Valraven closed

[flightoffear1996 3524]

Cedar Point.l closes Valraven after trains bump. What is going on up there. This is the 2nd bumping event in two years.

https://www.wkyc.com/mobile/article/entertainment/places/cedar-point/cedar-point-closes-valravn-after-roller-coaster-trains-bump/95-00cc739f-83c7-404b-9b47-42d7d6652b08

[Maverick44 6967]

That's crazy....I feel like there is always something going on with Valravn. I was stuck on it for 30 minutes and we were sitting in the station after the ride was complete they couldn't release the restraints.

[Captain Nemo 1878]

From the look of another Twitter image it looks like it more than just 'bumped'. The folding platform in the station looks to be damaged. Maybe a 10 - 15MPH collision. Still a powerful collision. 

[Maverick44 6967]

Just now, Captain Nemo said:

From the look of another Twitter image it looks like it more than just 'bumped'. The folding platform in the station looks to be damaged. Maybe a 10 - 15MPH collision. Still a powerful collision. 

is there anyway you can share the twitter handle or post the pic here?

[Captain Nemo 1878]

 

[Maverick44 6967]

Wow look at the employee on the far left. She is in shock it looks like. That's not good.

[SonofBaconator 11214]

So is it a bump or a crash? I know GP exaggerate but the picture makes it look kinda scary

[flightoffear1996 3524]

Maybe I’m blind but it’s hard to see the damage in that picture 

[SonofBaconator 11214]

2 minutes ago, flightoffear1996 said:

Maybe I’m blind but it’s hard to see the damage in that picture 

I mean expressions, and people saying they ran out of the station.

[Maverick44 6967]

I am not sure where the damage is as well. I can see the floor right to the left of the guy in the red shirt and tan hat.

[Honorarius 711]

As a precaution, Yukon Striker is running only 1 train today...

[purdude86 1884]

Not sure the overall extent of damage but sounds like it was more of a bump than a crash. supposedly it came to a stop with the breaks but somehow the drive wheels engaged and pulled the train in the block breaks into the station with the other train. since the one was loading and dive coasters are floorless trains the platform was up so the train coming in bent it causing damage to the floor that will need fixed.

If these are the actual details of what happened I'l be curious to see if it was an error on the part of a ride op accidentally engaging the drive wheels or if it was a system malfunction.

[KI FANATIC 37 3867]

Glad everyone was okay. Reading the comments on that tweet made me lose even more hope in humanity. People saying it came in at 40MPH...

Cedar Point has had some bad luck with coasters bumping into each other in the station.

[Maverick44 6967]

1 minute ago, KI FANATIC 37 said:

Glad everyone was okay. Reading the comments on that tweet made me lose even more hope in humanity. People saying it came in at 40MPH...

Cedar Point has had some bad luck with coasters bumping into each other in the station.

Yikes 40 mph. I am really surprised if that was the case there was not more injured.  Just the look on the ride ops face in the picture says it all. Not Good.

[KI FANATIC 37 3867]

No I'm sure that it wasn't going 40MPH. There would have been significant damage, more news, and more people injured. 

 

But I wasn't there, just have serious doubts about 40MPH. 

Edited June 27 by KI FANATIC 37

[Maverick44 6967]

19 minutes ago, KI FANATIC 37 said:

No I'm sure that it wasn't going 40MPH. There would have been significant damage, more news, and more people injured. 

 

But I wasn't there, just have serious doubts about 40MPH. 

I really doubt it as well. Think of a car accident at 40mph. That's pretty bad. We would of seen a mess in that pic had it been 40.

[Kenban 2148]

Eye witness accounts are rarely accurate, and it’s very difficult to guess how fast something is traveling.  I do not believe it’s possible the train was even close to 40 MPH when the crash occurred.

Valravn has a very steep drop into the station, at the top of the slope it has a set of magnetic brakes, this is followed by a series of mechanical brakes.  Once a train is off the slope and on the track leading into the station everything is handled by drive tires, as far as I know there are no brakes inside the station.

Valravn is extremely automated there is no way for a ride op to active the drive tires on their own.  Doing this requires the ride be placed in manual mode, which can only be done by maintenance.

