Fire in the Hole Sparking?

[Casper]

I was riding Fire in the Hole Saturday night and when the car I was on got to the train "collision" scene and dropped I began to see sparks comming from the back right wheel with a loud screech, to add to that the car began to shake more than usual. When the car made it over the hill to final drop the sparks stopped but the screech was loud and didnt stop till we entered the station.

Now my question is, is this normal? I problay should of told one of the attendents but it was one of those things where I roll out of the car and begen kissing the ground  

I must say it did add to the thrill of the ride  

[marolinesdad]

The carts are powered from below and what you are seeing are sparks like you would see from the top of the poles on bumper cars.

[Junior]

I think I would have mentioned this to the work crew. Might have been some problem.

[Ozark Outlaw]

When I rode Fire in the Hole several weeks ago, it almost felt like the the cars I was riding could not make it over that first hill after the bridge collapse. Perhaps, I shouldn't have had that funnel cake before I boarded?

Either way, I have never noticed sparks before. Could it be a point in the track where metal is rubbing against metal? I am no Fire in the Hole maintenance expert, but Fire in the Hole does feel a little more rickety in recent years.

[jap114]

Not too long before the park closed we were over there and they had it shut down for about 15 minutes to remove one set of cars. I'm guessing it was the one that you seen sparking!

By then the crowds were gone and you could walk in and get right on. After they re-opened I think they were were only running one set of cars.

[Copper]

The trains are powered like subway or elevated rails, they spark as does the FITH trains on occasion.  The squeal you are hearing is either two things- 1. New wheels rub the rails and they squeal 2. When the water is not running full power the tracks get really dry and the wheels squeak, also this can sound like someone is chewing gum really loud

When the ride is closed for fifteen minutes towards the end of the day (last few hours) that is typical, they are pulling trains (taking trains off).  When you have 15,000 people on park you want to run four trains, but as people leave there is no need to run four trains, so you pull some (take one or two off).  This helps the employees who have been spinning in circles for endless hours working multiple trains and this also helps save the trains (running trains around and around is hard on the machines).  It’s not always a “problem” like so many people assume.

Also, a lot of the track has been replaced in the last few years and the trains have been re-built too.

[sanddunerider]

oh man!    I thought maybe it was a christmas add-on

[jmc75]

Hey maybe that is where they got the idea about the sparks in the logo

[eak3littlejohs]

does anyone know if FITH turns the water off during the winter???

[pintrader]

Last year at OTC the water wasn't shooting from the barrel after the saloon and at the final dip there was no splash or spray. 

[Nate65807]

They "turn the water down" during OTC, but it is still there.

[Ozark Outlaw]

When I rode Fire in the Hole last month I noticed that the strobe lights at the final splash down were either not working, or had been shut off.


Granted that was my first visit to the park in a couple of years, but I sure hope they haven't taken that effect out.

[Parson B Ready]

As I understand it, the water is part of the train's braking system, so it is never totally eliminated. It is (as was said above)kept to a minimum during the colder months.

[sanddunerider]

i havent notice strobes last couple of times