Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

[MakoMania]

So that's how they afforded to extend ride close to 9pm

 

[shakey]

.. but during periods like now where the wind is still they will switch one of the trains wheels so it's slower, so that it can still run 2 together.

Still don't understand this, why does one train need to be slower because they never actually run 2 together? One is always in the station.



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[John]

It's not to do with the relative speed of the trains, it's to do with how fast any given train is going when it reaches the (midcourse?) brakes - too fast and the ride will shut down. They can't use any fast trains when the ride is running quickly, so presumably they try and have 2 slow trains available in summer when they're more likely to be needed.

 

[shakey]

It's not to do with the relative speed of the trains, it's to do with how fast any given train is going when it reaches the (midcourse?) brakes - too fast and the ride will shut down. They can't use any fast trains when the ride is running quickly, so presumably they try and have 2 slow trains available in summer when they're more likely to be needed.

That makes sense if both trains are slower but never understood the theory that they run one fast and one slow one on the same day. That makes no sense at all so I presume that both trains running are the same speed.

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[Katy]

That makes sense if both trains are slower but never understood the theory that they run one fast and one slow one on the same day. That makes no sense at all so I presume that both trains running are the same speed.

Not sure what they do now, but they used to have 1 slow, 1 medium, 1 fast so they could run the slow and medium on days with no wind and the fast and medium on windy days (although the problem then was days where it was too windy for a medium but not too windy for a fast putting it on one train service)

 

[Poisson]

Or just yaknow, spend a small sum and get the brakes fixed. On second thoughts, they'd invite KumbaK so they shouldn't.

 

[Matt N]

As my parents keep asking me, I'd just like to ask; are Icon queues and queues in general still reasonably low?

 

[kurtis.99]

As my parents keep asking me, I'd just like to ask; are Icon queues and queues in general still reasonably low?

Icon queues move pretty quickly tbf other rides really depend on how quick they are dispatching but with Icon there's usually a train in the station as the other one is being loaded

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[Matt N]

Icon queues move pretty quickly tbf other rides really depend on how quick they are dispatching but with Icon there's usually a train in the station as the other one is being loaded

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Brill! Hoping the queues are still this short in August when I go! Thanks @kurtis.99!

 

[Coaster]

As my parents keep asking me, I'd just like to ask; are Icon queues and queues in general still reasonably low?

Icon's queue moves very fast even on two trains, so if it's full you're looking at 20 - 30 minutes depending on whether it's 2 or 3 trains in service.

Also you get the music!

 

[Poopoohead]

It’s on two trains today and I queued 20 mind max

 

[Matt N]

Woohoo! Bring on August! Thanks guys!

In terms of Icon compared to other rides' queue times in their opening year, I'm wondering whether it will fall on the Mako end of the spectrum (longest we waited all trip was 10-15 minutes) or the WM/Gringotts end of the spectrum (close to 3 hours). With the reported queues, I'm starting to think that it might be slightly more towards the Mako end of the spectrum, but I never know!

 

[John]

There is only enough space for a 30 minute queue, even on 2 trains. Anything over 45 minutes or so seems highly unlikely even if the park was packed, as people would assume the queue is much longer than it actually is with it being so far out the entrance.

 

[rob666]

Isn't it embarrassing when you think someone is waving at you, so you wave back.
Then you realise he wasn't waving at all, it was Jamie cleaning the station mirrors.

 

[Matt N]

There is only enough space for a 30 minute queue, even on 2 trains. Anything over 45 minutes or so seems highly unlikely even if the park was packed, as people would assume the queue is much longer than it actually is with it being so far out the entrance.

Ah OK. Thanks @John! That's reassuring!

 

[Ash84]

Still don't understand this, why does one train need to be slower because they never actually run 2 together? One is always in the station.



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Others may have answered this for you, but let's say, for the sake of argument the set up is as follows :

Train 1 = always slow
Train 2 = always fast
Train 3 = fast for now.

You visit on a day where the set up is as above, with little or no wind you will find it on one train (train 1) because the other two with fly round and slam into the brakes too fast and estop the ride. Train 3 would have its wheels switched ideally for summer to slow the train down to enable a 2 train service. Sods law dictate's that the next day will see 35 mph winds and you'd be back to a single train (train 2)

Of course by September you'd expect train 3 to be set up as a fast train to deal with the winds that time of year usually brings. The occasional day that goes against the norm can cause problems for the Big One, which is why we sometimes find it on one train with a 2 hour queue for seemingly no reason, it's usually a still day in February or a windy day in July.

It's certainly not an ideal way of running things, and I'm under the impression that the transfer track is not very well (terminally ill) which is why they rule has been brought in about if the park has less than 2500 people booked in its on 1 train, they simply don't want it moving up and down any more than is necessary.

 

[rob666]

Then add in a gentle push from senior management to encourage speedypass sales, and there is little desire at all to put a second train on the track on "medium" days.

 

[shakey]

Others may have answered this for you, but let's say, for the sake of argument the set up is as follows :

Train 1 = always slow
Train 2 = always fast
Train 3 = fast for now.

You visit on a day where the set up is as above, with little or no wind you will find it on one train (train 1) because the other two with fly round and slam into the brakes too fast and estop the ride. Train 3 would have its wheels switched ideally for summer to slow the train down to enable a 2 train service. Sods law dictate's that the next day will see 35 mph winds and you'd be back to a single train (train 2)

Of course by September you'd expect train 3 to be set up as a fast train to deal with the winds that time of year usually brings. The occasional day that goes against the norm can cause problems for the Big One, which is why we sometimes find it on one train with a 2 hour queue for seemingly no reason, it's usually a still day in February or a windy day in July.

It's certainly not an ideal way of running things, and I'm under the impression that the transfer track is not very well (terminally ill) which is why they rule has been brought in about if the park has less than 2500 people booked in its on 1 train, they simply don't want it moving up and down any more than is necessary.

I wonder how often it would run on one train if it was pay per ride?

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[John]

It would still have the same issues, they might be more willing to push the boundaries and risk it stalling or shutting down due to overspeed. Nowadays they seemingly take the view that 1 train operation isn't ideal but better than having the ride shut entirely.

For 3 train operation it was apparently 3 medium speed trains and a little bit of hoping for the best.

 

[Ash84]

I wonder how often it would run on one train if it was pay per ride?

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Indeed, but you can (and many have) said that about various rides ever since wristbands came in. Go back a couple of days we were talking about the Streaks second train. One reason put forward for it not running 2 was it is a short ride. They ride we have today is the same length that ran 2 in the PPR days, in fact go far enough back it uses to run 3!