Weird American Eagle Noise

[GreatAmerica832]

When the train goes over the top of the hill right before the helix, it makes a very long, loud sound. I have wondered what this sound is for the longest time. Does anybody know what it is?

Also, why does the front car of one of the trains (cant remember witch one), rise up when starting the lift hill?

[DominatorDude05]

It's an anti-roll back so that it doesn't valley before the helix.

[Tip Top Club]

It signals the end of the world.

[demon boy]

^That was just stupid and pointless.

The noise before the helix is as dominator says. An anti-rollback. And the front car hops because AE (i believe) has either not uplock wheels or very low sitting uplock wheels.

[cycamps]

You guys beat me to it.

[Demon_07]

Demon hops too on one of the further back cars. It's kind of cool.

[GreatAmerica832]

It signals the end of the world.

Yea, i'm sure

When i was in a Demon car, it not only rose up when it started the lift, but it kinda rocked back and forth too. Made me feel life it was gonna come loose.

[Demon_07]

I think I remember that. If you sit near the front, you don't get that but of course, if you sit in the back, you get to hear all the sounds in the first tunnel.

[BP317]

Demon car 2 the car shakes violently when it engages the lift...there is something with the way the chain dog reacts with the chain.

[Demon_07]

Demon car 2 the car shakes violently when it engages the lift...there is something with the way the chain dog reacts with the chain.

Does that happen to all the trains? Black always seemed roughest to me.

[Tip Top Club]

^That was just stupid and pointless.

The noise before the helix is as dominator says. An anti-rollback. And the front car hops because AE (i believe) has either not uplock wheels or very low sitting uplock wheels.

As was you're whole post (as it was already said) and your belief that they are called uplock wheels.

(Uplift)- Which it does have, incidently.

The question was answered crisis averted.

[GreatAmerica832]

^ Why are you throwing a fit? Don't get mad because demon boy told you the truth about your first post because i thought the same thing.
You haven't gave me (or anybody) any useful information on this topic other than trying to prove somebody wrong about a word, all you did was give a pointless post.
And i got the point about why the car lifts up without him using the correct word.
Thanks Demon Boy for answering my question, and now lets grow up, stop fighting, and have a nice clean chat about lift hills and car hopping.

Thank You

[Demon_07]

Yeah. Is this a debate or a sfga forum?

Consider yourself warned, as this is a completely pointless post. - RagingBullFan

[GreatAmerica832]

Speaking of lifts...

What is up with the viper lift?

It seems as if it is going to stop at the top of the lift hill.

I think someone mentioned that they change the lift hill speed.

If so, why would they slow it down like that?

[Demon_07]

I like the pause at the top. Adds suspense. As for my earlier post, I apologize.

[demon boy]

The pause on VIper is not caused on purpose by the chain speed slowing down. The train is very large and the chain stops just over the tip of the crown. So the weight of the back half of the train out weighs the front few cars causing a delay until weight can catch up to gravity pulling it down.

fyi tip top club, there is no difference between uplock and uplift wheels.

[FParker185]

the extreme slowing of Vipers lift is due to some issues of a structural nature later on in the ride. If you ride it during the first half hour of the day, it doesn't slow down, gives it some time to warm up.

[DominatorDude05]

I always thought the chain slowed at the top so that it doesn't block check itself.

[thecoasterguy]

Trains that don't have their uplift wheels always touching the track will raise up and down on steep lifts, especially older lifts where the lift didn't have a way to account for the sudden train weight on it. That's why rides like Demon and American Eagle have that happen. Whizzer doesn't get this because the lift is more gradual.

As for Viper, the slowing is definitely something the park does on purpose, probably to keep the ride running better longer. If you ride it first thing in the morning, this is often not present (probably to wait for it to heat up, as mentioned). Later in the day, the slower chain starts.

[FParker185]

I guess I'll go alittle more in depth but former head of the electrictal dept who was there when Viper was built said that the final turn of the ride has so many crossovers and so little room for structure it's underbuilt, I guess during the winter of 95/96 they rebuilt that turn alittle better but it's still not exactly where the park wanted it, so they wanted to keep the speed down slightly to keep that turn from having to much stress, rather than trim it they just enacted the super slowing of the lift which seemed to do the trick.

I know under time warner, slowing the lift at the crest was SOP, but not quite to the extent of what Viper does.

If any part of this is wrong do correct me, been a while since I heard the whole story.

[Nystagmus]

I always thought the chain slowed at the top so that it doesn't block check itself.

Unfortunately, that's not the reason why. My crew (I'm a former lead of the ride) did a fair number of setups in the beginning of the season as they learned how to operate it. The sensors (both prox and photo eye) are about 3/4 up the lift. The chain slows beyond that point. So, the slowing of the chain has nothing to do with a blocking problem.

I feel I've said this before, and maybe I have. As many have already stated, in the morning the chain operates in what is called "Fast Lift" mode for the entire time the train is on the lift. There is an actual button on the operator's maintenance panel called "Fast Lift" that activates anytime a train is approaching the lift. After the first XX number of cycles, the fast lift mode cuts out as the train reaches the top. Maintenance always told me this was so they could cycle trains through the ride faster when they tested it in the morning, but that seemed like an odd reason to me (it saves them, what, 10 seconds a cycle?).

The train never stops on the top of the lift without operator interaction. It definitely looks and feels like it does, but it does not. The chain is always moving, albeit at a very slow speed once it is out of fast-lift mode. Stopping the lift would require maintenance or supervisor action to get it going again. As someone who would talk with maintenance in the lift shed while the ride was running (I know, not the safest thing to do), I can tell you that the motor and chain never stopped working until it was told to stop.

So, check it out this year. Watch Viper early in the morning and you'll see it run over the top of the lift rather quickly. Check it again around 10:30 and you'll see it slowing down at the top. But, please remember, it does not stop at the top!

[Tip Top Club]

Even today viper is still run with fast lift up until 10:30, and just to add to fparkers post even today the final turn of the ride is frequently going under replacements and rehabs, and what not. Also it should be noted that there are photoeyes on top of the lift now, even if there weren't when you worked there nystagmus, but you're right in that it still has nothing to do with blocks.

[Demon_07]

If the eagle went that slow, man would it be cool.

[cycamps]

^That was happening towards the end of the season. When I went in late August, only blue was running, and it was was going extremely slow over the top of the lift.

[GreatAmerica832]

I remember that!

Blue side did go up the hill VERY slowly.

Why is American Eagle slowing down now?