Thorpe Park: General Discussion

[Skyscraper]

I’m meant to be going on Saturday, if it’s valleyed is it just a case of them removing the train then testing again with water dummies to reopen or is it likely to be more to it than that?

If it's open by then it could be on one train, I'm pretty sure that was the case when it valleyed last year.

 

[Leigh]

I’m meant to be going on Saturday, if it’s valleyed is it just a case of them removing the train then testing again with water dummies to reopen or is it likely to be more to it than that?

That’s been the case the last few times it’s valleyed. However, that’s not the only issue Hyperia has right now - it’s still getting stuck at the bottom of the lift on occasion amongst other things.

I wouldn’t be surprised if as a result of this latest occurrence the maximum permissible wind speed was reduced.

 

[Call_um]

I’m meant to be going on Saturday, if it’s valleyed is it just a case of them removing the train then testing again with water dummies to reopen or is it likely to be more to it than that?

Yes, it it could open in the next couple of days on 1 train and once the 2nd train is built again back on 2.

This all depends where the park want to go from here though. They might decide to close it for a while to address some of the issues its having, but I doubt they'll want it closed over the peak Easter period.

Unless a wheel change would do it, but surely they would have done that by now?

Correct. New wheels on it this year.

 

[pluk]

Looks like an opportunity is coming to see for ourselves why Hyperia does and doesnt work. Just watching the first in Hannah Fry's new series The Secret Genius of Modern Life, about the design and build of various things (air fryers tonight, exciting stuff!), and it seems like an upcoming episode might be covering Hyperia. There were loads of clips of it in the opening montage to the series. Most of her stuff is pretty in depth so could be interesting.

EDIT - the upcoming episodes does indeed include one titled 'rollercoaster'

 

[AltonLover123]

I honestly think it needs a transfer track for when it valleys.

That would sort a lot of these issues out.

I think sending out empty trains on a windy day with the chance of valleying is a silly idea either way.

It was after a wind alarm so I assume they sent the empty one to make the station clear for the train of guests on the brake run.

They could do what smiler does and not send empties during high winds at all but that requires an evac for any trains not in the station if the wind alarms don’t stop.

 

[addy2503]

It was after a wind alarm so I assume they sent the empty one to make the station clear for the train of guests on the brake run.

They could do what smiler does and not send empties during high winds at all but that requires an evac for any trains not in the station if the wind alarms don’t stop.

Could they send the train but stop it at the bottom of the lift? Or would that require an engineer? (Or tactical usage of an E-Stop button...)

 

[John]

I've never seen Hyperia's op panel but there is usually a lift stop button separate from the estop that could have been used in this situation but I imagine they don't want to leave the train on the lift indefinitely.

It's a tricky one as generally you don't want to perform an evac if you don't absolutely have to. Some parks would just get the battery packs out straight away and tell you to hold the handrail when walking back to the station, Merlin would probably deem that too risky. A full evac is a slow process but equally it doesn't make sense to leave a train of guests on the brake run whilst the staff mess about with loading the other train up with water dummies. No doubt Thorpe are going to be rethinking the procedures for this sort of thing though.

 

[Secret Weapon]

Could they send the train but stop it at the bottom of the lift? Or would that require an engineer? (Or tactical usage of an E-Stop button...)

Is it possible for the trains on Hyperia to then be sent backwards from the bottom of the lift hill back towards the station?

I might be wrong, but I think that The Smiler is able to be sent backwards at certain points in case of an emergency?

 

[flyingguitar]

Is it possible for the trains on Hyperia to then be sent backwards from the bottom of the lift hill back towards the station?

I might be wrong, but I think that The Smiler is able to be sent backwards at certain points in case of an emergency?

Not from where hyperia's hill is, that first turn will be down hill, so it can't be pushed back up.

The smiler the only places I can think of it being able to move backwards is the station blocks and on the lift its self down into the lift brakes, the lift is done so it can be lowered from the vertical lift to allow for Evacs easier but this depends on how the ride is programed.

 

[AltonLover123]

It's a tricky one as generally you don't want to perform an evac if you don't absolutely have to. Some parks would just get the battery packs out straight away and tell you to hold the handrail when walking back to the station, Merlin would probably deem that too risky. A full evac is a slow process but equally it doesn't make sense to leave a train of guests on the brake run whilst the staff mess about with loading the other train up with water dummies. No doubt Thorpe are going to be rethinking the procedures for this sort of thing though.

Totally, but it happens at Merlin already, on Smiler. If they have further wind alarm they perform the evac which prevents a potential stall. It seems they just need the same policy on Hyperia.

 

[Benzin]

Merlin wouldn't be wanting to give out free lift hill climbs now would they?

 

[b2311e]

You can only be evacuated if you've been evacd off something else first

 

[PJUK]

You can only be evacuated if you've been evacd off something else first

At first read, without reading backwards, this comment seemed like a stupid comment from a daft person; then upon reading about the lift walks and pre-requisite, I realised it was genius sarcasm!!!!!