My guess is something in the rides electronics either malfunctioned or just failed.  Unless there were serious injuries I do not believe the state will investigate, so it’s possible we will be left with speculation and rumors.

I can see at least two people in the drive box.  So it’s possible the computer was not in control.

[silver2005 23822]

If one of those trains were going 40 mph, this would be much more tragic.  We're talking derailing, very serious injuries, and possible deaths in that case, probably a total park closure, too. 

[FoF96" 1878]

I wonder if there is any updates on this? Anyone working on the ride? Any news on cause? Haven’t heard anything for several days.  The cause has likely already been determined internally as these new coasters can tell exactly what is, or was going on with them.  Just wondering if any official statement or repairs have been announced.

[BoddaH1994 14028]

On 6/27/2019 at 8:31 PM, silver2005 said:

If one of those trains were going 40 mph, this would be much more tragic.  We're talking derailing, very serious injuries, and possible deaths in that case, probably a total park closure, too. 

That’s what I was thinking too. Have you seen a 40mph car accident? Just imagine that except with less protection than a 1940’s car. There would be about a dozen deaths and everyone else in the train would be terribly injured.

[malem 19537]

As of yesterday, there was no activity near the ride, with no trains on the course. It's probable that they're waiting on parts.

[Buckeye Brad 243]

Yesterday (Sunday), we saw several test runs in the afternoon.

Some trains with water dummies, some without.

Some isolated trains, some multiple train operation.

At least one that paused on the curve just before the drop for several minutes.

No real insights or reopening prediction, but nice to see trains testing.

In other news, Blue Streak was closed all day due to flooding. The CP employee at the entrance said that the water was rising.  So without BS and Valravn, that area of the the park was quite desolate.

[Browntggrr 6479]

40 minutes ago, Buckeye Brad said:

In other news, Blue Streak was closed all day due to flooding. The CP employee at the entrance said that the water was rising.  So without BS and Valravn, that area of the the park was quite desolate.

Lake Erie water level, as well as all the Great Lakes, are near or have exceeded all time high levels.  Superior is about 14" above normal whereas the rest are +30" above normal.

Needless to say, the levels are creating havoc on the shorelines.  A good chunk of Cedar Point Marina has been under water this year & yesterday there was a decent NE wind which "pushes" water into Sandusky Bay.  There is almost as much water as there is land on Presque Isle in Erie (Waldameer for you enthusiast folk).

At this point, we can only hope for a good amount of dry weather to drop the levels before the winter months.  High water & winter storms will devastate the shorelines everywhere. 

[McSalsa 4406]

Valravn has reopened today, but is only running 2 trains. Thus it has a huge wait, from what I heard. 

Source: CP Rundown on Facebook

[FoF96" 1878]

How many trains does it have total? I can’t see a difference in running 2 vs running 3 or 4 as far as if the concern was brake power.  I’ve ridden it before and it seemed to take a long time for a B&M as far as wait times.  If there are 4 total trains I’d guess the ones that are off are the ones that were damaged from prior collision.

[PKIVortex 3618]

How many trains does it have total? I can’t see a difference in running 2 vs running 3 or 4 as far as if the concern was brake power.  I’ve ridden it before and it seemed to take a long time for a B&M as far as wait times.  If there are 4 total trains I’d guess the ones that are off are the ones that were damaged from prior collision.

Valravn has 3 trains. One train was completely removed from the ride.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[MDMC01 7904]

Just out of curiosity, was it Gold, Silver or Bronze that was removed from the track?

[FoF96" 1878]

9 hours ago, PKIVortex said:

Valravn has 3 trains. One train was completely removed from the ride.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

That’s disappointing then, when I went before the accident the line seemed to crawl and all of them were going then.

[FitzGorrelCoasters 333]

Maybe they need to replace the breaking system.

[Browntggrr 6479]

23 hours ago, Fitzcoasts14 said:

Maybe they need to replace the breaking system.

Not necessarily the "brakes" but the sensors by adding or placing the sensors in a different location for a 3 train operation.