Mean Streak is extra slow

Tuesday, 07 July 1998

Dave Althoff, a regular on Usenet and far more knowledgeable about CP than I am, posted a trip report for June 21 with the following on Mean Streak:

"From the front seat, I could see where the road wheels had worn deep angled gouges into the road steel. Those spots corresponded to rough spots in the ride, and places where the train screeched noisily. Likewise, pie-wedge gouges in the road rail corresponded nicely to screeching and shuffling on the turns. PTC's articulated cars still can't take turns, and Mean Streak proves it. I think a little grease applied regularly to those turns so that the road wheels can slide laterally would have prevented or reduced that rail wear, and would make for a smoother ride now. Of course, I can't let a Mean Streak trip go by without at least mentioning that it is absolutely necessary to keep clear of the seatback while riding, and that molded foam doesn't belong on a wood coaster seat. Oh, it is worth noting that the spiel still claims that the ride time on Mean Streak is 2:56. I clocked it at 3:20, or 24 seconds slow. Even worse, I have a park PR packet which claims a ride time of 2:45. Yup...35 SECONDS SLOW. I've ridden coasters that don't run 35 seconds!"