Parts arrive for Cedar Point's Maverick
By JANET NGUYEN | Wednesday May 23 2007, 6:01am
SANDUSKY
Register photo/LUKE WARK A portion of track lies on the ground Tuesday afternoon, ready to be installed onto Cedar Point's Maverick. Four pieces of track arrived late in the night Monday, and assembly began early Tuesday. Park officials have not set an opening day for the coaster, but say they hope it will be ready in early June.
Cedar Point's newest coaster is on track to open in June after parts arrived Tuesday.
But when it does, only taller guests will be able to ride. IntaRide, the coaster's manufacturer, has revised the height requirement for the Maverick.
The manufacturer originally had set the height requirement at 48 inches or taller, but decided to change it to 52 inches or taller after recent tests on the ride.
Replacement tracks for the Maverick were delivered to Cedar Point early Tuesday morning and installation began soon after.
When it's done, the Maverick will undergo additional tests. The ride was originally scheduled to open May 12 -- the day the park opened for the season.
But the ride's debut was delayed after tests revealed the ride's trains received an excessive amount of stress on three sections of the track.
The ride's original design for the three sections was a heartline roll that would flip riders upside down. The new design will have an "s-curve" that will keep riders above the track as they quickly change direction from right to left. The train will then continue along the existing track.
The new sections, which were fabricated at a manufacturing plant in Europe, were flown to the United States and then transported by truck to the park. The parts arrived at 3 a.m. Tuesday.
Park spokesman Bryan Edwards does not know how long the sections will take to install.
Edwards said the new "s-curve" design will eliminate pressure on those sections of track. Although the new design won't flip riders upside down on that portion of track, the s-curve will "still be a thrilling element," Edwards said.
No other sections of the ride will be modified.
Once the track is installed and testing is complete, the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Amusement Ride Safety Division will inspect the ride.
After the inspection is complete and the ride is licensed, the Maverick will open to the public.
"We're still hoping for an early June debut," Edwards said.
Source:
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Marcel
Aus Liebe zum Spiel wird alles super.