Vortex Is Leaving After This Fall Season

[SonofBaconator]

Thoughts? I personally think he has a point

 

[Benjamin22]

^ interesting video, but I’m not sure I buy brakes being the problem with the ride, if it was wouldn’t they just run 2 trains? Also they likely could have ended up buying more breaks for the ride. Maybe a ride op for Vortex would be better informed on the subject if brakes were ever an issue (Since Taylor suggested ride ops were rushed to prevent this which I doubt to be true)

[SonofBaconator]

@VortexBFForever^ Your thoughts?

[fyrfyter]

I doubt it’s brakes. Failure of the control system seems more likely. I can understand that from a cost perspective. With arrow no longer in business, it’s not just a PLC upgrade to a newer unit. I doubt the wiring schematics on Vortex still exist.

I don’t see them keeping it SBNO. With large cranes already on site, probably cheaper to scrap it now. SBNO just will make it look junky next season. I’ll bet it’s gone in record time.

[SnakePlissken]

1 hour ago, SonofBaconator said:

Thoughts? I personally think he has a point

 

I already posted my thoughts about this in the post above yours. But since it's at the bottom of the last page nobody is going to see it. I mentioned the video but didn't post it or name names due to new rules because of fye.

[Benjamin22]

5 hours ago, SnakePlissken said:

There's a certain well known youtuber who just put out a video claiming it could be an issue with the brakes due to stacking on the brake run. Another person who has operated some of those older Arrows commented on said video. They pretty much debunked that theory and said its likely an issue with the control system. They said all late 80's Arrow's have issues with the controls and some like Magnum and Iron Dragon have been replaced. They said its expensive and the park likely did not want to spend the money to do it.

Anyone happen to know what issues with the control system these late 80s arrows have?

[DeltaFlyer]

12 minutes ago, Ben43065 said:

Anyone happen to know what issues with the control system these late 80s arrows have?

The control system/PLC is not original. I want to say that it is early 2000s. It's an Allen Bradley system, just like almost every other ride. 

If this had been the problem it could be rectified. I highly doubt the control system is the issue. 

[Shawn Meyer]

2 hours ago, fyrfyter said:

I don’t see them keeping it SBNO. With large cranes already on site, probably cheaper to scrap it now. SBNO just will make it look junky next season. I’ll bet it’s gone in record time.

Well wouldn't those large cranes be used just for Orion? Also I wonder If they'll send all three arrow trains of Vortex to other Cedar Fair properties. I'm still hoping for a B&M floorless someday down the road.

[VortexBFForever]

Don’t be surprised if you see me crying while at work. It’s already happened once. But even then I will keep smiling and having fun and making each last day count of the 12 years that Vortex has been a part of my life!

 I’m so glad that I took my 1,000th ride on August 2, especially since I originally planned to do it next year (on July 23, 2020, ten years after my first ride). I also broke the record for most rides in one day when I rode it 93 times on Friday, August 9.

October 27 will quite possibly be one of the hardest days of my life. I know I will not be alone in the emotions of Vortex’s final ride. Vortex had a great 33 seasons and will definitely be missed. Losing an old friend is never easy. I don’t think I will ever be ready to say goodbye to Vortex, even though I knew I would have to at some point.

Sigh...

[BoddaH1994]

3 hours ago, Ben43065 said:

^ interesting video, but I’m not sure I buy brakes being the problem with the ride, if it was wouldn’t they just run 2 trains? Also they likely could have ended up buying more breaks for the ride. Maybe a ride op for Vortex would be better informed on the subject if brakes were ever an issue (Since Taylor suggested ride ops were rushed to prevent this which I doubt to be true)

Yeah, I’m with you. His logic is sound, but I would definitely say that general structural fatigue would be the main culprit. Anything else - brakes, trains, control system - are easy to replace or repair compared to metal fatigue, foundational damage, and things in that vein. 

[pkiridesmaint]

4 hours ago, DeltaFlyer said:

The control system/PLC is not original. I want to say that it is early 2000s. It's an Allen Bradley system, just like almost every other ride. 

If this had been the problem it could be rectified. I highly doubt the control system is the issue. 

Vortex has an SLC500 AB PLC and has removable I/o logic cards, if anything were to happen to them any of the cards could be simply replaced and be readdressed, also if the main controller card were to fail there is backup after backup of the complete ladder logic for the ride so I can bet the farm the control system has NOTHING to do with the retirement of the ride

[teenageninja]

10 hours ago, fyrfyter said:

I doubt it’s brakes. Failure of the control system seems more likely. I can understand that from a cost perspective. With arrow no longer in business, it’s not just a PLC upgrade to a newer unit. I doubt the wiring schematics on Vortex still exist.

I don’t see them keeping it SBNO. With large cranes already on site, probably cheaper to scrap it now. SBNO just will make it look junky next season. I’ll bet it’s gone in record time.

There is absolutely no way that an amusement park is running a ride without wiring schematics available.  If something were to happen that is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Brake fatigue doesn't seem realistic to me.  If anything, I could see it being a concern over the braking system being a normally open system as opposed to a normally closed system.  Essentially, most rides use pneumatics to open the brakes up to allow the train to flow, while Vortex uses pneumatic pressure to close the brakes.  That could be a big concern for a chain who has had some bumps in the past couple years.

If the park was THAT concerned about using the brake run closest to Troika, they could go 2 train operation and use the brakes prior to the corkscrews.

[TheRickster]

8 hours ago, VortexBFForever said:

Don’t be surprised if you see me crying while at work. It’s already happened once. But even then I will keep smiling and having fun and making each last day count of the 12 years that Vortex has been a part of my life!

 I’m so glad that I took my 1,000th ride on August 2, especially since I originally planned to do it next year (on July 23, 2020, ten years after my first ride). I also broke the record for most rides in one day when I rode it 93 times on Friday, August 9.

October 27 will quite possibly be one of the hardest days of my life. I know I will not be alone in the emotions of Vortex’s final ride. Vortex had a great 33 seasons and will definitely be missed. Losing an old friend is never easy. I don’t think I will ever be ready to say goodbye to Vortex, even though I knew I would have to at some point.

Sigh...

 

I was the random guy that said hi on Friday night. I was on the last crew for Beast/Flying Eagles when they left in 04. It's no fun to lose such an iconic ride but the pubic support and appreciation for them in their final days is really special.

 

Being on The Beast/Eagles crew for a whole year I have a special appreciation for The Vortex/Troika rides as they were always our friendly rivals. Not to mention Vortex was the background song for pretty much every night of my summer in 04 working by it.

[homestar92]

19 hours ago, silver2005 said:

So with that, given Vortex's age, it is really the first one to make it to this stage and the oldest of the bigger Arrow looping coasters left (Anaconda and Viper were built after Vortex).

Are we not considering the Darien Lake Viper as one of the "big" loopers? What about Dragon Mountain? Both are several years older than Vortex and have not had any indication of an impending closure.

[JonahWilliamson]

Viper at Darien Lake is a very very smooth Arrow. Ive ridden Vortex alot and Ive ridden Viper many many times and I would rather ride that then Vortex. BUT. Vortex is a giant, historic roller coaster. I've always dreamed about that plot of land but guess I never put together how shocking a Vortex closure would be.

[SonofBaconator]

Those are all owned by different companies so they might have a different view on service life.

[homestar92]

2 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

Those are all owned by different companies so they might have a different view on service life.

To be fair, I think this is the first Arrow coaster that I can recall Cedar Fair retiring in the last decade or more. I don't think we can take one closure as a trend or an indication of things to come. Besides, the only other "big" Arrow looper in the chain is Anaconda, which is newer and far less beloved than Vortex. So if it were to close, there's no way it gets this kind of reaction.

