Movie World Update

[Adam]

I went to Movie World for a quick visit on Sunday 6th March 2005 Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster The ride was looking really good. Not all the lasers were operating which made the main roller coaster section seem darker. Having the ride darker was actually really fun. Also, at the loading station, I noticed a voice over instructing guests on ride safety (such as how to board, that cameras and video recorders are prohibited etc.). I can’t remember that being there last time. Wild West Falls I think the final lift hill is looking great, the lanterns on each side flicker when you’re going up and the audio system is awesome. At the top it was pretty average but the timing on both doors was perfect (it was reported earlier on the forums that both doors weren’t operating). I think Wild West is a great themed ride. The best outdoor themed ride in Australia. I have two questions relating to Wild West as well,

1

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If the emergency stop is initiated, is there anything that would stop the boats other than the fact that the pumps would be off (on the floating sections of the ride)?

2

.

If for some reason a boat got suck, and then remained stuck until the boat behind it bumped into it, and then the two boats were really close, would it stop the second boat at the top of the lift hill and only release the first onto the turntable? Or would the ride be shut down? Is there anything in place to prevent the boats bumping into each other on the floating section of the ride? (e.g. pumps turn off if a boat hits a sensor and the next boat hasn’t cleared the next zone)

Superman Escape The area has now been fenced off and half of the que area for the Movie Magic Special Effects Show / Looney Tunes concert has been taken down (e.g. the roof). The rest I think will remain where it is and the new themeing will go around it. I didn’t notice any signs relating to the new attraction. Twenty four days until construction begins... Lethal Weapon The ride is currently down for annual maintenance. Thanks for taking the time to read my report and if you can answer my questions then please do so.

[Gazza]

Yeah, the blocking system for WWF would work like you described, There are also devices that can stop the boat completley, usually a gate type device. These are visible when you ride on Vikings Revenge at SW at the top of the drop.

[the_worker]

Yeh, I sometimes sit at the top break on Vikings Revenge at SW. Having to push the emergency stop if someone is wearing a hat etc. Well, it is not an E Stop, but more of a break button. Small gates/vertical bars rise up out of the water. The same happens on Bermuda.

[Slick]

HAHAHAH very nice the_worker. Your avatar is bender when he gets turned into a car. Nice.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

i dont think "shutting off the pumps" would be sufficient to stop a "bump" between two boats. the boats are generally spaced far enough away, just through the procedure of loading the boats... but this is a water ride, for which most of the motion is generated by the water current. Bussy will be able to back this up - that on Snowy River Rampge at WLS, shutting off the pumps takes at least half the course for the boats to touch bottom, and they will continue to float down the course until they hit the bottom.... soooooo that is not an option in an "emergency" style situation. To be honest, I haven't seen a "gating" system on WWF, but a good thing about it is that it does have two lift hills to control the amount of boats in each "zone". I think its safe to assume that while not visible, WWF would have SOME SORT of pneumatic or hydraulic gates that would pop up to prevent a boat entering a dangerous area. As far as the "two boats at the turntable" question, Remember that in a situation such as this, a Maintenance team would need to clear the ride before it is restarted. I cannot imagine WBMW turning on the pumps when they have guests in the boats, in the middle of the circuit. guests would be removed, and maintenance would monitor, oversee and control the release of boats through the circuit at the proper safe intervals.

[Adam]

i dont think "shutting off the pumps" would be sufficient to stop a "bump" between two boats

Exactly. Does anyone know how extensively boats are monitored through the floating section of the ride? And what happens if a boat enters an occupied zone?

As far as the "two boats at the turntable" question, Remember that in a situation such as this, a Maintenance team would need to clear the ride before it is restarted.

What if, for example, two boats were right behind each other going up the lift hill. Do you think the lift logic controller would be able to successfully send one car down the drop, then load the next once its safe, or do you not think the sensors are not positioned close enough to be able to sense two cars close together? When I have been on the ride, the lift hill has never stopped at the top just before the turntable, it usually stops about halfway up, would it be able to handle to cars right behind each other? Or would it signal the emergency stop? (in order for it two send two cars right behind each other at safe intervals the lift would need to stop at the top - can it do this?)

[Ian]

did you see me?

[Adam]

I'm not sure what you look like but if you were operating Scooby, Wild West or Road Runner then I would have Or I might have seen you somewhere around the park...