It did make me think seriously about my own situation. Due to a fear of heights I am 99% certain I could not do a lift hill walk. I have no issue going on Hyperia, but if I were stuck at the top of the lift hill, and needed to be evac'd my feat of heights would really kick in. I am now wondering, am I a selfish person, in that such an evac would put huge demands on the skills of those trying to help me. In the worst case I might freeze and require specialist emergency service people to get me down. Is it wrong to ride Hyperia, if the small risk but subsequent huge fear of a FREE lift hill walk is very real????

Just a thought considering the run of breakdowns Hyperia is having.

 

[DiogoJ42]

I wonder, would you be allowed to descend the lift hill steps backwards, navy style? That might help as you wouldn't have to look down.
.... But then I suspect that would be more dangerous, since most people aren't accustomed to doing that. (There are some very steep stairs and rickety catwalks in studios. You get used to it quickly.)

 

[PJUK]

My issue with heights is less on the looking down, more on ability (read inability) to hold on and deal with a slip/accident. A harness attached to side raill would not help - tried that at Bear Grylls and it did not help!!!! The point b2311e makes is genius in many ways. I have never been evac'd off of another ride, so it would be a baptism of fear on Hyperia. Although the point is clearly meant to be sarcasm aimed at Merlin, I am considering forcing myself to do a lift hill walk on another ride to prepare for a potential evac. The genious point really has made me confront the reality of something I had never seriously faced before. Sometimes the simplest of things said in the right way can have profound unforseen consequences!!!

 

[Josh555]

At the end of the day if you're harnessed onto the stairs the risk of anything beyond bruising from falling over is minimal, albeit it doesn't seem that way,

Suspect that the flight and fight response would kick in and you'd be braver than you think you might be given the necessity of the situation. I wouldn't enjoy it either but I'd do it if needed.

 

[Josh555]

My issue with heights is less on the looking down, more on ability (read inability) to hold on and deal with a slip/accident. A harness attached to side raill would not help - tried that at Bear Grylls and it did not help!!!! The point b2311e makes is genius in many ways. I have never been evac'd off of another ride, so it would be a baptism of fear on Hyperia. Although the point is clearly meant to be sarcasm aimed at Merlin, I am considering forcing myself to do a lift hill walk on another ride to prepare for a potential evac. The genious point really has made me confront the reality of something I had never seriously faced before. Sometimes the simplest of things said in the right way can have profound unforseen consequences!!!

It would help though because if you slipped you wouldn't fall off.

I get the point about being crippled with fear etc but ultimately if you slipped you'd fall over and you'd be able to get up and carry on, so the harness absolutely does help.

 

[PJUK]

Of course, agree the harness would help on the physical level. On the Bear Grylls, as you point out, crippled with fear still creapt (rushed) in, as I could not comprehend the possibility of slipping. As with any (ir)rational fear, the thought of slipping and hanging in mid air etc, is the thought most in the mind. I would hope fight and flight would kick in, but one never knows. Certainly considering a lift hill walk on a smaller ride to prepare myself.

 

[Josh555]

Of course, agree the harness would help on the physical level. On the Bear Grylls, as you point out, crippled with fear still creapt (rushed) in, as I could not comprehend the possibility of slipping. As with any (ir)rational fear, the thought of slipping and hanging in mid air etc, is the thought most in the mind. I would hope fight and flight would kick in, but one never knows. Certainly considering a lift hill walk on a smaller ride to prepare myself.

To answer your questuion, no it's not selfish.

The chances of an evac are thankfully very low and if it did happen the staff are trained to deal with it and with individual guest's own fears. It's worth remembering that it's one thing to not be scared of heights in the sense that you'd willingly agree to a lift hill walk, but quite another to be concious that something has 'gone wrong' meaning you need to evactuate the ride, especially as it's likely to be from the top of the lift so you've had no time to get used to it. The reason I'm saying that is nobody ever knows how they will react to having that kind of situation thrust upon them without preparing mentally so many people who don't consider themselves scared of heights may suddenly react badly to that kind of a situation.

If you are considering a lift hill walk Wickerman may be a good one to start with.

 

[DiogoJ42]

The only lift hill I've walked is Air's. I found it to be one of the sturdiest, most rock-solid, least scary things I have climbed. Almost anticlimactic.

Heights don't bother me, but I do sympathise. I had a very weird moment descending the internal steps of Dungeoness lighthouse once. Something about the warped perspective of looking down a spiral wrapped round the inside of a cone, with very few windows and no horizon to get my bearings from. Everything went all Hitchcock on me started stretching off in to the distance. It was actually a pretty cool illusion.... if it didn't make me feel like I was about to fall down the stairs.

I'm curious: those of you with this unfortunate (for our hobby) phobia, does it still hit you when you are on a train going up lift hill under normal operations, or is that OK because you are strapped in? Are top hats like Stealth's too quick to matter?
.... Probably more complicated than that, isn't it?