Sunday News from Lancaster, Pennsylvania • 48

SI XDAVNFWSI ANCASII IA FROM D1 DIO august 10. 200:1 High-tech coasters deliver thrills, frustration Coaster: Park keeps introducing big rides Courtesy of Hersheypark Here is an Illustration of what the new roller coaster will look like as It makes the treck over 4 acres of the park. ment owns both. OConnell said they bought two new ones to fill the vacated space. While Hersheypark 's new ride may look exciting on paper, similar coasters have had rocky debuts.

Bt Conn Ci.wton Sunday News Stuff Writer relay tun to Hersheyparks new multi-million dollar roller coaster will have several features in common with some of the most popular steel coasters in the world. It will be tall. 180-feet tall in one section alone. It will do kxips, or inversions, at breakneck speeds. But this coaster will use a unique hydraulic launch system that only a few coasters in the country utilize.

And that uniqueness can lead to trouble in the form of breakdowns, repairs and unhappy park patrons. Coasters powered by sophisticated, cutting-edge technology are increasingly becoming the top attraction at amusement parks nationwide. In some cases, these prototype rides that rely on hydraulics, linear induction motors and compressed air instead of gravity are proving to be a maintenance headache and a costly gamble. "Parks that can afford the large, expensive rides are the ones looking for that competitive edge, said Tim OBrien, Amusement Business senior editor for parks and attractions. Somebody has to take that first initial plunge.

Seay, president of Premier Rides. The company, based in Millers-ville, Md is known for its coasters that employ linear induction motors to launch trains out of the station and into multiple inversions. Developed in the mid-1990s, the motors create an electromagnetic wave that catapults riders to speeds of 60 mph in a little more than seconds. Theme parks know they have to introduce something new every year, Seay said. He said theme park guests would rather have a new innovative, exciting attraction that might have some challenges as opposed to going down the street and seeing the same thing.

It takes about two years to develop and design a new concept ride, said Seay, who worked with Six Flags before branching out on his own. Paramounts Kings Dominion raised the bar even higher in 2001 when it opened Hypersonic XLC, the worlds first compressed air launch coaster. It uses a blast of air to sh(xt riders straight up a 165-foot tower, rocketing them from zero to 80 mph in two seconds. Weve come a long way from the coasters at Coney Island, said Michael Sanfilippo, a spokesman for the park in iswell, Va. Hypersonic XLC also had problems and was closed the first two months of the season a year ago while the trains were modified.

It takes awhile for you to understand what it can and cannot do. Whenever youre dealing with new technology', there are going to be growing pains, Sanfilippo said. Those growing pains, he said, are no different from what happens in other businesses that rely on new technology, whether it be automobiles or computer Continued from D1 coasters, OConnell said. Using surveys, park officials can determine what shi mid or shouldnt be built. This park is only as popular as the people who experience it, OConnell said.

If they tell us thats what they want, were going to by to give it to them. Even if the park is running out of space. Matter of space The layout of the ride was determined by space considerations and how to maximize the ride experience. The track weaves through the landscape and three Hershevpark rides: Monorail, Dry Gulch Railroad and The TVailblaz-er. It will cross over Spring Creek twice.

The station house for the new coaster will be in the Pioneer Frontier section at the park and will feature a dual-rider loadingunloading operatii n. It will have two trains, 20 passengers per train, for a capacity of riders per hour. Racing up to 75 mph close to objects may add to the thrill, but it is also a necessity because of the lack of open space in the park. It is always an issue," OConnell said, but you can always figure a way to do it. Would we go taller, faster? Sure.

With little space remaining and to bring in new rides so things remain fresh, Hershevpark has sold two rides to sister park Dutch Wonderland. Hershey Entertain- Mechanical problems All uf the problems with high-tech coasters hove been mechanical and not safety-related, park operators say. Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, trumpeted the opening of its 420-fixit tall, 120 mph coaster, Top Thrill Dragster, this spring. But within a month, it was grounded by a blown valve in the hydraulic propulsion system a similar launch system that the new Hersheypark coaster will utilize, but not at such high speeds. Dragster is only the second coaster to use such a launch system.

This is the most frustrating ride Ive ever been through, said Richard Kinzel, who has been with the park since 1972 and is now president of Cedar Fair IP, the parent company of Cedar Point. Well think we have it solved, and then six hours later, its down. Engineers brought in from Switzerland and Germany by the rides maker, Intamin AG (the same company building Hersheyparks new ride), spent a month overhauling the coaster. More trouble followed as it blew motors and pumps, Kinzel said. Everyone asks what the problem is, but we just dont know, he said.

I dont think the manufacturers know. Intamin lYesident Sandor Kemacs did not return messages seeking comment. The coaster reopened in early July. It is opening late on some days and, sometimes, not at all. Frank O'Connell, General Manager of Hersheypark, said he does not expect the parks new coaster to have the same sort of bugs, since it is slower and not as tall as its Cedar Point cousin.

I would expect this coaster to be very, very reliable, he said. Need for excitement The demand for more exciting rides grows each year, said Jim Every year you go to the trade shores and conventions and see things that just blow your mind. I never thought Cedar Point would do 420 feet and 120 miles per hour. But I bet in two years, someone will top that. Its the nature of the beast.

Were comfortable staying just a few steps behind. Same architect Intamin AG of Switzerland manufactured this new ride, as well as Tip Thrill Dragster, which debuted in the spring at Cedar Point in Ohio. Both use hydraulics, which has oil pumped into cylinders filled with nitrogen. The nitrogen compresses and acts like a spring. )ther coasters with hydraulics remain upright, while Hersheys new coaster has some customized features like barrel rolls and kxips.

It is also a slower, smaller version of the Xcelerator at Knotts Berry Farm in California. Every year you go to the trade shows and conventions and see things that just blow your mind, OConnell said. I never thought Cedar Point would do 420 feet and 120 miles per hour. But I bet in two years, someone will top that. Its the nature of the beast.

Were comfortable staying just a few steps behind. Yes, but not too far behind. Frank OConnell, Hersheypark General Manager in-njufta-imac frr.t; The Associated Press to this report. Cheek out the NEW Col? Guide Available at these businesses: Bash Jewelers Boulders Miniature Golf Cheers Bar Chesapeake Bay Golf Club Cool Creek Country Club Crossgates Golf Club Four Seasons Golf Course Foxchase Golf Club Golf Learning Center Groffs Farm Golf Club Hawk Valley Golf Club Honeybrook Golf Club Iron Valley Golf Club Lebanon Valley Golf Club MidState Orthopaedics Olde Hickory Golf Club Outdoor Image Landscaping Overlook Golf Course Par Line Golf Course Pilgrim's Oak Golf Course Pro Golf Discount Ream Jewelers Tree Top Golf Course Willow Valley Golf Course Looking for golf courses, equipment or instruction? With Business Partners Checking youve got nothing to lose. Except maybe a great opportunity.

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