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Rita's Launch Cable Snaps

M

Mike

Giga Poster
News sources are indicating that at around 10am this morning, the launch cable on Rita at Alton Towers snapped during normal operations.

No injuries are reported at this time, but it looks like the ride is going to be down for a good while.

563945_460426147308963_1063896563_n.jpg

TPBlog's photo [Thanks Waffleman]

Source:
http://riderater.co.uk/?p=1987
 
furie

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Re: Rita's Cable Snaps

It's always terrified me walking under there to get to that picnic area. If the cable snaps or splits into shards like Xcelerator's, then how safe are the people under there, realistically?

Guess we'll find out pretty soon, but I'm assuming very safe as nobody was injured...
 
T0M

T0M

Hyper Poster
There was a lot of misconception earlier about it happening during testing, but was during normal ride time, after ERT - so the train was laden with guests. Not sur ehow much momentum the train got before the snap ocurred.

They're lucky it didn't #### someone or send debris flying causing injury.

Surely this sort of incident is notifiable to the HSE? To me it's not dissimilar to the timing belt in your car, it will have recommended service lives and maintenence schedules etc. There'll be blame somewhere, even if it's a manufacturing defect. Investigation?
 
B

bergochdalbana

Mega Poster
The two launch cables are pretty well protected in their cages where the catch car runs in, and there isn't really any load on the return cable, so in theory then it's pretty safe as long as they don't shatters completely. Depending on how fast they get a replacement (unless they have one laying around) then it shouldn't take too long to get Rita up and running again.

Well they have about 3 weeks to fix it since it's then I'll be visiting...
 
bmac

bmac

Giga Poster
Thorpe is really lucky with the little damage that came from the cable snapping. The hydraulic launch incidents that happened in the US (Ka, TTD, Xcelerator) all did insane amounts of damage to the launch track and the trains.
 
furie

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Thorpe is so lucky that they even let it happen 138 miles away at Alton ;)
 
SaiyanHajime

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
Jesus. So glad no one was hurt. It's scary just how often this seems to happen. :/

Re: what Furie said, I wonder if now they'll put a sheet of metal under the track like Stealth has where the queue passes under it?
 
furie

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
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Moderator
Joey said:
Re: what Furie said, I wonder if now they'll put a sheet of metal under the track like Stealth has where the queue passes under it?
Click to expand...

The cable runs in a "thin metal trough", so you can't see the cable from underneath. However, from the side you can see the cable raising about the trough walls as the coaster launches. So there's something there to protect people underneath, but I've always thought it looked a little "underwhelming"...
 
Martyn B

Martyn B

CF Legend
Its not actually come out from below, so sheets of metal underneath wouldn't prevent this.

Side note: Perhaps its these incidents that have led to the increase in LIM accelerator coasters from Intamin? (iSpeed, Cheeta Hunt, Slag and Turkey next year etc)
 
bmac

bmac

Giga Poster
Joey said:
Yeah, the fact that it's just dangling there makes me feel uneasy.
Click to expand...

That's why Cedar Point gave TTD a concrete tunnel and Six Flags fenced off the queue in that area (more like the state disallowed them to continue using it but still)

Sorry Furie, I'm pretty bad with rides at parks I haven't been to yet. Especially if they're under the same companies.
 
Nic

Nic

Strata Poster
Jesus! If we're right in thinking that nobody was hurt (and I hope we are), then that was seriously lucky. That could've been nasty.

As others have said, it is actually scary to think how relatively often this happens compared to "serious" malfunctions on other ride types. I wonder if there's a proportionally similar number of incidents in other applications of similar systems? (aircraft carriers etc)
 
SaiyanHajime

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
Martyn B said:
Its not actually come out from below, so sheets of metal underneath wouldn't prevent this.

Side note: Perhaps its these incidents that have led to the increase in LIM accelerator coasters from Intamin? (iSpeed, Cheeta Hunt, Slag and Turkey next year etc)
Click to expand...
I thought ALL the new ones were magnetic? They don't make hydraulic launches anymore, do they?
 
M

marc

CF Legend
furie said:
It's always terrified me walking under there to get to that picnic area. If the cable snaps or splits into shards like Xcelerator's, then how safe are the people under there, realistically?

Guess we'll find out pretty soon, but I'm assuming very safe as nobody was injured...
Click to expand...

Same here, I hate queuing on stealth as well right under it. I bet they will now be forced to change the queues on both rides as its very clear the saftey system does not work.

They were very lucky today.
 
Nemesis Inferno

Nemesis Inferno

Strata Poster
Joey said:
Martyn B said:
Its not actually come out from below, so sheets of metal underneath wouldn't prevent this.

Side note: Perhaps its these incidents that have led to the increase in LIM accelerator coasters from Intamin? (iSpeed, Cheeta Hunt, Slag and Turkey next year etc)
Click to expand...
I thought ALL the new ones were magnetic? They don't make hydraulic launches anymore, do they?
Click to expand...

Last Hydraulic one opened in 2009...

Electromagnetic launches are blatently better anyway... Less energy wastage as well (yada yada researched this for university)...
 
Nic

Nic

Strata Poster
I was utterly amazed at how quickly they seemed to be getting on with mending this, so I had a quick look at previous incidents. A thread on one forum I found would suggest that when TTD's cable snapped in June 2004, they had the ride back up and running and carrying guests a little more than 24 hours later. Obviously, the main delays would usually be ordering/delivery of the cable and mending any damage caused by the snap. Clearly any investigations resulting from any injuries would also delay re-opening.

Assuming that the assessments can be done quickly, and that they are satisfied that there was no damage caused then I guess we could potentially see Rita back up and running by the end of the week.
 
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