Top Thrill Dragster weather related question...

I notice today on the webcam that due to the misty weather the first hill is not visable. When the ride operators can't see the train car at the top and something was to happen, would this cause a safety issue? How can they operate the trains when they can't see them?

Dvo's avatar

TTD runs in the fog. The train either comes down the left side or the right... they can see it roll back, if it indeed does so, and then still take the appropriate actions. In my opinion, it's one of the better experiences on that ride.


380 MF laps
Smoking Area Drone Pilot

Cargo Shorts's avatar

The expression on the face of the driver should be priceless if it never came down.

It has happened before - at least twice that I know of. Although I don't think it was foggy at the time. :)


-Matt

Pete's avatar

It has stalled by balancing right at the top and didn't come down until it was pushed over by maintenance. The "driver" doesn't need to see the train, like all modern coasters, it is automatically controlled by sensors and a PLC.


I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

Even more than a rollback (which we got two of during CoasterMania late ERT last year), I think the ultimate would be to ride TTD in the fog. Launch into the thick mist, not seeing where you are, vertical up out of the cloud, then dive straight back in... I have a couple pictures saved someone took from a plane or helicopter of TTD & MF peeking through the top of a fog cloud. Just looks amazing.


ROUNDABOUND.

That does sound cool and have not yet experienced it that way.

I have been watching it for a while and not seen any trains go. It is currently down or just not running today?

Pete's avatar

It was running about 45 minutes ago.


I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

I remember years ago my son and I arrived at the park for passholder morning ERT. It was very foggy. So foggy in fact that on our way to Millennium Force we couldn't see TTD. When we got to the top of Millennium Force we looked over at Dragster and all you could see was the very top of the hill. Very cool. And riding Millennium in the fog was awesome.

There was a rollback tonight just as we were getting ready to board , took 45 min to reset and we ended up getting the last ride of the night. We were pretty happy as we were leaving to go back to Kentucky and wanted one last ride before we left.

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