PUTTING RIDES TO BED FOR THE NIGHT

As you leave the park for the night maintenance is busy putting ride to bed for the night. most of the time its a simple process but sometimes it can be a little complicated with impact that can affect the next days operation.

[@Jenlovescoasters]

I was parking a steel coaster at closing, and I heard the train chant "one more time" and I heard the operator say, you can have one more ride, the ride home.😂 clever.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I like that!

[@mlbumbalough]

Ahhh.. B&M, the Cadillac of coasters, Intamin.. the Ferrari of coasters, RMC.. the tesla of coasters & Arrow.. the OG, Henry Ford of coasters.

[@TheLoooorrrrreeeeax]

So true!!!

[@spunchbop47428]

What’s Pinfari

[@f1fan112]

Kia...@@spunchbop47428

[@AngryGumball]

I always marvel at standing under the transfer track and watch when the rides either get put to "bed" or "wake up" for test cycles when I'm at work. Most common one to see happen is CGA's Patriot as a heavily traveled service road lives right under the ride.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Such a rare treat to see. I alway love to preform a transfer for people especially if it meant adding a train

[@SkeledroMan]

Oh hey drayton manor had one of those zamperla pendulum things. I had no idea that ride was rare when i was a kid

[@Spectacular66]

One of my favorite things about the floorless coaster at my home park was watching the robotic flooring open and close below the train.

[@TrainCoasterFan]

"ONE MORE TIME! ONE MORE TIME!" Actually, Six Flags Over Texas won't let operators do this anymore. It's a huge bummer that they don't let this happen, because last year, every single night, the chant would happen, and the ride ops would send the ride another 1 or even 2 more times. Sadly, on New Texas Giant (which it the ride this happened on most), the lift hill is "on a timer" so when they dispatch the train with the lift off, the train stops on the mid course.

[@Bogarttherideop]

Hearing the shutdown procedures on some of these rides that I may or may not operate is just so fascinating. Hearing the difference between what the operators do and what maintenance does is pretty cool. And honestly I would pay just to be able to put a train away on a B&M floorless coaster

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Most B&M do a great job with the transfer process.

[@Bogarttherideop]

@@ryantheridemechanic it is one of the coolest things seeing a B&M transfer on and off a train.

[@latoyamcdonald4444]

It really is I've seen two B&M transfers in one day. An invert and a wing. I guess it was my lucky day 😊

[@SkeledroMan]

Have you seen the transfer "track" on some super old wooden coasters ? I remember being surprised at the bits of rail they shove in manually as a transfer track on Rutschebanen at Tivoli Gardens Copenhagen. It's the same on Vuoristorata at Linnanmäki.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Some of the old woodies I see make me scratch my head. What a pain sometimes.

[@S.J.C._Entertainment]

Leap the dips does, as well as all the older PTCs I’ve ridden.

[@SkeledroMan]

@@ryantheridemechanic it's a bit easier with the brake operator inside the train like on those two rides.

[@bernardpettiford5398]

Thank you for creating this content. As someone who dreamed of being a mechanical engineer growing up but switching to a different field, this is awesome content that I wouldn’t get to hear, ever!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thank you and Your welcome! As a kid I would have killed for any of this information as rides rules my life. So I want to spread that to anyone who wants to know!

[@robw.5813]

So very exciting with the ‘super easy to do’ button pushing. Almost beyond myself

[@scott4393]

Thanks for your channels content - fascinating hidden world to someone like me who just visits the park’s oblivious to all this behinds the scenes stuff keeping us safe 👍👍

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Your welcome!

[@TripleTSingt]

as a ride op, at our park, we do this stuff ourselves. Maintenance only comes in the evening if they have some time to get some stuff sorted, so it doesn't take up time in the morning. They would call us to leave everything on and if we had anything they needed to know. We also get any extra trains off ourselves.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

That’s nice. Our park didn’t trust the operators I guess. They wouldn’t let them do anything.

