Adam

Thanks, How would a multi-carriage train reverse? i.e. do they use turntables, or another method?

What exactly is a family flat ride? Any links would be great.

Thanks Alex. Thats exactly what I was after. Very much appreciated.

Five posts in a row. Is that a record?

Okay but what does "rails on the outside" actually mean? Thanks Gazza

lol, I was actually going to say a Mack or Intamin water coaster. Scott, you know me, Mack all the way... How can you argue with Mack's new vision statement and dedication to water rides. I think a new ride would be great for Dreamworld. An indoor coaster would be awesome.

A Mack water coaster would be the shizznet.

Thanks Richard, all this information is new to me. I have read, re-read and re-read the re-reading of that statement and it still doesn’t make sense to me, I believe you when you say it doesn’t contradict the other website, but I cannot understand it. Rather than the rails be on the inside of the ties, they will be on the outside Doesn’t that mean that the rails are going to be on the outside, and the wheels that connect to the track, be on the inside? Wait a minute... what are ties? I was reading this as tyres...

What type of track do you expect to see on Expedition Everest? Single carriage, or multiple carriages per train? What sort of lift hill? Rubber tyres, or a chain? It appears that the wheels are mounted outside of the track, as is evident in some contruction photos below. So, Vekoma's new ride system is to actually have the wheels ride on the outside of the track? This contradicts what RCDB.com said - "The Expedition Everest will be the first ride to use Vekoma's newest track system. Rather than the rails be on the inside of the ties, they will be on the outside" I have also found that the ride has individual carriages (as shown below). What does everyone else think?

What type of track do you expect to see on Expedition Everest? Single carriage, or multiple carriages per train? What sort of lift hill? Rubber tyres, or a chain?

Have you got any pictures of the model?

I have read that this ride is the first large scale implementation of the new Vekoma ride system. http://www.coasters2k.com/trackids/vekoma/modern.php Quote, rcdb.com – “The Expedition Everest will be the first ride to use Vekoma's newest track system. Rather than the rails be on the inside of the ties, they will be on the outside. To date Vekoma has only used this system on their smaller roller coasters. This will be the first large scale installation of such a system.” On the diagram, it does not appear that the track is on the outside. Attached is an image of the carriages that I thought were for the new ride system, however, they don’t match the track shown in the above link. It also seems that the track image contradicts rcdb.com. Can anyone clear this up for me?

Thanks wally. Looks like a pretty good park. Have you been to our Australian Movie World? If you have, how would you say they compare?

I agree with you completely Richard, very well said. Unless your version is any different to Jelsoft’s main stream forum software – vBulletin has a very extensive administrator backend – arguably the best administrator control panel ever added to commercial forum software. While that is completely irrelevant to the point you're trying to make, I just thought I'd point it out.

Thanks Alex, Maybe they are suggesting that it feels as though you're not moving in a horizontal direction - although I wouldn't say it provides an illusion of not moving. Anyway, I guess it's just a marketing ploy - anything different attracts attention. From the description you provided it appears the lift is identical to Scooby.

Haha, Daniel, its all planned. It never just ends up that way

Yea, thats what I would have thought as well joz. So how would they make it feel as though you're not moving? Maybe someone who's been to Sea World could help us out. Thanks.

More often than I would a DVD, but I'd still probably buy it.

Okay, so you've been on the ride? Moving a lift slowly is not much of an innovation. Also the ride only takes 5 minutes to complete and climbing 23 meters at a crawl (e.g. speed of Giant Drop at the top) would take a long time, so this is how they do it?

What do you think this means? Has anyone been on the ride that could explain how they make it feel as though your not moving? Thanks, Adam.

I agree, does anyone know when Scooby is going down for annual maintenance?

Thanks Richard for your great explanation. I was thinking the motors would just turn off and decelerate to a “locked up” or rest position (e.g. a high torque motor slowing down just because it has been turned off), but what Richard said about having variable speed control allows for even more control. Alex, I choose option one, but with some modifications. The track mounted motors continue to operate until a car reaches a carefully placed sensor which tells the motor to begin decelerating and bring the car to rest. This would in fact be smoother than skidding on a stationary wheel. It would also allow the carriage to be stopped in the same place each time; as opposed to option two in which case a number of factors can change the rate of deceleration. With this method it also allows the car to continue forward again with no hassles as the drive wheels will be located directly underneath the carriage.

lol, look at this... Don't feel like an idiot Paul. You were right

Thanks nev, I finally agree that for the cars to have motors and brakes is just stupid – I’m glad there is a place to discuss this stuff. Just to clear things up; I asked the question about the wheels locking up on the ride hoping to get the particular answer I was looking for. So far, two people have said this isn’t how they stop the cars; trying to help answer my question. But then I go and tell them they’re wrong. It doesn’t make sense as they were trying to help me! The reason I asked the question was because I was really sure in my mind that this is how they worked but I decided to ask as I was sure people would agree (and then this would also reassure me that this is how it works). I am sorry if it seems that “I know everything” and I am “Always right” but its going to take some convincing to change my mind (unless rich told me I’m wrong - and unlike last time - I would take his word for it and move on). The reason I think I am right is because I have been on the ride many times and I have witnessed the cars stopping and starting at the loading station and on the pre-lift track many times. I have also asked an engineer his opinion on the subject, and if they used Alex's/Gazza's way of stopping the cars he said it would stop the cars, but he thought it would be unreliable, but he is not a roller coaster engineer and it could have been the way I worded the question that made him choose that answer – so it doesn’t count. There are two ways that will make me change my mind What I really want, is Richard to comment on this, although I think Richard thinks I’m a smart arse that makes up stuff (and I sometimes comes across this way). If he was to comment on it, and disagree with me, then I will drop this. OR Next time I go to Movie World I will check. Thanks, Adam.

Thanks Alex but I still have further questions. When the car comes back to the station, it needs to stop at exactly the right place (and it does), if the wheels were off, how would it do this? Also when you ride the ride the wheels are clearly moving and only stop once the car reaches a certain point (which I am guessing is a sensor as I have suggested). And before the lift, if the wheels right before the lift were off (in order to stop the car), how would it stop the car at the precise moment it needs to? I am pretty sure it waits until the wheels are directly under the car and then stops them. If you notice on dispatch, both cars proceed forward but when the second car reaches a certain point, the wheels exactly underneath the car are killed (rather than stopping the wheels before the car reaches it). I think this is because it is hitting a sensor (and the logic controller also knows that the next zone is occupied so it stops the tires). In my opinion, stopping the carriage when the wheels are directly under the carriage is the best thing to do (in other sections of the ride where cars do not stop often, such as between the station and the lift, the wheels might turn off completely, as both of you say - I am not sure as I have never seen it happen). You can also see green boxes (which are track sensors) after each of these sets of wheels used to stop the cars. And notice how each motor drives three wheels, the perfect size to fit under each carriage so the car at rest can accelerate again. At the loading station, or before the lift, I have never seen a car stop over just one or two wheels (as is likely to happen if these wheels were off before the car reached it), they stop perfectly over all the wheels. This is perfectly true! The wheels you are talking about though are not used to stop the cars. I have been to Movie World many times and at the loading bay once a car has left, the wheels on the track where the car is designed to stop, keep turning until the next car is exactly over them, and then it stops it at the perfect time. This is how I believe the wheel brakes stop the car. Very efficient and the deceleration can even be controlled (to some extent). Everyone, opinions?