Skycoastin' Steve's 2012 Season Extravaganza!!

[Chain DawgI Guess Donkeys Are Okay]

I am about 100% sure that if they had a single rider queue (the kind where you sit where you are told, and that's that...) they would have full trains continuously. Some people don't care, they just wanna ride...

Couldn't agree with you more. A single rider line would help fill in the gaps, but where would they put it in an already cramped station? How could they even change it so that you could exit on the other side of the station. The transfer track for the train maintenance bay is in the way, and the lift hill stairs are to the front. I was talking with a ride op, as I was buckling into my seat (back row, left side, wing seat...most intense ride I've ever had on a coaster), and he said that the single sided station is miserable. Those storage carousels don't work right either...nice idea...just fails on the execution.

Great trip report Steve!!

[OCJ48Does Jeff Johnson count this donkey as a credit?]

What were they thinking with that single-sided station? Unless there are separate load and unload zones you have to have both sides. There is no possible way to make a single-sided station with a combined load and unload zone work as efficiently as a double-sided one or one with separate load and unload zones.

Excellent TR, though!

[Dailey EnterprizesChallenge me at Donkey Kong...I dare ya!]

I really liked your report Steve. It sounds like the park hasn't changed much since I last visited for Storm Runner's inaugural season. Which is not a good thing.

Man the coaster looks "naked" around the lift hill section. It reminds me of a coaster in No Limits in great need of supports, but I'm glad they didn't tear out any trees for it. Shame about the employees because I've been dealing with unhappy coworkers at work (Steve, I know you work at Outback too, so you probably know what I'm talking about). They constantly whine about everything and it; of course, affects their tips. Amusement park employees are another breed, but I'm sure management needs to step it up for better operations.

Keep it up man.

[kingdakacorWhat's with the donkeys anyway?]

When I rode it I noticed the lap bar pressure is a little less sitting in the middle compare to the wing seats. But yeah as was said, they were waiting until everyone exited and cleared the station before letting the next group on=long dispatch time. I did like the lazy susan bag drops they put in though. But I wish the lapbars didn't cause so much tightness. I mean it's so good a ride in hurts and the air is great but maybe this could be a good nickname for it........"Thighcrush".........

[vacoaster09A donkey is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family.]

I think they only option would be to somehow turn the currently holding block zone before the transfer and station into a unload station. They would have to extend a platform around that part. The section would still function as a block but also an unload. Riders and get off the train and the train will then advance into the load station similar to the way Manta at SWSD does with the restraints already up. Of course, ideally, they would have to design a path that leads straight to the photo booth before letting guest back into the midway. The current unload path can then be turned into a single riders line. Now that I am thinking though. I wonder if the reduction brakes would then have to be modified to actually be able to stop the train completely... It looks like it already can do that, im just not sure because the train in the videos I've seen, continues through it with some speed. Chances of such happening, probably never. But HEY, one can hope.

[JakizleI had sex with N-Tag before you did.]

I think they only option would be to somehow turn the currently holding block zone before the transfer and station into a unload station. They would have to extend a platform around that part. The section would still function as a block but also an unload. Riders and get off the train and the train will then advance into the load station similar to the way Manta at SWSD does with the noodles already up. Of course, ideally, they would have to design a path that leads straight to the photo booth before letting guest back into the midway. The current unload path can then be turned into a single riders line. Now that I am thinking though. I wonder if the reduction brakes would then have to be modified to actually be able to stop the train completely... It looks like it already can do that, im just not sure because the train in the videos I've seen, continues through it with some speed. Chances of such happening, probably never. But HEY, one can hope.

This would work. With 2 trains and a really fast ride time they wouldn't need any more blocks. This is assuming they use the same program now where the train follows the previous one into the station as it goes up the lift so that the unload area would be clear by the time the train climbing the lift reaches the top.

[vacoaster09A donkey is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family.]

^True.... So I guess this would solve the problem. Granting them ability to be mor efficient in terms of filling seats with single riders and guest not complaining about sitting and being stappled. This also means that the current Loose Article bins would have to be retired. But IMO, I don't think they should've let them into the line in the first place. They should just have free fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo. So hopefully HP can cough up some money and buiding second platform, have Intamin come back out some slight re-programming, and WALAA! They certainly have the space behind the station to build this plaform and it wouldn't have to be as big.

[Skycoastin SteveFive babies drowned in a fire]

I think we can all agree that something has to be done about that station. I even wonder if there's a way they could build a staircase off the back of the station for people to use as an exit. I didn't look that closely at the back of the station to see if it's even possible, but I find it impossible to believe that there's absolutely no way they could have people unload on the other side and still make it work.

[coasterfreak101Gimme Some Candy!]

^The problem is that the far side of the station is taken up by the lift stairs, the operator booth, a maintenance hallway to the transfer, and the transfer track behind it. There's really no place a stairwell can be built easily, though I'm sure they could make some big modifications.

The only problem with an unload station is that they'll need to rework the brake runs a bit - they would need to be able to bring trains to a stop before the unload station, then have room for the unload station before the transfer track (the train currently stops over the transfer section). That might require some reworking of the preliminary brakes and the turn over Comet, but if Intamin can redesign the I305 turn, they can redesign this too.

[JakizleI had sex with N-Tag before you did.]

^The problem is that the far side of the station is taken up by the lift stairs, the operator booth, a maintenance hallway to the transfer, and the transfer track behind it. There's really no place a stairwell can be built easily, though I'm sure they could make some big modifications.

The only problem with an unload station is that they'll need to rework the brake runs a bit - they would need to be able to bring trains to a stop before the unload station, then have room for the unload station before the transfer track (the train currently stops over the transfer section). That might require some reworking of the preliminary brakes and the turn over Comet, but if Intamin can redesign the I305 turn, they can redesign this too.

They can have the exit platform on the left side of the track and the unload station area can still be used as the transfer.

Also, here is the front and back of the station for reference. No room for stairs anywhere: