I love the traveling rides here in germany. They always get inspected by the TÜV every time they get relocated to somewhere else and also get daily checks.
I am really enjoying your videos. Especially being mechanical and having worked in construction, and even owning a hardware store. We had a traveling show that used to come twice yearly. They were pretty much across from our hardware store. And they were always needing something. The day I made my mind up to never, ever ride anything there was the day that two “engineers “ came in needing “bolts and nuts for the Ferris wheel.” So as pretty much every customer, when you ask what size do you need, the answer is “I’ll know it when I see it!” So they ended up deciding that 10/24 x 2” brass screws and nuts!! Not even locking nuts!!! (For those who don’t know, brass is very soft. It was generally used for decorative purposes) Anyway, keep up the great work What is the normal useful life of a ride? I ask because I can’t wrap my mind around how the ride manufactures make money, or are sustainable
Brass? Jeeze! Hope that was for scenic paneling.! Manufactures don’t typically put a life span on their equipment. Some had been in uses sense the 70s. Bigger stuff at parks, engineering determines when it’s time to remove a rede for fatigue.
Large steel coasters generally last 30-40 years. Some last way longer, and some way shorter. So there is always some demand for new rides (unless a big recession hits and parks stop investing). Manufacturers also supply replacement parts which is a small source of income for them. Another thing is that they are not very large companies. Even B&M, probably the largest roller coaster manufacturer, only produce 2-3 coasters a year (which is a lot. That means they have around 10-20 coasters in the works at any time). Smaller manufacturers don't just do rides. For example a nature park I live near has a couple bridges designed by gravity group. I would think other small manufacturers also provide engineering consulting services in addition to designing rides. Same goes for the companies that actually do the manufacturing. Clermont Steel Fabricators manufactures all of B&Ms track for the US but also does lots of other stuff you can see if you look at the projects tab on their website. I did a bit of research into this because at one point I wanted to be a roller coaster engineer (still do, but I have accepted that it will likely not happen lol).
I'm a mechanic at a smaller amusement park and after working there, I've noticed so many sketchy things at traveling carnivals. Yes, i will ride carnival rides only after observing a few cycles and looking at all of the connections while walking around.
@ryantheridemechanic There was a 1001 knots ride operated by Skinners amusements, and as I was walking around, I could hear the drive shaft growling. You could hear it from the opposite side of the fair grounds. Went on their ferris wheel and noticed all of the pins had no safety pins installed and a few were walking out. The only 2 companies I trust is Windy city and Fantasy.
0:20 - I IMMEDIATELY knew that reference! Gotta love Jordan_The_Stallion8! 2:37 - As an elevator enthusiast/elevator nerd, elevator mechanics may also need to jump out things within an elevator controller, such as the door locks, to basically make the elevator move with the doors open. Now as for leaving a safety system jumped out at 3:17 in the video, there have been cases where an elevator mechanic left an elevator door lock jumped out, causing an accident/injury or even death. That is basically why elevator door lock monitoring (DLM) systems exist. Elevator door lock monitoring systems basically make sure that an elevator door lock isn't jumped out, and if it is, it will prevent the elevator from moving/running. Some elevators actually have a door lock monitoring system installed, but certainly not all.
Modern elevators where i live often have a way of bypassing the door interlocks built into the logic controller (sometimes its a card that needs to be plugged in, sometimes its just a toggle switch on the logic, athough with these the logic controller should prevent operation in normal mode with the bypass turned on)
@@pineappleroad Elevators in my area (St. Louis, Missouri) also have a switch directly on the controller itself to bypass either the car door, hall doors, or both. I've seen it myself.
@@MrEngineer20051 KONE is currently the only manufacter where i live that uses a switch on the controller (rather than a bypass card or whatever), athough there is just a single switch to bypass all doors (and i have come across a video where an elevator continues moving after a shaft door switch is opened (the person is holding the switch to simulate the door being closed, and when they release the switch the elevator suddenly speeds up for about a second or two before stopping))
My life history includes 2 days as an underage, paid under the table, carney. Mid 70s, Birmingham, AL, & I'm around 14-15. A carnival is setting up at the local shopping center. I kinda hung around until some guys offered minimum wage and lunch to help set up a ride😮. I know, right? So it's a kids ride with the umbrella over little cars going in a circle with electric horn buttons that are pressed incessantly, common ride. These days, it's on a trailer where the circular track is just folded up to transport. Not so back then. First, a small crane built into the trailer was used to lower the motor in the center of it all, with supports radiating out that would be leveled, & hold the track. There were 8 pie slices of steel, essentially, pulled out manually & placed one at a time. One of the actual carneys smashed the crap out of a finger in this process, illustrating why they don't let 14 year olds do such work. Some months later, being experienced and all, a friend and I went on the last day of a carnival to seek some work. This time they asked my age, under 16, so I was only allowed broom duty. My buddy got to help on a tear down, but only because he wasn't asked his age. He was actually Younger than me, just freakishly tall.
What a story. Some of those kiddy rides are very easy to set up. A lot you don’t even need the manual, they look like a puzzle that has the picture and it’s only 6 pieces.
I’ve ridden everything from Zamperla, Soriani & Moser, Chance, Wisdom, SDC, Mondial, Tivoli, Fabbri, KMG, HUSS, Mack and Technical Park. I’ve never had any issues except that one time on a Nack Musik Express made in the 60a. Outside of that, I’m a traveling ride connoisseur.
Can you do a video on control systems, specifically PLC and the differences between normal plc processors and safety ones ... and why they are used on roller coasters , thanks 😊
Ah a sleeper. Sure. I’d love to. Compare safety plc to a regular. Have to hit relay as well. I say sleeper because those type of deep dives never get regular views compared to most.
@ryantheridemechanic that's what I love about the channel tho it makes you stand out because people in the industry want to learn from you , it's the whole reason I watch your channel because I find your insight and expertise really helpful 😊 don't forget your roots chasing viewers 😀
Great video as always, love the content. A video idea I think would be cool is maybe one where you tell us about breakdowns that just stumped you and your maintenance team. Something beyond normal wear and tear and normal breakdowns and what you guys had to do to bring that ride back in operation. Regardless I love the content you've been putting out lately, keep up the good work 😊
Your story about putting a cable on a seat to physically prevent guests from trying to use it reminded me of a wonderful story of my own. I was at Six Flags Over Georgia last year (2023), and the Great American Scream Machine had a train where one seat had a broken restraint. I could see where they placed an out of service sign and caution tape on the seat while I was waiting in line. Well, one guest was not bothered by that and somehow managed to get the caution tape and sign off of the seat without any of the ride operators noticing. They sat down, closed the restraint, and patiently waited for the ride operators to send off the ride. The operators, probably not thinking to make sure the broken seat was empty every other train, checked his restraint and cleared the ride for send-off. I'm next up to get on the ride when that train comes back to the station. Lo and behold, this kid's restraint won't come up. The ride operators' faces when the light bulbs went off and they realized what happened was blended anger and dismay. They tried for about two minutes to see if they could re-open the restraint themselves before calling the mechanics. I don't think they were too much at fault. They skip over empty seats all the time and they probably were never told something like, "Hey, make sure you check for the one broken seat on every other train before you dispatch." Even if they were, that seems like something that would be easy to miss. They would have had to catch him removing the sign, which the kid probably just sat on and shoved down the tape. I don't know exactly how long the ride was down while the mechanics worked on reopening his restraint or what they did with him when they got him out. I think I went back like 30 minutes later and the ride was open again.
Yea the biggest problem was rides that had to see all restraints open then all closed. They were tagged out but we had to let them operate or the ride would fault out. Good story!
They had a problems with the Chaos Ride at one time at michigan adventure where the center Pin cracked and snapped... And they got rid of them all..and they were at major parks... And that was carnival ride that was made permanent... It was off center and it snapped lucky no one was killed
@ryantheridemechanic when you talked about the rainbow ride it reminded me of that incident.... Yeah there is only one carnival ride I will ride and that's the orbiter... You can't take any pins out or it will not be safe to run and the pins are the the size of the bolts they use to secure Rollercoaster track...but something like the zipper is a NO GO.....what holds that door shut and locked that's a big NOPE... I'm a daredevil and I will not get on alot of those rides...
Last year on a Berlin state fair I stumbled upon a borderline antique (I later learned: 50+ years old) large Schwarzkopf family coaster. I got extremely excited for that special credit and did two laps on it. It was pretty rough but still just a great and charming ride experience. Then after getting home I immediately geeked out and looked for information on that piece of history I just rode. Well ... I found out that there had been two accidents on that ride within less than ten yeras - one during operation where several riders got injured, one during setup where a carnival worker was killed. Then I read about two more accidents on other traveling coasters owned by the same operator. Then I watched a RUclips Interview with the owner, where he just casually mentioned that his father, from whom he had inherited the family business, had died in an accident on that very coaster ... - And all that here in Germany where inspections are pretty strict (every single ride at every single carnival has to be inspected after assembly before it starts operating). I might still keep rolling the dice on traveling rides, but it certainly gave me pause. As did your video. Great stuff as always.
The larger ones are harder. There is more safety but also more force and the margin for error is smaller. But I think I’d be more comfortable with a large coaster over a small spinning ride. Just feels stable to me.
I just came across your channel today via this video. Didn't think I could listen to someone for an hour telling me how atrocious these rides were - but I was wrong. Watched to the end haha. Looking forward to checking out some of your other content.
Awesome! Welcome to thunder dome haha! My videos don’t have too much to visually see some times. I recommend to most people to kind of, “have it on in the background” so you can listen but still catch a video or picture. Some time I build examples and those are fun to watch. You’ll see.
To be fair of the hundreds of ride I have riden in my life both permanent and traveling my all time favorite is the Zipper by Chance ..... new in 100% perfect condition it looks like a death trap...and originally it had some issues.... especially the original top speed and door latch wear issues... but having ridden an early production version with later retrofits I wish that ride was more common at permanent parks and fairs. It is definitely one of the most intense rides out there.
@@sharkheadism absolutely not, I've worked too many accident cases to sit by and allow this misinformation to go uncontested. Amusement parks kill more patrons than carnivals, despite the fact there are over 40 times more carnivals.
Always down for a “downfall of intamin xcelerator models” video👀. Like I mentioned in my email, it’s so disappointing they’re slowly going away, especially because they’re the only coaster I have a bit of knowledge with. Would love a more in depth about perhaps why they’re more difficult to maintain or less reliable as opposed to electromagnetic launches
The Jumbo Jet that operated at Cedar Point for 7 short seasons from 1972-1978 a lot of the ride structure sat on must have been 4x4 pieces of thick wood.
I was on a pirate ship swing ride at ventura county fair, the lap bar came up mid-ride. The operator claimed it wasn't possible, but I know it did. Probably not as dangerous as it sounds, but it was scary. We were in the far right row so we were close to vertical, if not vertical. I'm glad I was right not to trust these rides!
If it was a ratchet restraint it probably was just a misclick. They happen fairly often on anything with a ratchet. A misclick will only result in the restraint going up one click and no more. They often sound horrendous, but aren't really dangerous. If it was a hydraulic restraint or went up more than one position then yeah, definitely not good.
The jumpering question is probably derived from an incident where restraints flew open and ejected people from the ride. I guess in the investigation it was found that the restraint locks or something to do with the cycle was jumpered and the ride program thought the cycle was complete and opened the restraints. Something like that. I remember seeing it on a YT channel a few months ago.
I rode a Gravitron at a county fair once. It wasn't busy, and I guess the attendant thought we'd enjoy another ride. He didn't open the door to find out if we wanted to. He juat did it. Then he did it again. Then again. He did it a total of FIVE times. I seriously thought about how there was nothing stopping him from keepimg it uo until the fair closed. I was sick and stayed sick for the rest of the evening. NEVER again!
Think about the scheduling pressures on the carnivals, to tear down, travel, and reconstruct in the minimum amount of time. It would be mentally and physically exhausting. Add in the money pressure to stay in the black, avoiding expensive outlays. Of course, they're going to make mistakes and/or cut corners, even those with the best intentions.
One time I was a right operator and didn't realize about a secret inspection and they acknowledged me for doing a great job! I was working a finicky ride that had to be balanced or it would fault at the end of the ride and leave guests up in the air.
I love watching the footers on the Seas Ray flex up and down as it swings. Some look like the are about the lift off the pads. And the distracted ride operators.......oh yeah!!! Uninterested and unconcerned. Also I am wondering how they communicate when the company has a mix of people who speak 4 different languages. There is no way anyone is gonna tell me that aint never a problem!!
Last weekend ar six flags New england, superman the ride did a whistling sound only with the red train. Tell me if I'm wrong, but i think it was a bearing wearing out.
@@KingGamingRoblox probably a dust shield in the bearing assembly. Could be either but the dust shields on those wheels are always a pain for spinning causing a whine or whistle. Sometimes sounds like a tambourine
You mentioned that carnivals will shut down a ride of the lighting package doesn’t work Not sure where I heard it so take it with a grain of salt but I heard that the lighting package is so important as to generate a perception of safety for the ride. Like if the lighting works properly then people will perceive the ride to be constructed and maintained properly and thus, more likely to buy tickets and ride it. But if the lighting package is broken then people won’t want to ride and they lose money.
Oooff. That hurt. I mentioned before that I was heavily involved in the traveling fair business in Germany for a couple of years, where I have done everything from ride erection to tear-downs, repairs, operating... I assume that what you are saying hold true for the fairs in the United States, about which I can't say much, as I have only been to one in my entire life. here in Germany, this is a totally different story. Maybe the first factor is already that our shows aren't businesses owning dozens of rides. If you go to a fair, no matter if it's something big like Oktoberfest or just a small town fair somewhere, the aren't run by a single show operator like what you see in the US. Basically every ride, every concession is owned and operated individually. Sure, often times you will have several members of the same family each operating an attraction at the same fair (one brother has the bumper cars, another one has the Break Dancer, and a cousin of theirs sells Bratwurst), but since each of them is their own business that has their name displayed somewhere, they are way more careful to make sure everything is safe. It also helps that there are inspections at every fair and a big one once every one to three years, depending on ride type. Out of all the rides I worked with, I am only familiar with one accident that was not a result of guests misbehaving. On a flat ride (not going more specific here in public), one of the gondolas tore off during the ride cycle and slid along the ground for a couple of yards. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries or even fatalities, just a few minor scratches and bruises, and of course substantial damage to the ride. Unsurprisingly, the first reaction everywhere was "typical fair stuff". But the cause for the accident could have happened at a park in exactly the same way. The part that failed and caused the gondola to go flying was a steel pin of I'd guess about 3" diameter, around which the gondola can pivot freely. The pin in question had just been installed a few weeks prior, after having been purchased brand new and been in stock for a while. As the investigation showed, it wasn't up to specs. But the owner of the ride wasn't to blame for since the company he (and a lot of other people) had got the parts from, had presented all necessary certification for both their operation and the parts they sold. Unfortunately, those certificates were just stuff they printed themselves without ever having gone through any certification process. By the time of the accident, the company had already gone out of business. So unless someone had taken the brand new part and NDT'd it, there was no way of preventing the accident from happening. And I doubt that parks would regularly NDT parts that they just acquired, especially when they come with the paperwork that's required. While it is not uncommon to start dismantling a ride before the fair ends, there are a few basic rules: 1. Don't remove any structural parts, just lights and decoration, and 2. If you take away any kind of safety for a part, the entire part must be taken off. So while the rides may look pretty bare in cases like that, they are still as (un)safe as they were with all the blingbling attached. And last but not least - the accident with the Rainbow did not happen at a fair, but at a park in Sweden, which kind of goes against the general "park rides are safe, fair rides aren't" theme... This is not to say that there aren't any unsafe things at fairs here. I remember, a little less than 20 years ago, I regularly worked with one of the many Italian made pendulum ride models. During that time, i visited a fair in France where another ride of the same type was operating. Being very familiar with the ride, the first thing I noticed is that some tensioning bars (I hope that's the right word) were completely loose. Both ends were fastened to the correct place, but they were not tensioned and locked down at all. Needless to say, they did not provide the stability they were designed to provide.
I would give a fair in Germany more of a chance than a fair in the US honestly. Yes the rainbow was in a permanent park for sure. It was just what hit my mind when I thought of it. That said traveling models weren’t really affected because of the ability to tear down and NDT. Wish we kept that ride.
@@ryantheridemechanic I liked the Rainbow. But then again, I pretty much love all the Huss rides. Fortunately, I'm the right age to have been around when they were massively popular. At one point, there were a little over 50 Breakdancer rides traveling in Germany alone. 😎
The carnie' wisdom of avoiding rides on the first and last day of a fair is well-founded. What surprised me is that the practice of dismantling rides "early" is not merely common; it is actually codified into law with specific percentage guidelines. Wow.
I don't know Ryan, you talk about pre-sloughing like it's taking out pieces integral to the functionality to the ride when anytime I've seen it done it's just to pack up scenery panels, remove canvas covering the ride (like the roof of a Himalaya), or other decorative pieces. Most shows don't even bother since the time between spots is usually several days, not like the 70s when circus jumps (close one night, open the next) were more commonplace.
I think its important to note something, the country of operation of these rides also take a massive part in trustworthyness of the showmen. For example id say here in th UK we are extremely strict on anything that people can sit in or ride on. The track record in this country is generally very good. However, this is on a case by case basis, reputable fairs like WinterWonderland here in the UK or Munichen Oktober Fest in germany, id say are perfectly safe places to spend a day. Some dodgey out of state or country fair probably shouldnt always be trusted.
I may be wrong, but you seemed to suggest that the Huss Rainbow accident was at a fair, it was in fact a park - Liseberg, in Sweden, to be precise. Also, I'm pretty certain Huss would never design a ride (even a small ride like the Fly Willy) to operate just sitting on the ground - it would be fixed to a part of the chassis that it travels on, which itself would be jacked up above the ground to make it perfectly level I'd love you to come and see some of the big fairs here in Europe - it does seem the US fairs are nowhere near the standard of the European ones
I feel the US is lacking in a lot of categories. The rainbow was just a though of failure on a ride that has similar models in fairs. I know the actual failure was in a park. But the NDT was actually what allowed fairs to continue to operate and was the last straw in some permanent parks. Our fly Willie was not anchored. The rep that did the inspections told me most (in the us) were not anchored.
In holland there is a aproval that depends on the safety risk. So once a year for a coaster to once per 3 year's for low level risk ride's. Al that by a govermet apoval company. And a test could happen at ramdom if a ride is placed. Sorry for bad english.
That pretty much sounds like how it is done here in Germany as well. Depending on intensity, a big TÜV inspection (including inspection of parts in a dismantled state), and every time the ride gets erected, an inspection by local authorities. Plus random checks that can happen anytime.
TUV has a Dutch branch that does the inspections in the Netherlands, as well in permanent parks as on fairs. Fairs most fair rides in the Netherlands also have the advantage that a lot of ride manufacturers are in the Netherlands or Europe, which makes it easier for them to go by them or have them come to over when they experiencing problems. Just to mention a view: we have KMG and Mondial in the Netherlands, Huss in Germany, Zamperla, Fabri and Technical park in Italy, funtime in Austria. And in the Netherlands most fairs are in the city streets, giving them a more solid foundation. I can honestly say that I've never felt unsafe in a fair ride here in the Netherlands, not even when it's a 60 meter (196 ft.) Booster. The rides are well maintained and kept up to standards and you can also really see that on how they look. Compared to how some US fair rides look.
I was listening and ever since iv been going to Disney Orlando fl magic kingdom the ride snow whites scary adventure and they still pretend to have it every year is that the same can you do something
I kinda have the same thoughts on travelling ride, here in Belgium we should have tuv to inspect rides but in fairs it doesn’t feel like it’s inspected at all, even though I see ride been here one year and not the other, I have a lot more trust on theme park but still, idk I am still not convinced, great video, very interesting and informative
I would rather go on traveling rides in your area. they seem more taken care of when I see videos of them running. Also, I have a lot of respect for the TUV and what they do.
Not sure if it is the same in other countries but here in the UK if a person bypassed a system and that led to injury or death, our health and safety laws mean that you are personally liable - not the company you work for (they might be liable too) but, providing the engineer is qualified to carry out maintenance and received the proper training, if they “decide” to operate the ride knowing its safety is compromised, and something happened-they get hit with a massive fine and a custodial sentence (depending on what happened).
Here in the United States, mechanics are held liable for the ride that they open for that day. And depending on who knew about the type of problem that it might have more people are held liable on top of that all the way up to the company itself. But if you have a mechanic, do some sort of crap, move and hurt a bunch of people, then they will be held liable, and if management didn’t know about what they did, then the park and management will be in the Clear.
How does a ride like Zonga make you feel? I know Premier modified it which kind of shifted the forces away from what the structure was initially designed to deal with in certain spots but the way that 3rd loop would lift when the train went through was always a bit unnerving
@@flashback0978 that would be a good ride to make over again in a Gerslauer (I know I spelt that wrong) infinity coaster. They could even make it traveling as well. And a vertical lift would fix most of the maintenance issues with it. For the original, people just complained too much. So sad but we live in an area that’s protect the company first from lawsuits. So those rides can’t survive.
@ryantheridemechanic really the only modifications made to Zonga should have been to the lift system, those restraints would have been horrific on any coaster
@ryantheridemechanic I was really enjoying your channel until this video. I have worked on travelling fairs for about 16 years on and off, we maintain and operate the rides to the very highest standard. We check every nut bolt clip hinge and a safety systems every day before we open. Not only that but as we are constantly building up opening and pulling down before travelling we get to see every inch of the ride weekly, so we see any issues or cracks and so on before they become a bigger issue. Just the same as parks we have to be certified once a year by an inspection and they do ultrasound on the metal running parts for crack testing. If we change ride ops the incoming ride op will walk around with the check list before taking over operation.
@@sduff7027 I have always thought the portables (In the US of course) might even theoretically be a tad safer than park rides for those very reasons, those rides get once a week what park rides get once a year, not to mention depending on what state much more strict inspections
@@sduff7027 The rides have to be certified yearly but they also are inspected every time they are set up by an outside inspector and they can not take any riders until the inspector authorizes it correct ?
The whole pre sloughing thing is ridiculous how is that allowed I've never ever heard of that on UK travelling fairs. That would be extremely frowned upon. And by the way, the UK fairgrounds have some of the shortest turnaround times for getting to the next gaff. The most they would do is strip backflash and lighting I.e. non safety critical parts of the ride.
@@ryantheridemechanic By all time I mean, at any point a ride is being constructed or operated. I think by that definition, there's always someone who can be overlooking. I do agree it would be tedious and wouldn't fix many of the problems. I guess better legislation concerning traveling rides would be the only way to operate safely.
Hi so one question, not sure if you will have an answer for this though because I know none of the coasters at your park were by defunct manufacturers. Is it more difficult for maintenance to work on coasters/flat rides whos manufacturers don't exist anymore? If you a major part breaks, or a problem happens and you can't fix it who would you even contact, another manufacturer to see if they can fabricate a replacement part?
Also love the parody of that one tiktok guy you did at the beginning of the video. I feel like a lot of people watching won't know who he is, but for those of us who do, your parody was hilarious lol
So it normally means there is a lot more downtime when parts break. Sometimes they need to be re-engineered to be replaced. So lots of cost as well. On rare occasions alternate manufactures pick up service for those rides. Last thing a dying company does is kind of sell the designs to another company allowing them rights to service the ride. Means more money for that other company if they are willing to take it on. But that’s not very common.
I don't think traveling rides here (North of Europe) are unsafe, but there's a lot of regulation and inspections over here. They still could make a mistake putting the rides up ofcourse and because they do it every other week or so it might be a little more common. But that could happen at a permanent ride as well. All falls or stands with proper procedures and training.
Well said. I think training is where a lot of places fall short but the standards can fix that gap. But we don’t have the best standards for these type of traveling rides here in the US. So I worry.
When I was a kid back in 1998 I went on a carnival ride it's called the zipper it's that thing that spins around and you sit inside the container I think that's called I was with my mom when that ride started 😂😂😂 forget it I heard bangs and meato kreaking and it through us around why we was inside the thing that people in i was screaming stop the Fing ride and after that never again
It all boils down to the operator. Check who operated the equipment and look into their safety record. That should be a good judge of character. If the operator has lots of accident reports, then be careful. If not then they are doing a good job. Accident records should be public to look at
In The Netherlands, The U.K. and Germany the qualifications to operate and own a travelling ride are so strict that some rides this year have been shut down due to safety concerns. Even some showman have trouble to get a permit for operation in The Netherlands and Germany after operating the ride for years due to new safety restrictions. Also they require an X-Ray on the steel every year. Also, the Zipper ride is considered unsafe by the TUV organisation. In France it can operate, but in Germany and The Netherlands it is not allowed to operate due to construct issues by the TUV they declared them "unsafe". What do you think of this? I am really interested in your opinion about this.
So I don’t know the grounds the tUV ruled on. But if they won’t allow it there must be something. Could be controls problem but more than likely it’s a math problem. As far as I understand zippers actually have a fairly good safety history so I’m thinking it must be a design problem that’s not really a problem, but the math says it is. I could see that. TUV is very precise with everything.
@@ryantheridemechanic TUV is even so strict that a ride that was refurbished by Mondial and I-works last winter, didn't got a permit reasons unknown but the ride was allready set up at the first fair and the owner had to take it down because TUV said NOPE. Same goes for a Technical Park Pegasus original. It was shut down for electro work. Sometimes for permanent parks the TUV can retract a operation permit when the evacuation procedure is not on standard even, or the E-Stop hasn't the right button size. They are super super strict when it comes to those things. Your video made it like the U.S. has a bigger problem on their hands with travelling rides and how some owners operate. Would it be wise to have a organisation like TUV operate in the whole of the U.S. with the same amount of Safety checks? I know a operator of a ride that sits on his phone can go to jail in Germany and The Netherlands when operating the ride. Can you elaborate on that?
@@ryantheridemechanic No, like more why the U.S. is less strict with safety ruling then some European countries when it comes to traveling rides, according to your video. While here a ride can be shut down when one bolt or even a safety pin is missing or it can eveb be not permitted to operate when having hydraulic stamps. While in the U.S. they are allowed to operate without these as you say at the end of your video. It just blew my mind how different safety standards are.
Not that this is an excuse, but I imagine the motivation behind the companies bypassing systems is to ensure they’re operational so they can make money. If a ride is down at a fair for a weekend, it’d lose a lot of revenue.
Well we can take a look at the safety record of carnival rides. Or we can look at it from a logic perspective. My logic is anything that's constantly being put together, taken apart, then hauled off and not kept out of the elements, is going to suffer more wear and tear. And I doubt a lot of these fairs and carnivals put in the man hours to maintain these rides to manufacturer specific recommendations. But that's just me and my logic/opinion.
I honestly tried to push rides onto cycle based maintenance because it would mean less tear down. Most manufacturers specify 12 months though and engineering didn’t want to override it. I could have gotten 2.5 years out of one train the way we ran.
I won’t ride anything a carnival or fair that goes upside down or has a high rate of speed. My son wanted to go on a roller coaster that was on a continual motion that went round and round kinda like the Harley Quinn coaster except no figure 8. He got so sad and angry with me because I wouldn’t allow it! It just doesn’t seem safe to me.
I went to the strawberry festival in Florida the other week and have never seen an Astro Orbitor esc ride (also jumped up and down quick for air time) spin so fast before lol. Looked fun but HECK NO
Some of the stuff you mention would never be allowed in places like the uk and europe also we dont get 1 company who own all rides a fair/carnival will have several familes (showman) who will usually own 1 or 2 rides and take pride in running them Unfortunately there will be a couple of bad actors around but most are good that also applies to permint parks
There should be an auto like, the people that watch this I'm sure are super interested in every video you make. Great job! (Even though you said "acrost" again lol jk)
I cannot even tell you how many rides I've been on in my life. I used to ride ANYTHING anywhere. BUT, no longer. I've seen and heard too many friends and strangers who've had terrible experiences with carnival rides. And I've seen way too many vids of people being hurt or killed by them. Not to mention all the horrible stories of the owners, and how many times they've cut corners on maintenance on their rides. Then for me, what sealed it was a friend who worked for a company I won't name here, who traveled all over the country with different types of carnivals/fairs. What she learned and told me, had me seriously cringing and rethinking EVER getting on one of those things again. She ended up quitting a few years later, because of all she saw and witnessed. It's now a big NOPE for me.
@@ryantheridemechanic No point in dragging it through the mud on naming them, especially since this was 10yrs ago, and /maybe/ they have new ownership who's more responsible. But like you, I'm not taking my chances. And thanks for all your fantastic vids!
Anything that remotely resembles a carnival ride is something I'm immediately way more cautious about. I just don't see how rides that keep getting dismantled and rebuilt with lackluster personel and maintenance can operate safely. Besides that, the main rollercoaster on my local big fair for example is just so extremely painful it can totally give you some severe body damage. Would pick any SLC over it any time of day.
I hate to say this but I kind of like the jank of carnival rides. I have no idea why. It just makes it even more thrilling and I know there’s risks too it but I just can’t help it
Looks like an opportunity for you to make some merch money by hosting the “2024 Great Carnival Ride Challenge”. Then people can buy the new “I Survived the “Ryan the Ride Mechanic’s Great Carnival Ride Challenge”. I’m in! 😂
Funny I have a lot of requests for some type of merch but I’m waiting until I can think of something I wouldn’t mind wearing to the parks. That’s harder for me. I like more of golf polo shirts about so much the basic cotton t-shirt.
@@FAFO4wisdom and they’re safer still. I told you, better off with a well engineered ride that’s rarely inspected over a shitty unsafe ride that is inspected often
Flat rides aren’t your thing and that’s ok. I still like them but I do focus my park visits on rollercoasters. Only exception now is when I went on ricochet at Six Flags, great America, that thing was sooooo much fun, and I want to ride it next time I go as well!
I think I road the Matterhorn once at an amusement park. It was OK, but still, I just skip them. Doesn't help,my home park is known for its 120 and 90 min waits for their main attractions. So if not entirely focused on that you miss 4 or 5 a visit.
@@ryantheridemechanic I believe Kings Island even has their rides checked halfway through the season. Either way good video and I hope to join the amusement park industry operating rides and attractions
My problem is the permanent parks almost NEVER have the caliber of wild flat rides you see at traveling fairs. That’s why I’ll take the risk. I always tell my friends if I die riding anything, I died happy 😅
I can’t speak for all parks, but I do know they have a much higher cost of maintenance than the slower rides do and I believe parks truly weigh those options when they look into purchasing new equipment.
@@ryantheridemechanic this is true. My home park is Carowinds and I worked as a ride op then area manager and became cool with the head mechanic and others. I asked this question and they gave a similar answer. Flat rides at fairs just have too many moving parts to them. This is why when they do get a flat ride similar or identical to fair versions they tend to run them slower that what you experienced at a fair. Carowinds culprit is their top scan. I definitely prefer the fair operation over the perm park.
Are you joking about the safety pins wow that's crazy thankfully here in the UK that wouldn't be happening taking flash and rounding boards off night before for easy pull down but definitely no safety pins thankfully we have strict health and safety guidelines won't be riding traveling rides if ever I'm in the USA WOW😂
@FunfairAndAmusementEMagazine no joking. I’ve been told it only applies to the scenic paneling but I guess it happens to everything. Traveling show people aren’t worried about it but I don’t like it.
I’m in maintenance in a large automated factory. I understand what a safety jumper is. But the average person may not. Will you please explain what a safety jumper is and the risks are.
The big problem is ... as an average Joe (with kids), you have absolutely no idea what kind of operator you have at your local traveling fair .... you really gotta decide if there's a risk worth taking or not. It could be perfectly safe, properly maintained, inspected, and operated. But if not .... holy smokes.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I love the traveling rides here in germany. They always get inspected by the TÜV every time they get relocated to somewhere else and also get daily checks.
Love the TUV standards
I am really enjoying your videos. Especially being mechanical and having worked in construction, and even owning a hardware store.
We had a traveling show that used to come twice yearly. They were pretty much across from our hardware store. And they were always needing something.
The day I made my mind up to never, ever ride anything there was the day that two “engineers “ came in needing “bolts and nuts for the Ferris wheel.”
So as pretty much every customer, when you ask what size do you need, the answer is “I’ll know it when I see it!”
So they ended up deciding that 10/24 x 2” brass screws and nuts!! Not even locking nuts!!!
(For those who don’t know, brass is very soft. It was generally used for decorative purposes)
Anyway, keep up the great work
What is the normal useful life of a ride?
I ask because I can’t wrap my mind around how the ride manufactures make money, or are sustainable
Brass? Jeeze! Hope that was for scenic paneling.! Manufactures don’t typically put a life span on their equipment. Some had been in uses sense the 70s. Bigger stuff at parks, engineering determines when it’s time to remove a rede for fatigue.
Large steel coasters generally last 30-40 years. Some last way longer, and some way shorter. So there is always some demand for new rides (unless a big recession hits and parks stop investing). Manufacturers also supply replacement parts which is a small source of income for them. Another thing is that they are not very large companies. Even B&M, probably the largest roller coaster manufacturer, only produce 2-3 coasters a year (which is a lot. That means they have around 10-20 coasters in the works at any time).
Smaller manufacturers don't just do rides. For example a nature park I live near has a couple bridges designed by gravity group. I would think other small manufacturers also provide engineering consulting services in addition to designing rides. Same goes for the companies that actually do the manufacturing. Clermont Steel Fabricators manufactures all of B&Ms track for the US but also does lots of other stuff you can see if you look at the projects tab on their website.
I did a bit of research into this because at one point I wanted to be a roller coaster engineer (still do, but I have accepted that it will likely not happen lol).
@@nathonizamboni875 wow. Thank you! It made me wonder for sure. Didn’t consider the necessary parts as they wear out.
I'm a mechanic at a smaller amusement park and after working there, I've noticed so many sketchy things at traveling carnivals. Yes, i will ride carnival rides only after observing a few cycles and looking at all of the connections while walking around.
It doesn’t take long. Especially if you talk with your local inspector about it. They have stories.
@ryantheridemechanic There was a 1001 knots ride operated by Skinners amusements, and as I was walking around, I could hear the drive shaft growling. You could hear it from the opposite side of the fair grounds. Went on their ferris wheel and noticed all of the pins had no safety pins installed and a few were walking out. The only 2 companies I trust is Windy city and Fantasy.
@@christopherswanson1628 good to know
0:20 - I IMMEDIATELY knew that reference! Gotta love Jordan_The_Stallion8!
2:37 - As an elevator enthusiast/elevator nerd, elevator mechanics may also need to jump out things within an elevator controller, such as the door locks, to basically make the elevator move with the doors open.
Now as for leaving a safety system jumped out at 3:17 in the video, there have been cases where an elevator mechanic left an elevator door lock jumped out, causing an accident/injury or even death. That is basically why elevator door lock monitoring (DLM) systems exist. Elevator door lock monitoring systems basically make sure that an elevator door lock isn't jumped out, and if it is, it will prevent the elevator from moving/running. Some elevators actually have a door lock monitoring system installed, but certainly not all.
Modern elevators where i live often have a way of bypassing the door interlocks built into the logic controller (sometimes its a card that needs to be plugged in, sometimes its just a toggle switch on the logic, athough with these the logic controller should prevent operation in normal mode with the bypass turned on)
@@pineappleroad Elevators in my area (St. Louis, Missouri) also have a switch directly on the controller itself to bypass either the car door, hall doors, or both. I've seen it myself.
@@MrEngineer20051 KONE is currently the only manufacter where i live that uses a switch on the controller (rather than a bypass card or whatever), athough there is just a single switch to bypass all doors
(and i have come across a video where an elevator continues moving after a shaft door switch is opened (the person is holding the switch to simulate the door being closed, and when they release the switch the elevator suddenly speeds up for about a second or two before stopping))
My life history includes 2 days as an underage, paid under the table, carney. Mid 70s, Birmingham, AL, & I'm around 14-15. A carnival is setting up at the local shopping center. I kinda hung around until some guys offered minimum wage and lunch to help set up a ride😮. I know, right? So it's a kids ride with the umbrella over little cars going in a circle with electric horn buttons that are pressed incessantly, common ride. These days, it's on a trailer where the circular track is just folded up to transport. Not so back then.
First, a small crane built into the trailer was used to lower the motor in the center of it all, with supports radiating out that would be leveled, & hold the track. There were 8 pie slices of steel, essentially, pulled out manually & placed one at a time. One of the actual carneys smashed the crap out of a finger in this process, illustrating why they don't let 14 year olds do such work.
Some months later, being experienced and all, a friend and I went on the last day of a carnival to seek some work. This time they asked my age, under 16, so I was only allowed broom duty. My buddy got to help on a tear down, but only because he wasn't asked his age. He was actually Younger than me, just freakishly tall.
What a story. Some of those kiddy rides are very easy to set up. A lot you don’t even need the manual, they look like a puzzle that has the picture and it’s only 6 pieces.
I’ve ridden everything from Zamperla, Soriani & Moser, Chance, Wisdom, SDC, Mondial, Tivoli, Fabbri, KMG, HUSS, Mack and Technical Park. I’ve never had any issues except that one time on a Nack Musik Express made in the 60a. Outside of that, I’m a traveling ride connoisseur.
Sounds like you get some reputable operators that come through.
@@ryantheridemechanic indeed especially here in FL we have a ton of European rides that are one of a kind like a Mondial Shake.
Can you do a video on control systems, specifically PLC and the differences between normal plc processors and safety ones ... and why they are used on roller coasters , thanks 😊
Ah a sleeper. Sure. I’d love to. Compare safety plc to a regular. Have to hit relay as well.
I say sleeper because those type of deep dives never get regular views compared to most.
@ryantheridemechanic that's what I love about the channel tho it makes you stand out because people in the industry want to learn from you , it's the whole reason I watch your channel because I find your insight and expertise really helpful 😊 don't forget your roots chasing viewers 😀
Great video as always, love the content. A video idea I think would be cool is maybe one where you tell us about breakdowns that just stumped you and your maintenance team. Something beyond normal wear and tear and normal breakdowns and what you guys had to do to bring that ride back in operation. Regardless I love the content you've been putting out lately, keep up the good work 😊
Oh yea ok. I’m working on another “stories of a ride mechanic” but maybe those would be best for their own video. I’ll see what I can think of thanks!
Your story about putting a cable on a seat to physically prevent guests from trying to use it reminded me of a wonderful story of my own. I was at Six Flags Over Georgia last year (2023), and the Great American Scream Machine had a train where one seat had a broken restraint. I could see where they placed an out of service sign and caution tape on the seat while I was waiting in line. Well, one guest was not bothered by that and somehow managed to get the caution tape and sign off of the seat without any of the ride operators noticing. They sat down, closed the restraint, and patiently waited for the ride operators to send off the ride. The operators, probably not thinking to make sure the broken seat was empty every other train, checked his restraint and cleared the ride for send-off. I'm next up to get on the ride when that train comes back to the station. Lo and behold, this kid's restraint won't come up. The ride operators' faces when the light bulbs went off and they realized what happened was blended anger and dismay. They tried for about two minutes to see if they could re-open the restraint themselves before calling the mechanics. I don't think they were too much at fault. They skip over empty seats all the time and they probably were never told something like, "Hey, make sure you check for the one broken seat on every other train before you dispatch." Even if they were, that seems like something that would be easy to miss. They would have had to catch him removing the sign, which the kid probably just sat on and shoved down the tape. I don't know exactly how long the ride was down while the mechanics worked on reopening his restraint or what they did with him when they got him out. I think I went back like 30 minutes later and the ride was open again.
Yea the biggest problem was rides that had to see all restraints open then all closed. They were tagged out but we had to let them operate or the ride would fault out. Good story!
They had a problems with the Chaos Ride at one time at michigan adventure where the center Pin cracked and snapped...
And they got rid of them all..and they were at major parks...
And that was carnival ride that was made permanent...
It was off center and it snapped lucky no one was killed
Yikes
@ryantheridemechanic when you talked about the rainbow ride it reminded me of that incident....
Yeah there is only one carnival ride I will ride and that's the orbiter...
You can't take any pins out or it will not be safe to run and the pins are the the size of the bolts they use to secure Rollercoaster track...but something like the zipper is a NO GO.....what holds that door shut and locked that's a big NOPE...
I'm a daredevil and I will not get on alot of those rides...
@@ryantheridemechanicGreat Adventure had one the last one shut down recently it was at Circus Circus in Las Vegas
Loved and missed chaos
Last year on a Berlin state fair I stumbled upon a borderline antique (I later learned: 50+ years old) large Schwarzkopf family coaster. I got extremely excited for that special credit and did two laps on it. It was pretty rough but still just a great and charming ride experience. Then after getting home I immediately geeked out and looked for information on that piece of history I just rode. Well ... I found out that there had been two accidents on that ride within less than ten yeras - one during operation where several riders got injured, one during setup where a carnival worker was killed. Then I read about two more accidents on other traveling coasters owned by the same operator. Then I watched a RUclips Interview with the owner, where he just casually mentioned that his father, from whom he had inherited the family business, had died in an accident on that very coaster ...
- And all that here in Germany where inspections are pretty strict (every single ride at every single carnival has to be inspected after assembly before it starts operating). I might still keep rolling the dice on traveling rides, but it certainly gave me pause. As did your video. Great stuff as always.
The larger ones are harder. There is more safety but also more force and the margin for error is smaller. But I think I’d be more comfortable with a large coaster over a small spinning ride. Just feels stable to me.
A video about ADIPS and the UK procedures would be very much apprecciated.
I just came across your channel today via this video. Didn't think I could listen to someone for an hour telling me how atrocious these rides were - but I was wrong. Watched to the end haha.
Looking forward to checking out some of your other content.
Awesome! Welcome to thunder dome haha! My videos don’t have too much to visually see some times. I recommend to most people to kind of, “have it on in the background” so you can listen but still catch a video or picture. Some time I build examples and those are fun to watch. You’ll see.
To be fair of the hundreds of ride I have riden in my life both permanent and traveling my all time favorite is the Zipper by Chance ..... new in 100% perfect condition it looks like a death trap...and originally it had some issues.... especially the original top speed and door latch wear issues... but having ridden an early production version with later retrofits I wish that ride was more common at permanent parks and fairs. It is definitely one of the most intense rides out there.
You can find them at boardwalk style parks but come to think of it I don’t know many permanent parks with zippers. I’ve heard they are well built.
@@ryantheridemechanic they really are well built, and this video spits in the face of the engineers and designers at Chance that make them.
@@FAFO4wisdom Lighten up Francis
@@sharkheadism absolutely not, I've worked too many accident cases to sit by and allow this misinformation to go uncontested.
Amusement parks kill more patrons than carnivals, despite the fact there are over 40 times more carnivals.
My favorite flat ride! ❤
Areo 360 at Kennywood is the other duel Hawk 48. I believe Meteor at Dorney is the other US one
I agree. I worked at a permanent park and knowing the business definitely changed how I looked at going to a carnival and parks.
Best episode so far. Keep it up!!
Thank you!
Always down for a “downfall of intamin xcelerator models” video👀. Like I mentioned in my email, it’s so disappointing they’re slowly going away, especially because they’re the only coaster I have a bit of knowledge with. Would love a more in depth about perhaps why they’re more difficult to maintain or less reliable as opposed to electromagnetic launches
The Jumbo Jet that operated at Cedar Point for 7 short seasons from 1972-1978 a lot of the ride structure sat on must have been 4x4 pieces of thick wood.
I was on a pirate ship swing ride at ventura county fair, the lap bar came up mid-ride. The operator claimed it wasn't possible, but I know it did. Probably not as dangerous as it sounds, but it was scary. We were in the far right row so we were close to vertical, if not vertical. I'm glad I was right not to trust these rides!
Sometimes the rides need more love then they can give them between tear downs.
If it was a ratchet restraint it probably was just a misclick. They happen fairly often on anything with a ratchet. A misclick will only result in the restraint going up one click and no more. They often sound horrendous, but aren't really dangerous. If it was a hydraulic restraint or went up more than one position then yeah, definitely not good.
@@nathonizamboni875 Im pretty sure it went all the way, bc after the cycle it just stayed where it opened to
The jumpering question is probably derived from an incident where restraints flew open and ejected people from the ride. I guess in the investigation it was found that the restraint locks or something to do with the cycle was jumpered and the ride program thought the cycle was complete and opened the restraints. Something like that. I remember seeing it on a YT channel a few months ago.
I rode a Gravitron at a county fair once. It wasn't busy, and I guess the attendant thought we'd enjoy another ride. He didn't open the door to find out if we wanted to. He juat did it. Then he did it again. Then again. He did it a total of FIVE times. I seriously thought about how there was nothing stopping him from keepimg it uo until the fair closed. I was sick and stayed sick for the rest of the evening. NEVER again!
That could be public endangerment. Not good especially without consent
Brilliant intro.
Think about the scheduling pressures on the carnivals, to tear down, travel, and reconstruct in the minimum amount of time. It would be mentally and physically exhausting. Add in the money pressure to stay in the black, avoiding expensive outlays. Of course, they're going to make mistakes and/or cut corners, even those with the best intentions.
@@shteebo yep
One time I was a right operator and didn't realize about a secret inspection and they acknowledged me for doing a great job! I was working a finicky ride that had to be balanced or it would fault at the end of the ride and leave guests up in the air.
I love watching the footers on the Seas Ray flex up and down as it swings. Some look like the are about the lift off the pads. And the distracted ride operators.......oh yeah!!! Uninterested and unconcerned. Also I am wondering how they communicate when the company has a mix of people who speak 4 different languages. There is no way anyone is gonna tell me that aint never a problem!!
Yea how do you communicate across multiple languages. Especially when we say things are lost in translation.
Last weekend ar six flags New england, superman the ride did a whistling sound only with the red train. Tell me if I'm wrong, but i think it was a bearing wearing out.
@@KingGamingRoblox probably a dust shield in the bearing assembly. Could be either but the dust shields on those wheels are always a pain for spinning causing a whine or whistle. Sometimes sounds like a tambourine
You mentioned that carnivals will shut down a ride of the lighting package doesn’t work
Not sure where I heard it so take it with a grain of salt but I heard that the lighting package is so important as to generate a perception of safety for the ride. Like if the lighting works properly then people will perceive the ride to be constructed and maintained properly and thus, more likely to buy tickets and ride it. But if the lighting package is broken then people won’t want to ride and they lose money.
@@stonewallperformance makes sense.
I'm not a huge carnival ride fan, or even most flats in general, however, we have a KMG Tango at my yearly fair, and I'm super addicted to it.😂
@@Jenlovescoasters some are super fun for sure!!
I think Ryan is anti-carnival rides 😂
Yes. That’s me
@ryantheridemechanic that's a serious bias you need to address, carnivals are, and have always been safer than amusement parks.
@@FAFO4wisdom Citation needed
@@FAFO4wisdomThat’s crazy jus fuckin crazy, how damn high and tripped out are you holy jesus fuck
@@FAFO4wisdomSpeaking about bias, meanwhile you sound like you’re biased because only a biased person would be that stupid to say they are safer
Oooff. That hurt. I mentioned before that I was heavily involved in the traveling fair business in Germany for a couple of years, where I have done everything from ride erection to tear-downs, repairs, operating...
I assume that what you are saying hold true for the fairs in the United States, about which I can't say much, as I have only been to one in my entire life.
here in Germany, this is a totally different story. Maybe the first factor is already that our shows aren't businesses owning dozens of rides. If you go to a fair, no matter if it's something big like Oktoberfest or just a small town fair somewhere, the aren't run by a single show operator like what you see in the US. Basically every ride, every concession is owned and operated individually. Sure, often times you will have several members of the same family each operating an attraction at the same fair (one brother has the bumper cars, another one has the Break Dancer, and a cousin of theirs sells Bratwurst), but since each of them is their own business that has their name displayed somewhere, they are way more careful to make sure everything is safe. It also helps that there are inspections at every fair and a big one once every one to three years, depending on ride type.
Out of all the rides I worked with, I am only familiar with one accident that was not a result of guests misbehaving. On a flat ride (not going more specific here in public), one of the gondolas tore off during the ride cycle and slid along the ground for a couple of yards. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries or even fatalities, just a few minor scratches and bruises, and of course substantial damage to the ride. Unsurprisingly, the first reaction everywhere was "typical fair stuff". But the cause for the accident could have happened at a park in exactly the same way. The part that failed and caused the gondola to go flying was a steel pin of I'd guess about 3" diameter, around which the gondola can pivot freely. The pin in question had just been installed a few weeks prior, after having been purchased brand new and been in stock for a while. As the investigation showed, it wasn't up to specs. But the owner of the ride wasn't to blame for since the company he (and a lot of other people) had got the parts from, had presented all necessary certification for both their operation and the parts they sold. Unfortunately, those certificates were just stuff they printed themselves without ever having gone through any certification process. By the time of the accident, the company had already gone out of business. So unless someone had taken the brand new part and NDT'd it, there was no way of preventing the accident from happening. And I doubt that parks would regularly NDT parts that they just acquired, especially when they come with the paperwork that's required.
While it is not uncommon to start dismantling a ride before the fair ends, there are a few basic rules: 1. Don't remove any structural parts, just lights and decoration, and 2. If you take away any kind of safety for a part, the entire part must be taken off. So while the rides may look pretty bare in cases like that, they are still as (un)safe as they were with all the blingbling attached.
And last but not least - the accident with the Rainbow did not happen at a fair, but at a park in Sweden, which kind of goes against the general "park rides are safe, fair rides aren't" theme...
This is not to say that there aren't any unsafe things at fairs here. I remember, a little less than 20 years ago, I regularly worked with one of the many Italian made pendulum ride models. During that time, i visited a fair in France where another ride of the same type was operating. Being very familiar with the ride, the first thing I noticed is that some tensioning bars (I hope that's the right word) were completely loose. Both ends were fastened to the correct place, but they were not tensioned and locked down at all. Needless to say, they did not provide the stability they were designed to provide.
I would give a fair in Germany more of a chance than a fair in the US honestly. Yes the rainbow was in a permanent park for sure. It was just what hit my mind when I thought of it. That said traveling models weren’t really affected because of the ability to tear down and NDT. Wish we kept that ride.
@@ryantheridemechanic I liked the Rainbow. But then again, I pretty much love all the Huss rides. Fortunately, I'm the right age to have been around when they were massively popular. At one point, there were a little over 50 Breakdancer rides traveling in Germany alone. 😎
@@Colaholiker breakdance is great! Always wanted to ride on a water weighted top spin but never got the chance.
@@ryantheridemechanic I actually prefer the smaller Top Spin 2 that doesn't have the water weights. The big one for some reason gives me a headache
the ones in the UK are super safe cause we have very strict safety rules on rides.
The carnie' wisdom of avoiding rides on the first and last day of a fair is well-founded. What surprised me is that the practice of dismantling rides "early" is not merely common; it is actually codified into law with specific percentage guidelines. Wow.
Are there many different ride design, maintenance and operational considerations for rides in an earthquake prone area?
I know the Designs are the same but the joints are designed slightly different. I couldn’t really say what the exact difference is though.
@@ryantheridemechanic Thanks.
I don't know Ryan, you talk about pre-sloughing like it's taking out pieces integral to the functionality to the ride when anytime I've seen it done it's just to pack up scenery panels, remove canvas covering the ride (like the roof of a Himalaya), or other decorative pieces. Most shows don't even bother since the time between spots is usually several days, not like the 70s when circus jumps (close one night, open the next) were more commonplace.
I think its important to note something, the country of operation of these rides also take a massive part in trustworthyness of the showmen. For example id say here in th UK we are extremely strict on anything that people can sit in or ride on. The track record in this country is generally very good. However, this is on a case by case basis, reputable fairs like WinterWonderland here in the UK or Munichen Oktober Fest in germany, id say are perfectly safe places to spend a day. Some dodgey out of state or country fair probably shouldnt always be trusted.
Agreed
I may be wrong, but you seemed to suggest that the Huss Rainbow accident was at a fair, it was in fact a park - Liseberg, in Sweden, to be precise.
Also, I'm pretty certain Huss would never design a ride (even a small ride like the Fly Willy) to operate just sitting on the ground - it would be fixed to a part of the chassis that it travels on, which itself would be jacked up above the ground to make it perfectly level
I'd love you to come and see some of the big fairs here in Europe - it does seem the US fairs are nowhere near the standard of the European ones
I feel the US is lacking in a lot of categories. The rainbow was just a though of failure on a ride that has similar models in fairs. I know the actual failure was in a park. But the NDT was actually what allowed fairs to continue to operate and was the last straw in some permanent parks. Our fly Willie was not anchored. The rep that did the inspections told me most (in the us) were not anchored.
In holland there is a aproval that depends on the safety risk. So once a year for a coaster to once per 3 year's for low level risk ride's. Al that by a govermet apoval company. And a test could happen at ramdom if a ride is placed.
Sorry for bad english.
That sounds good. Most states don’t have ridged guidelines so some states do not require inspection here in the U.S.
That pretty much sounds like how it is done here in Germany as well.
Depending on intensity, a big TÜV inspection (including inspection of parts in a dismantled state), and every time the ride gets erected, an inspection by local authorities. Plus random checks that can happen anytime.
@@Colaholiker I have soooo much respect for the TUV.
TUV has a Dutch branch that does the inspections in the Netherlands, as well in permanent parks as on fairs. Fairs most fair rides in the Netherlands also have the advantage that a lot of ride manufacturers are in the Netherlands or Europe, which makes it easier for them to go by them or have them come to over when they experiencing problems. Just to mention a view: we have KMG and Mondial in the Netherlands, Huss in Germany, Zamperla, Fabri and Technical park in Italy, funtime in Austria.
And in the Netherlands most fairs are in the city streets, giving them a more solid foundation.
I can honestly say that I've never felt unsafe in a fair ride here in the Netherlands, not even when it's a 60 meter (196 ft.) Booster. The rides are well maintained and kept up to standards and you can also really see that on how they look. Compared to how some US fair rides look.
@@schagerbaantje amazing! I would like to go to a fair over there to see the difference in person one day.
I am glad I can ride this stuff at Knoebels where its permanent and well maintained.
43:57 This right here was the final blow for me. This law ought to be changed soon!
Fun right. Just don’t get on anything the last day!
I was listening and ever since iv been going to Disney Orlando fl magic kingdom the ride snow whites scary adventure and they still pretend to have it every year is that the same can you do something
There's actually alot of Hawk 48 models still in operation. Kennywood, Dorney, and Canada's Wonderland are a few that come to mind.
Maybe it was the style we had the. Zamoerla told us they only made 2 of the ride we had. Must have been a design revision after those two.
I kinda have the same thoughts on travelling ride, here in Belgium we should have tuv to inspect rides but in fairs it doesn’t feel like it’s inspected at all, even though I see ride been here one year and not the other, I have a lot more trust on theme park but still, idk I am still not convinced, great video, very interesting and informative
I would rather go on traveling rides in your area. they seem more taken care of when I see videos of them running. Also, I have a lot of respect for the TUV and what they do.
Not sure if it is the same in other countries but here in the UK if a person bypassed a system and that led to injury or death, our health and safety laws mean that you are personally liable - not the company you work for (they might be liable too) but, providing the engineer is qualified to carry out maintenance and received the proper training, if they “decide” to operate the ride knowing its safety is compromised, and something happened-they get hit with a massive fine and a custodial sentence (depending on what happened).
Here in the United States, mechanics are held liable for the ride that they open for that day. And depending on who knew about the type of problem that it might have more people are held liable on top of that all the way up to the company itself. But if you have a mechanic, do some sort of crap, move and hurt a bunch of people, then they will be held liable, and if management didn’t know about what they did, then the park and management will be in the Clear.
Here in the Netherlands all carnival rides get a yearly certificate and a check after every relocation by officials
How does a ride like Zonga make you feel? I know Premier modified it which kind of shifted the forces away from what the structure was initially designed to deal with in certain spots but the way that 3rd loop would lift when the train went through was always a bit unnerving
@@flashback0978 that would be a good ride to make over again in a Gerslauer (I know I spelt that wrong) infinity coaster. They could even make it traveling as well. And a vertical lift would fix most of the maintenance issues with it. For the original, people just complained too much. So sad but we live in an area that’s protect the company first from lawsuits. So those rides can’t survive.
@ryantheridemechanic really the only modifications made to Zonga should have been to the lift system, those restraints would have been horrific on any coaster
@ryantheridemechanic I was really enjoying your channel until this video. I have worked on travelling fairs for about 16 years on and off, we maintain and operate the rides to the very highest standard. We check every nut bolt clip hinge and a safety systems every day before we open. Not only that but as we are constantly building up opening and pulling down before travelling we get to see every inch of the ride weekly, so we see any issues or cracks and so on before they become a bigger issue. Just the same as parks we have to be certified once a year by an inspection and they do ultrasound on the metal running parts for crack testing. If we change ride ops the incoming ride op will walk around with the check list before taking over operation.
@@sduff7027 I have always thought the portables (In the US of course) might even theoretically be a tad safer than park rides for those very reasons, those rides get once a week what park rides get once a year, not to mention depending on what state much more strict inspections
@@sduff7027 The rides have to be certified yearly but they also are inspected every time they are set up by an outside inspector and they can not take any riders until the inspector authorizes it correct ?
I guess I’m the only one who caught the Jordan the stallion intro? Good stuff 👍🏾
You’re the first!! