Superman Escape Maintenance Blog

[Rabbit2014]

Movie world have provided in there blog about what happens in the annual maintenance for superman escape.

It’s a great read and gives some insight into the work that’s required.

https://themeparks.com.au/blog/superman-maintenance?fbclid=IwAR3ixDBKb1LKPhtWu4cFaJjkVX32xer4Wia447Sl5eJ1Np-Uk_41p3_ML3E

[MittyMurf]

I think it's an excellent idea! It's great nerdy content for us 🤓 but also a great insight for the GP who may not know what happens during annual maintenance. 

Edited June 16, 2022 by MittyMurf

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I mean, 45,000 cycles a year based on a 7 hour / 364 day trading operation means 123.6 cycles a day, on average. That's only 17.6 cycles an hour (or 353 riders per hour). They'd need to dispatch the ride every 203.8 seconds or 3 minutes and 23 seconds.

They may have achieved that on opening but there is no way in heck they reach that these days. And yes, i'm ignoring the night events, but since they reduce hours in winter and everything can be a walk-on I think it all comes out in the wash.

(If you were wondering about the dispatch times for the maximum 55,000 cycles - it would need to be 151 cycles a day, or 21.6 cycles an hour (or 431.7 riders per hour). They'd need to dispatch the ride every 166.7 seconds or 2 minutes and 46 seconds and that is absolutely hilarious, but makes me wonder how the big US parks with Intamin Accelerators manage when they trade for longer hours.

I think its a good idea, but then again I thought the same thing about the Leviathan Blog, which hasn't been updated in over 15 months.

[Naazon]

Your (rough) numbers are slightly off. 364 day trade assumes its open 364 days. Factor in the 3-5 weeks of annual maintenance, assume a perfect year no downtime, and add in the # of testing cycles it performs every morning also.

 

Otherwise, interesting call out. Also in the ride stats it does call out 480 Riders / hour with 2 train ops.

[pin142]

1 minute ago, Naazon said:

Also in the ride stats it does call out 480 Riders / hour with 2 train ops.

Doesn't seem too far from the truth.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

1 hour ago, Naazon said:

Your (rough) numbers are slightly off. 364 day trade assumes its open 364 days. Factor in the 3-5 weeks of annual maintenance, assume a perfect year no downtime, and add in the # of testing cycles it performs every morning also.

 

Otherwise, interesting call out. Also in the ride stats it does call out 480 Riders / hour with 2 train ops.

Yeah - less days open per year does require them to cycle it even faster to keep up. And testing cycles would amount to ~1% given 120ish cycles per day. But yeah, I did say night events and off-peak periods would all come out in the wash so maintenance periods and testing cycles also wash out.

1 hour ago, pin142 said:

Doesn't seem too far from the truth.

They get 431 only if they can hit a 2 minute 46 second dispatch time from open to close all year round. I think its a bit further than you'd think. 

[joz]

OMFG why are we trying to reverse engineer this? Just go to the park and see what they do; tends to be a bit more than 4 mins per train if there are two running.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I think the original point I was trying to make is that Superman would never hit those dispatch numbers. Ops that fast in an Australian park? laughable.

[Naazon]

Out of curiosity, how long does the hydraulic system need to reset after a launch?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I'm not sure - but I overheard an operator while I was waiting one day mention they had to delay dispatches because it needed more time to cool down - maybe this maintenance period will fix that issue up though... hopefully?

[franky]

45 minutes ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

I think the original point I was trying to make is that Superman would never hit those dispatch numbers. Ops that fast in an Australian park? laughable.

If they were Intamin's published riders per hour, then based on what I've seen from the Problematic Roller Coaster series, they're not right in any park.

[rappa]

Saw the post and had a look and thought it was pretty cool idea. 
12 year old nerd me would love that!

 

…instantly came to parkz to see it get picked apart. Didn’t disappoint 

[joz]

6 hours ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

I think the original point I was trying to make...

Amazing.

[Rivals]

i do love they’ve given an insight into one of their most popular rides inner workings. i do hope they do this for WWF as it has been closed a lot within the past year and the public are starting to get a bit irritated with it. 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

On 17/06/2022 at 6:38 PM, joz said:

Amazing.

Insightful.

On 17/06/2022 at 6:57 PM, Rivals said:

i do hope they do this for WWF as it has been closed a lot within the past year and the public are starting to get a bit irritated with it. 

They did give some additional detail about sensors and whatnot in a facebook post when west went down for maintenance and improvements to increase the station throughput and the post was similarly lambasted

Edited June 18, 2022 by DaptoFunlandGuy

[Spotty]

As an ex operator of Superman. With 1 train running and 2 loaders + unloader it's normally 5-6 dispatches every 30 mins (11 a hour normally) with 2 trains running and having a sorter you would dispatch approx 12 trains every 30 mins. The record that I did was 32 trains in a hour with 2 trains running and that was with 2 loaders, a sorter, entry and unload. We did pretty much sprint down the load platform each time checking the harnesses. We then had to slow down as the train would sit at the launch track too long... we then were told we had to basically wait until the 2nd train came into unload before dispatching.

With decent crew, and 2 trains running superman CAN actually be a capacity monster (well for a Gold Coast park anyway) but hasn't been for close to 10 years now.

[Naazon]

2 hours ago, Spotty said:

We then had to slow down as the train would sit at the launch track too long... we then were told we had to basically wait until the 2nd train came into unload before dispatching.

Is that due to the hydraulics needing time to reset/fluids cool down?

[Spotty]

6 minutes ago, Naazon said:

Is that due to the hydraulics needing time to reset/fluids cool down?

No, the system only needs a minimum of 1 minute between dispatches (well it was when I worked there). It was because the ride experience would be crap when the launch audio would play and then the train may be sitting there for 20-30 seconds before launching as it can't launch until the unload station is fully clear and the next train is parked in Load.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

You're a wealth of knowledge as always Spotty but I think here, it's a case of she's getting on in years. As I mentioned above, I've overheard talk that it's taking longer to cool down between cycles, so they're holding longer at the station for that reason. 

Those record launch numbers sound amazing - and it proves that fast operations are possible in Australian parks... so I wonder what has changed - is it just the risk averse nature post-TRRR? Or is there just a lack of motivation to hit those high capacities anymore?

[WalleyWorld]

10 hours ago, Spotty said:

No, the system only needs a minimum of 1 minute between dispatches (well it was when I worked there). It was because the ride experience would be crap when the launch audio would play and then the train may be sitting there for 20-30 seconds before launching as it can't launch until the unload station is fully clear and the next train is parked in Load.

Does the lead operator have to push a button to launch the train? Or is the system completely automatic once the train has been dispatched from the load platform? If it's the later, is there control to stop the train from launching (or would that just be the e-stop)?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

My completely layperson's understanding of it is that the launch won't fire until the system is ready - so if there's a cooldown period it won't go until it reaches the target, but the theming and effects wouldn't be interlinked with the launch and would just be triggered by proxy \ IR beam or similar, so when the train arrives, the effects fire as timed, but if the launch isn't ready, it doesn't fire until it is. 

As for operators, short of an E-stop, I imagine the launch would be fully automated once the train leaves the station and requires no further input from the operator to launch once the launch system is ready to do so.

[Aw hype]

Could it have anything to do with SE's block zones? Given its a bit older and shorter a ride, there could only be 3 - load/unload (lets call this A), preshow (B) and the high speed section (C). A train would have to enter Block zone A out of block zone C before another train could enter C from B and so forth - hence the waiting period at launch track until the train ahead reaches load/unload. As far as i can tell from POV's, theres no mid course break run, nor is there brakes in the preshow, so i do think that math adds up.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Load and Unload are two separate blocks. It is possible for a train to be at each station at the same time. Much of the pre-show section of the track are driven by kicker wheels, and judging by Spotty's comments above, could most likely have a train on it with another at the launch, because it seems possible for a train to arrive at launch before the 60 second cooldown. A train can be stopped within the pre-show section by simply stopping or reversing the tyre drives. The launch itself is another block section as it can stop a train from rolling back beyond the launch point - but between launch and brake zone there is no other brake, so launch cannot fire until unload is clear.

That said, it is load that takes the longest. And you only end up with a train waiting at launch if you have a crack team on a record breaking day as mentioned above. So the unload is USUALLY not the hold up.

BUT - the cooldown is still a real thing - even as mentioned by spotty. The only thing I mentioned was that it seemed to be taking longer to cooldown than it used to - which is normal for aging plant and equipment with duty cycles... 

[Park Addict 93]

Can confirm I also heard “temperature issues” recently impacting Superman launches.

I remember as a guest on days like @Spottymentioned the train would slow while coming around that corner. Then if needed sit until ready. At that point the “it’s Superman!” audio commenced and proceeded as usua.

 

[red dragin]

I remember one day, team was on the ball. The loader/unloader was on an absolute mission, to the point I emailed the park commending him on his efforts. Single train operation. 

Operations were so fast that from the front row I was able to see the catch car returning to the launch, and yes we did crawl around the corner on the tyre drive.