[@TripleTSingt]

@@ryantheridemechanic well, we do have a 2 tiered system. Not any ride op can to this stuff, first you have to be certified at that attraction by maintenance testing your knowledge in operations, safety, what's to do in the morning, in the evening… Also the only one allowed at the control panel. It also takes weeks to learn that stuff ^^

[@mxslick50]

When I worked at Knott's many years ago, I ran the 3-d movie in Cloud nine, "Sea Dream". I still remember the pre-show and exit spiels by heart. I controlled the whole thing in the tech booth above the projection room. I also upgraded the sound processor and installed the endless loop platter for the film. The projector bulbs are high pressure Xenon. And yes, even the smaller bulbs for normal cinemas, (500w-4kw) are extremely dangerous. The knob you referred to is the control on the rectifier for the bulbs, (A high current, low voltage DC power supply, think arc welder on steroids) and for those particular bulbs it was essential to drop the current before shutdown. Standard cinema bulbs always started at the preset operating current and went on and off with the projector motor. There was one maker of lamphouses and rectifiers that had what they called "Simmer mode" where the bulb stayed on all day during showtimes, but went to a lower current mode when the projector was stopped. That was necessary with the early Xenon bulbs, but as the tech improved, it was no longer necessary.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Nice. We had a fan failure and I don’t think the paddle switch reset. Anyway it melted the aluminum douser! How that for heat! Wow. Crazy.

[@Jenlovescoasters]

I actually love putting rides to bed shifts working at an amusement park . Im a ride mechanic.❤

[@haiderodes]

Transferring on a B&M ride is always fun as an operator. You get to feel like youre really doing something.

[@purgelurgen]

Awesome video :) I operate an old vekoma swinging, with manual braking everytime the trains comes in the final brake, and then manual brake it to the sloped station to park at the right spot to open the restraints. Its no limits2 in real life😊, at night when the park knows its gonna be busy the next day we park a train on the lift, and one in the station, the station train we had to lock them to the track or else like you said it would move on to the lift. Love old vekoma goodness 😁

[@JEdwardBanasikJr]

Thank you for your videos. I am enjoying them. Also asuming you're gonna a do a "Getting Up In the Morning" video. I'm curious about what time you get out there. Manpower and times it takes to open up certain rides. What is involved in the normal inspection.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I’m thinking of doing “a day in the life of maintenance” so I’ll cover those.

[@Spike-sk7ql]

​@@ryantheridemechanicplease do that.

[@juanacho]

Lol! Your Alexa bit had my one suggest she could turn off the TV 😂

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Ha! Sorry.

[@thisguy_w0n]

Amazing video, thank you Ryan! Your uploads are THE most informative coaster vids on youtube!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thank you so much!

[@arthanza112]

Ah yes, bedtime procedures. When I worked at Astroworld, Batman The Escape, we left one train in the station and the other on station waiting or transfer. My favorite part was starting up. Would draw straws on who's going up the lift and block brake.

[@SkeledroMan]

Newer coasters, especially steel ones from mack, vekoma and intamin, all seem to have very convenient bedtime procedures.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

That’s good. I like easy start up and shut down. Too many were built requiring 2+ people to dot the process

[@Jenlovescoasters]

You should see how i have to swap trains once per year when i put ny new train on with a 1925

[@stormingcoasters]

I love watching rides transfer. I've gotten to witness quite a few transfers on Storm Chaser this year so far at Kentucky Kingdom.

[@geekmoto1363]

the last cycle chant was always interesting, as more often than not, when we heard the chant, we as ride ops, would look at each other and could gauge how tired we were, and if anyone was not feeling up to it we wouldnt send it around again. however if every operator was like yeah still feeling great and it had been a good operating day, we would be willing to send them around again, but more often than not, we were too tired and we usually had a minor on the crew so due to that we most often had to deny a last run, as the park would get in trouble for keeping a minor too late at work and we didnt want that.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yea make sure minor get out on time. Huge $$$$ violations. I never cared about it. I’m thinking it’s another 4min? Whatever you guys feel like doing. Thanks for the comment

[@Jenlovescoasters]

You are gods gift to rides.❤😊 go back!!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I had a passion for them for sure.

[@michaeltaylor1603]

Xenon bulbs. I was a projectionist in Houston. I had a 6,000 watt one. very hot. it scorched the Fugitive Harrison Ford. it was a polyester print. Ahhh! compressor tank bleeding & air dryers.

[@Jenlovescoasters]

B&ms❤

[@rcmadiax]

Hawk 48 is pretty common these days. Kennywood had the first with Aero 360 - Dorney also has one, as does Canadas Wonderland. When I worked at Kennywood, closing was unique for every ride. Kangaroo required placing a lock on the main power after switching the main breaker off. Garfield’s Nightmare we had to tie the boats up and release the air compressor underneath. Thunderbolt we had to run trains, take one off, and park the other on the back breaks. Raging Rapids, tie up the boats, and hit the estop to drain the water (that was fun). Gold Rusher - run the ride until all guests were out, put lights on and manually chase each car and grab the on/off switch underneath the car. Jack Rabbit. Just park the trains.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

All sounds like fun. You ever wonder what did they do that haha. The switch under the train got me haha

[@rcmadiax]

@@ryantheridemechanic On the Gold Rusher? It was the only way to park the cars inside the building. The track inside was in an "always on" state. Only the unload and station sections were variable. You also have to remember this was back in the early 00s when the park was family owned - things were old school. Palace Entertainment would never have run it the same way we did back then.

[@garywillis7253]

Great video as usual..Any plans to make a winter prep video..What the parks do on the last day and how coaster trains are stored. An overall winterizing proccess...Keep em coming

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yes. Some of each. I’m trying to keep up this pace of weekly uploads but its hard with a job and family as well.

[@bprebula]

Oohh Pigmat. I've only been to one base (AF) where they call it that. Everywhere else calls it absorb or soak up pads. Nice to hear it called what it is lol I know they're the main manufacturer, but I'm pretty sure they developed the technology.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yep! Haha! On all the boxes I’ve ever worked around it was always PIG brand. I guess it’s like calling it facial tissue not Kleenex right.

[@bprebula]

​@@ryantheridemechanicFor sure! All the stuff we get from supply nowadays is trash. It leaves so much FOD behind 🥴

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@bprebula yuck. That’s no good in an area that can’t have anting to be sucked up!

[@bprebula]

@@ryantheridemechanic Especially in an aircraft fuel tank! I can't tell you how many times I've found a bunch of threads wrapped around a pump inlet screen!

[@arthanza112]

Used a bunch fixing cars and hauling chemicals. 🤣

[@BamaRailfan]

It seems Vekoma Arrow are somewhat similar. I kno when Iron Dragon at Cedar Point is shut down for the night they leave a train in the station and the other on the 1st lift hill. I believe CP also does something similar with Magnum XL200 and Corkscrew. Edit..i do know the history and sharing between Vekoma and Arrow.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

For ease. Most older rides are a pain to transfer. So it saves time to leave one on the lift.

[@alexfix9392]

Great video quality, and the intros are great

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thanks!

[@dindog22]

When does the "Stay off the air gates" merch come out?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

My son asked me that as well haha!

[@dindog22]

@@ryantheridemechanic I'll buy a coffee mug as soon as you come out with one

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@dindog22 I’ll look into it for the sake of your coffee!

[@FloriDUH_JBot]

Yes! Thanks for posting this topic.

[@classicamusementparks]

This might be your most interesting video...appreciate the content!!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Awesome glad you enjoy it!

[@Ddilly]

Your videos are super interesting/informative!! Thanks for making all the great content :)

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Your welcome

[@LSM_Lover]

Love these videos so much. I'm taking electrical engineering classes right now, my dream is to have a job like yours someday.

[@steezyskateco]

You do not need a degree to be a ride mechanic haha

[@LSM_Lover]

@@steezyskateco Yeah I learned after starting, may as well finish now. I think it could also at least help my qualifications.

[@the-anticoper421]

I love the content! So unique!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thanks! I’m glad because I’m not good at editing hahaha!!!

[@jacobplatt3066]

😂 Thanks for turning off my lights!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Haha!! More content to turn stuff off in the house.

[@spinba11]

17:44 why not program the ride to stop the train fully on the transfer track, I’ve seen quite a few B&Ms that do that as well.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

It really boils down to the fore-though the park had prior to ordering the ride. If you want it to behave a certain way you have to say that at contract signing. Otherwise it’s soooo much money to change it down the road. One of the reasons parks never change the program at all after commissioning.

[@frenchy1224]

Very interesting video! I work at another Six Flags park and maintenance allows us to hit "Hydrolic Off" on the last cycle so we don't need to E-Stop it.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Awesome. That’s a good alternative for a boomerang.

