ran the day before
@@beowolf9480 mainly just a lot of the double Check becomes inspect. I might do a video one day on inspecting a ride but not sure as it would be hyper focused on one small thing.