Working Kings Island

[VoRtExKid2005]

This is mainly for non-pki ride ops., however if you have input you may. From a guests point of view, what ride(s) do you think are the, Hardest or most boring to work and which ride(s) are the Easiest or funnest rides to work. Non-associates give your opinions, associates can reply.

[TheRickster]

Monster deff. the hardest. All the coasters id say would be some of the easyest. Overall tho I think everything else is about the same except for monster.

Edited January 1, 1970 by TheRickster

[BoddaH1994]

I agree, Moster would be a b*tch. I'd say any ride that does have the seat belt (once again, too lofty of a concept for most people) like FoF would be frusterating to work. They probably design the controls so pretty much anyone can do it, though.

[PKI Homey]

I would also think that monster would be hard to work. Seems like you have to be pretty accurate to get the cars in the correct position to load and unload. I would think that the easiest and most fun would be the major coasters. I would be so hyped to run a coaster. I wouldn't be able to not help but hype up the peeps in line. As far as running them goes, I'm not too sure what is involved. From what I understand, the person in the booth does little more than push a button to let the train go. Of course, there's always going to be unlocking restraints if someone didn't adjust theirs properly. Other than that, I don't know. I'm also curious about how the computers operate these scream machines. I know that there are sensors on many of the tracks, if not all of them. But, when I think of computers, I think of PC's, which happen to crash a lot. I know they are nothing like that, but exactly what kind of setup do they use?

[DegenRider]

You can figure out for yourself the rides in the park that use Windows

[BoObKiNoS]

The rides usually have multiple computers, at least the coasters do. They use a proogramming language called PLC (Programmable Logic Code) or something like that.

[fyrfyter]

The rides usually have multiple computers, at least the coasters do. They use a proogramming language called PLC (Programmable Logic Code) or something like that.

PLC stands for Programmable Logic Controller. Its like a computer with a bunch of boards in it, that use inputs and outputs to control how a ride functions. You can input anything from photo electric sensors, to trip lasers, and magnetic proxes, and a bunch of other things, and then depending upon how you program the controller, it will funnel data through the output boards and tell the ride or coaster, how to function, or what to do. Simplified, the coaster comes into the station, and trips a sensor, that tells the station brakes to activate. All this goes through the PLC via electrical impulses. I believe the operator overrrides and releases the station brakes to ease the coaster all the way into the station.

[SOB/Gun Steve-O]

We don't override anything. More often than not, its the computer that overrides us.

[BoObKiNoS]

We don't override anything. More often than not, its the computer that overrides us.

lol if that isnt the truth

[SOB_TOM]

The only Windows based anything in the park is used for programming. Now what rides need to be programmed?

[fyrfyter]

We don't override anything. More often than not, its the computer that overrides us.

So after the initial stop of bringing a coaster into the station, the computer eases it the rest of the way in? Thats pretty cool. I wasn't sure if the PLC's were smart enough to put the train in the same spot every time. Does the PLC also release and activate the restraints as well?

[coasterrz]

I`m fairly certain that the restraints are released and locked by the driver of the ride, but having never operated a ride at PKI I wouldn`t know for sure.

[bradb055]

I have worked with a few PLC's durring my last quarter in school. A PLC works by electrical impulses as stated before. A sensor (laser, temperature, weight,or whatever) detects somthing and will send or terminate an electical signal. This signal can then trip somthing else to happen. So, the only way the next step in the process can be started, is if the previous step is compleated.

Several sensors can be tied in as well, and it goes somthing like this: If sensor one records a speed of 50 mph or more, or sensor 2 detects a coaster on the tracks(another train coaster 2), the output would be to apply the brakes to coaster 1 (so the coasters don't colide). Only one of these statements need to be true to make the output work.

Or the PLC can use an "and" statment:

If the sensor one dectets a coaster, and speed is recorded as 0 MPH, and brakes are fully applied, the output could be to release the restraints. All these things must me present or true for the output to work.

*** I have no idea how PKI's coasters actually work. This is only an example of how it could be done with a PLC. ***

This is just a basic idea on how a PLC works. This is very basic! There is much more to be considered when using Programable Loic Controll.

If this is too hard to follow let me know and Ill try to do a better job next time.

[SOB_TOM]

It really depends on the ride if the restraints are closed automatically or not. On all coasters, the restraints are manually opened. On TRTR, two things can happen, the PLC will automatically open restraints, and roughly 30 seconds later will automatically lock again. The second thing is that the restraints can be "held" closed by the operator holding the restraint switch to lock, and they will never open (useful for morning test runs) or the operator can flick the restraint switch quickly to close then to open and the restraints will not close automatically.

[SOB/Gun Steve-O]

So after the initial stop of bringing a coaster into the station, the computer eases it the rest of the way in? Thats pretty cool. I wasn't sure if the PLC's were smart enough to put the train in the same spot every time. Does the PLC also release and activate the restraints as well?

Yes, the computer eases the train in. We just hold down on a button and wait until it stops. It's pretty much humanly impossible to stop the train in pretty much the exact same place every time, when you think about it - especially considering how you have to line it up with the gates.

No, the computer does not control the restraint system. We have a switch in the booth for the restraints and gates.

Being the driver (the guy in the booth) is fairly easy. You just dispatch the train, bring in the next train, and wait for the ride to break down.

Edited January 1, 1970 by SOB/Gun Steve-O

[PKIguy14]

If a coaster ever valleyed for any reason, which was already past the block brakes, and another train had already been dispatched, would the computer automatically stop the ride or would the driver have to hit an emergency stop button?

[SOB/Gun Steve-O]

If a train ever valleyed for any reason...

I don't know why so many people here seem to be obsessed with the train valleying. First of all, I think its pretty much physically impossible for the train to valley. As far as I know, that has never happened. Second of all, I'm probably not allowed to answer that question because of the gag order ride ops has for these sort of things.

Edited January 1, 1970 by SOB/Gun Steve-O

[fryler87]

Just a tidbit, when Gemini at CP was built, it was designed before computers (1970s) could help create coasters with physics and stuff. I've heard that the second hill is barely short enough to let the trains successfully get up and around them. I've also heard that the trains have to be "warmed up" a certain way in the morning, or they do valley at the bottom of the hill - in which case maintenance has to come, dissconnect each car and run them around the rest of the track somehow. At the end, the cars are re-assembled. This process has been said to take up to a few days to complete.