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

What if, for example, two boats were right behind each other going up the lift hill. Do you think the lift logic controller would be able to successfully send one car down the drop, then load the next once its safe, or do you not think the sensors are not positioned close enough to be able to sense two cars close together?

this situation could never happen. remember that in normal operation, the boats have a fair separation. if an estop is pressed, then the separation would remain constant for the boats on the lifts, and the rest of the boats would bunch up, towards the bottom of the lift. If asked to make an assumption, I would say that maintenance would need to be present at the bottom of each lift hill for a restart, and only allow boats to mount the lift at safe intervals. How they would do this I dont know, but at a guess, turn on the water, but not the lifts, and give the maintenance guy manual control of the "gate" at the bottom of the lift, and the lift itself, to bring them through at his own control and discretion, or (since the boats do have wheels) they could possibly get away with pushing the boats back up the water chute, away from the lift, to get an even and fair separation.

[rappa]

I don't know about the circuit in between, but I'm sure there would be some blocks in there, however the lifts do a fairly good job of controlling the interval between boats. You will notice that boats regularly stop on the conveyor lift section of the first hill. This would keep the interval always at the right duration therfore meaning blocks are only required if something happens to alter the speed of the boats moving through the course.

[Adam]

Even if the situation is unlikely I am asking about the lift hill logic system – this situation is if two cars have been loaded onto the lift hill closely together and have not been detected by ride operators. Can everyone (73 people have been on this thread) please tell me what you think would happen if two boats were loaded onto the lift hill very close together. (A) The two boats would continue up the lift hill until the first boat passed the checking sensor half way up the lift, since the next zone, upper lift section, is unoccupied the lift would continue to operate but when the next boat hit the sensor it would signal an emergency stop as a zone rule has been violated. ( The two boats would continue up the lift hill until the first boat passed the checking sensor half way up the lift, since the main drop area / turntable is unoccupied the two boats continue to the top, when the first boat is loaded into the turntable this zone becomes occupied and when the second boat hits the second checking sensor (at the very top), the lift hill is stopped until the drop zone is clear again, and then the ride continues to operate. © There would be two sensors that limit how close each boat can board the lift and if a discrepancy is detected the emergency stop would be signalled. (D) Your own theory (as long as it doesn’t include operators shutting down the ride etc.) The main two differences between A and B is the zone areas. I think B would be the most efficient option but I’m just guessing. I am now waiting for 73 replies… Thanks.

[rappa]

Two boats would not get loaded onto the lift hill at the same time... If you look at the lift hill you will see the bottom few meters is a rubber belt which progresses onto a chain lift. The two operate independantly of each other. If a boat is already on the chain lift the next boat will load onto the belt which will then stop until the preceeding boat has cleared the block at which time the belt will advance the second boat onto the chain lift. That clear it up?

[Adam]

I have talked with Clint, and now I think that even though multiple cars are allowed on the lift, they are spaced out by the PLC that controls the conveyor belt at the bottom. How does that sound?

[Bussy]

Bussy will be able to back this up - that on Snowy River Rampge at WLS, shutting off the pumps takes at least half the course for the boats to touch bottom, and they will continue to float down the course until they hit the bottom

The boats on Snowy didn't touch the bottom when the e-stop was pressed because there was enough water still running through to get all of the boats down to the bottom of the lift. My guess would be that there is a PLC sensor at the bottom of the lift and one midway and another at the top. There would be some way of stopping the boats at the bottom so that the distance between the sensors is the gap between the boats. "The Bus is now leaving for Boy In The Boat, Tasmania"

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

i should have been a little more specific. I just realised i used the same term for two different things. when i said "hit the bottom" i meant the bottom of the chute, not the concrete floor of the chute tunnel itself...

[Whombex]

did you see me?

I'm not sure what you look like but if you were operating Scooby, Wild West or Road Runner then I would have Or I might have seen you somewhere around the park...

Adam, having been on these forums for just over a month, I have learnt a few things about other members from their posts. Such as this recent post by Rabid, where he links to some pics of himself. FYI When I next visit SW/MW, I'll PM Rabid to see if he'll be there that day.

[mr_buttonpusher]

The wild west ride is completely safe.

[Adam]

The wild west ride is completely safe.

Well I for one am glad that someone is brave enough to come out with the truth! That's good to hear buttonpusher.

[Bussy]

More like the bloody obvious. "The Bus is now leaving for Bloody Bridge, Norfolk Island"