[@BamaRailfan]

2nd comment (sorry commenting as I watch. ) 🙂 I did get to witness a Millennium Force train get transferred off once due to a loose seat belt fastener. Just happened to be my seat. We boarded and were offloaded when it was noticed. Was neat to see them move the train off and worth the delay for me. Maintenance had to be called because..Intamin..track transfer wouldn't move correctly.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Troubling transferring the train happens so much. It’s one of the reasons most will opt to do t he train in the station if possible. Rather tan risk the trouble not to mention you have 2 downtimes for one problem.

[@BamaRailfan]

@ryantheridemechanic I do remember maintenance having to give the transfer track a good kick to get it to move. From what I have heard, this is a fairly common procedure on that ride. Sounds like this may be a more common thing on other rides than I thought. It is understandable that transfer tracks receive less attention than the remainder of the ride since it is not super critical to daily operation. Anyway, thank you for the great videos! I'm not a ride mechanic but have been in a mechanic and/or machinist field for around 25 years. I'm also a coaster junkie and have speculated on how things worked for a long time. Your content is awesome and answers a lot of questions that people like me have.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@BamaRailfan I’m glad your enjoying it. This is the stuff I’ve always wanted to hear sense I was a little kid.

[@cloudyvortex]

I'm surprised that phrase needed to be explained. Seems obvious enough, and I'm often thick about these things.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Well not so much what it meat more what was involved in it.

[@JEdwardBanasikJr]

So on the SLC: Are the brakes in the station not air bladder type then? What keeps it from rolling out to the lift over night?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Smart cookie! The station are air bladder applied BUT the track there is level. So no need to worry about it moving overnight.

[@kaylacolegrove7994]

So Kings Island told us once that if there was no line then it was possible to ride again. We rode the Beast three times in a row then they finally said we needed to get off and go back through the line. The whole train run off and back on. Unfortunately we we came back in there was a line and couldn’t go again. By the way how does one get into mechanics at a park?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Just start applying. kzbin.info/www/bejne/baOUlaF7lJanqbMsi=A_rbrU4dJ55DZipp

[@exhibit13productions]

When you make your video about transferring trains, can you talk about how the storage tracks sometimes done have actual track in them? Are there more road wheels on the train that are only used for storage? I don’t understand how it can stay in storage with no track underneath it.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Oh I got ya. And yes they use support wheels in the middle or guide rails on the side so the wheel carriers hang free.

[@MagnusTheGreat]

Have you ever heard of or experienced a situation where part of a coach didn't make it onto the transfer track, and someone advanced the transfer track and broke the train in anyway? I feel like the computer would stop that from happening but you said sometimes there isn't a check for how far the train is in the transfer track

[@ryantheridemechanic]

So you can do that on smaller manual tracks. Because they are human power you really can’t hurt the train. Bigger rides won’t move the track unless the train is in the correct place. Overshooting or undershooting that position can ruin your night though. Lots of time spent there.

[@NewEnglandModz]

Do the floorless trains have another set of wheels to ride on into storage? I’m assuming the lack of track is so you guys can work on the wheel assemblies? And if there are additional wheels for that, how do you get access to those ones for maintenance?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yes. The train rides on a set of wheels down the center or the belly of the train.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yes. The train rides on a set of wheels down the center or the belly of the train.

[@MyGman18]

Talk about the Orlando free fall accident and that asshole from midway Mayhem that messed with the seats!

[@jackschissler255]

QUESTION. When you guys order parts (like Wheels) do you order just what you need for the season or do you order like a crate of them and if it’s a B&M or in Intamin wheel, do you have to wait for them to come out of Switzerland (Where those 2 manufacturers are located) or do they have parts warehouses in the states that can get them to you quickly and just curious but to outfit a typical coaster train (I will use Raptor at CP) what the cost of wheels?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Most ordering is done on a per ride per train basis. New wheels can be purchased from the manufacturer but there are suppliers here in the US that will also make them same as the OEM. Generally inventory holds the new wheels, the ride holds used or refurbished wheels, and some times heavy rehab orders are made when lots of replacement is needed for some reason. Large B&M road wheels will run about $1500 USD each no bearings.

[@ninjaemilee]

I was at hershey yesterday and I got to watch them transfer between trains on Sky Rush. It was like 5pm or so and they switched one out for the other and reopened. We got on it right after it cycled and it's still a great ride. But it's been running only one train at a time for the last month or so. I've heard things around online about a problem with a sensor and/or the lift causing an issue when both trains are on the track, so they've just been swapping between trains over the course of a day. Given what you've said about Intamin, I imagine this won't be an easy fix for them and it'll probably operate this way the rest of the season, yeah?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Hard to tell. Honestly the way things are going these days. One of the first things parks do to save money is not run the other trainer. It puts a minor strain on the length of the line, but save so much money in lower operating staff, cost and less wear and tear on the equipment. I’m willing to bet that’s what you were seeing.

[@clinton5623]

I'm a ride op at Hershey and was trained on Skyrush last week. I asked about the one train operations and apparently maintenence is not allowing both trains to operate for the rest of the year. I believe too much strain is being put on the track and the lift hill. Also the trains keep blowing thru wheels this year. Skyrush is an operational nightmare for Hersheypark right now

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@clinton5623 rides kind of go in waves like that. Might be stupid this year and run like a dream next. Hard to figure out problems some times. Thanks for the information.

[@mlbumbalough]

Just curious.. have you've ever worked with or on any of the larger scale pendulum rides like Zamperla's Giga Discovery? Just the physics of those rides blow my mind.. Looks like the inertia of the gondola would topple the whole ride. What's your opinion on these types of rides? They seem to be GP magnets.. riders and watchers.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yes. Installed and worked on. Those are nice to work with. Restraints are kind of a pain but to be fair I’m not sure how much of that pain was mandated by the corporation I worked for. Sometimes they make things more complicated.

[@mastercreator7804]

​@@ryantheridemechanichow were the restraints complicated?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@mastercreator7804 it was mainly just the controls the company decided to place on them. The AB safety sensors are a real pain when things start to move around during the day.

[@danieledwards4274]

What was it called when it was at SFDK? The zamperla hawk?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Hammerhead. It was a hawk 48 from my understanding there was one in America and one in North Korea. Only two 48’s in the world

[@jamesf7602]

Do you work at Six Flags Great America you showed Raging Bull a few times.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

No I don’t work for a park anymore

[@danielwirth8388]

Are Maint workers assigned to a couple of rides or do they have to do maint on all rides in park?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

You can only work on what you’re certified for. But we always stress to get mechanic certified and every ride in the park. Generally on the normal morning you open about 6 to 15 rides depending on how big they are.

[@ThankUrRideOps]

Are you sitting on a coaster seat? Which ride and how'd you get it?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yes. I talk about it in my last live event. About 5 min into it if you go look I talk about it there.

[@ZaydenPlett]

Have you ever had a restrain fail mid ride or on the lift hill?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

No. Been called for tons of calls like it but never seen one.

[@thekoasterkings151]

If Vekoma SLC brakes are unlocked when there is no air pressure, how do you prevent a train from moving forward in the case of a power outage?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

The brakes have a secondary tank on each brake. Every week a 20min bleed down test is done. So planning for catastrophic failure of the air system, maintenance has 20min to go out and chain off the train. Theoretically.

[@deano554]

how many maintenance staff are required to open the park?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Depends on how manny rides there are and what type of rides they are. We opened the park with 9 mechanics 1 lead 1 supervisor and 2 carpenters. I’ve opens the park with as little as 4 mechanics plus a lead and 2 carpenters.

[@definingimage]

Do you use DO18 and DO20 keys?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yes. Altho we branched out toward the end. 18,20,25

[@definingimage]

@@ryantheridemechanic what’s the difference with the 20 and 25?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@definingimage nothing really just a slight key shape change.

[@stormingcoasters]

Is Ride Sims 2.0 an accurate simulation for a ride operator at the operator panel?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

so honestly I have never heard of it until now. I looked at some the videos have made for it. It's a neat game but not like operating the ride its self. and the main difference is in the game it looks like you're doing the job of up to 4 people some times. things the game is based on you almost never do in real life. but does look like a cool game a looks to be fun to play.

[@stormingcoasters]

@@ryantheridemechanic got it.

[@brogicus]

You really confused my alexa

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Haha! Sorry. Watching the video and you got the “I can’t find a device named lights” haha

[@SupremeCakeVR]

@@ryantheridemechanicmine can actually turn off my lights if I say that lol, I wasn’t in my room though