[DeltaFlyer]

9 hours ago, pkiridesmaint said:

Vortex has an SLC500 AB PLC and has removable I/o logic cards, if anything were to happen to them any of the cards could be simply replaced and be readdressed, also if the main controller card were to fail there is backup after backup of the complete ladder logic for the ride so I can bet the farm the control system has NOTHING to do with the retirement of the ride

I had thought about quoting you but didn't... glad to know! Do you know what year they updated it from its original system? 

[Klabergian Empire]

I was talking to a friend today and I think he's onto something when he said that (maybe) we are paying the price for a giga at the expense of Firehawk AND Vortex....thoughts?

[fyrfyter]

I was talking to a friend today and I think he's onto something when he said that (maybe) we are paying the price for a giga at the expense of Firehawk AND Vortex....thoughts?

I doubt it. I really think Vortex is a popularity issue. Most days even when the park is busy, Vortex is almost a walk-on. The more I think about this, the more apparent it becomes. They made the queue on the pathway much shorter in previous years, because it was no longer needed.

I truly believe some part of this ride is hitting failure state. Something that is of significant enough expense that cost vs benefit is rapidly playing into it. I don’t believe the brakes story and I don’t believe the controller after hearing from those on this forum.

So what’s left? Chain, anti-rollback, lift motor, Paint job, etc. Which of these items is the true likely demise of this coaster. What about the MCBR? Could there be something going on there that is costly enough that someone has decided it isn’t worth repairing?

[Bdd127]

I wish one of these parks would take the initiative to try and convert an arrow looper to lap bars or at the very least try and smooth things out a bit. These arrow loopers are a dying breed and they provide a unique experience that will never be replicated due to the ever advancing technology. It's something I'll really miss when it's gone. 

[BMBOY]

Wonder if KI decided to removed Vortex right after debut Orion? I found it strange that Vortex is still running in 2020. See yellow circle. RIP Vortex... thanks for bring great memories!

[Xdog42]

I saw the post on Twitter on Friday and to be truly honest I was shocked. I was never the biggest Vortex fan but I respected the ride for what it was. I can't say I'm exactly sad, but still a little disappointed overall. I was one of those people who were underwhelmed with Orion. Call me unappreciative, but something feels wrong about losing 2 coasters in 2 consecutive years, just to get, if I may say a  "underwhelming giga." I think Vortex leaving would have been more understandable if CF went out of there way to give us a better Giga. Like discussed earlier, no one knows when they decided to remove Vortex, but really, announcing it this late into the year was a terrible move.

Unfortunately, the last time I was able to ride Vortex was July of 2017 and I won't be able to get out this year and get a last ride in. I still don't know how to really formulate my thoughts into a way that seems less "salty/bitter" But I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I haven't appreciated the way CF has done things this year, concerning KI. I feel like this whole situation could have been improved if they had a better plan, It would have decreased the overall disappointment of this whole situation.

 Again, I never was a fan of Vortex, thought I don't want it to seem as if I hate the ride, I just wasn't particularly fond of it. Though I do have some fun moments associated with it. Either way, it's sad seeing any ride being removed. Overall, I just wish I was able to get my real "last ride".

[Daisy1380#]

For me personally, I am devastated with the retirement of Vortex this year, and I have many reasons why.
1: Vortex was the first ride I ever rode at Kings Island, I first rode it on October 28 2018, and I rode it with VortexBFForever and her friend Macy. I rode in the front left seat of the train, which interestingly enough, was the same seat VortexBFForever rode in as her first ride on Vortex. Just like her, I was nervous about riding Vortex for the first time, but I got on it anyway.
2: Vortex is/was my favorite coaster at Kings Island once Firehawk left (Firehawk was number one coaster of all time but then I decided my number one coasters of all time was Vortex and Banshee after Firehawk left), I have many memories of Vortex being awesome, and I will share some of them. When I first rode Vortex, I remembered I had my harness on and everything, but then I had to get off due to a thunderstorm the morning of October 28 2018. VortexBFForever wasn’t happy about that, so she proceeded to ask why, as did I (she wasn’t a happy camper at the time)(we asked why for different reasons).
After about five minutes of waiting, VortexBFForever asked her fellow crew mates at Vortex if she could clean the train, with the exact quote being: “Can I clean the train?”, with the response being “No silly, you can’t clean the train, you gave up your Vortex duties to be a guest for the day.” After realizing she couldn’t clean the train of Vortex, I realized she truly loved Vortex, and I learned how well maintained Vortex is.
We waited another twenty minutes until the trains of Vortex started to cycle, at which point I got back on, and I was freaking out about riding (I have general anxiety disorder so it is easy for me to worry). I realized once we got to the lift hill that I was truly scared, so VortexBFForever being the kind person she is let me hold her hand for the ride, and it helped a lot for me. Meanwhile, VortexBFForever was telling me facts about Vortex, which was fascinating! After the first mini drop around the bend, I had a beautiful view of the drop, and I somehow wasn’t freaking out at that point. Vortex was an awesome ride! I can’t remember my favorite part, but Vortex did become my favorite coaster at Kings Island, and I am forever thankful for Vortex making me feel welcome at Kings Island.
3: The history of Vortex is important to me as well, as it was (at the time) the tallest coaster and the highest, although I wasn’t around in 1987.
I am very disappointed with Kings Island retiring Vortex, as it was my first ride at Kings Island, my favorite coaster at Kings Island, and the history of it. Attached to this post was when I rode Vortex the first time. I am going back to Kings Island October 12 2019 with VortexBFForever, we will ride Vortex first, and that is a promise.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LintemuthStudios]

At least rides on The Beast at night will be better with Vortex gone. You'll be able to see a lot more of the park from the second lift hill instead of having Vortex block it all.

[Xdog42]

2 hours ago, Xdog42 said:

I saw the post on Twitter on Friday and to be truly honest I was shocked. I was never the biggest Vortex fan but I respected the ride for what it was. I can't say I'm exactly sad, but still a little disappointed overall. I was one of those people who were underwhelmed with Orion. Call me unappreciative, but something feels wrong about losing 2 coasters in 2 consecutive years, just to get, if I may say a giga .I think Vortex leaving would have been more understandable if CF went out of there way to give us a better Giga. Like discussed earlier, no one knows when they decided to remove Vortex, but really, announcing it this late into the year was a terrible move.

Unfortunately, the last time I was able to ride Vortex was July of 2017 and I won't be able to get out this year and get a last ride in. I still don't know how to really formulate my thoughts into a way that seems less "salty/bitter" But I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I haven't appreciated the way CF has done things this year, concerning KI. I feel like this whole situation could have been improved if they had a better plan, It would have decreased the overall disappointment of this whole situation.

 Again, I never was a fan of Vortex, thought I don't want it to seem as if I hate the ride, I just wasn't particularly fond of it. Though I do have some fun moments associated with it. Either way, it's sad seeing any ride being removed. Overall, I just wish I was able to get my real "last ride".

if I may say a giga .  I have no idea how my original post keeps getting change w/o me doing it ..... *Edit (I can't use the term "Budg3t Giga with the actual e?")

[fyrfyter]

No you cannot. Improper use of random characters violates the TOS.

 

I don’t consider Orion a cheap giga. If we are going to talk about cheap rides, there are so many others to choose from.

 

[FUN&ONLY!]

1 minute ago, fyrfyter said:

No you cannot. Improper use of random characters violates the TOS.

I don’t consider Orion a giga. If we are going to talk about budget rides, there are so many others to choose from.

Cough! Cough! Six Flags!

[Tr0y]

I too don’t consider Orion a giga. Orion is a multi world record hyper coaster. Longest drop, fastest, and longest brake run for a hyper coaster the world.

[MaestroJr]

I really don’t get why people keep arguing about Orion being a “Giga”. Regardless of its lift hill, it has a 300ft drop which makes it the technical definition of Giga. Arguing about it is irrelevant at this point, as long as the ride is good. It’s like arguing about the grass being green.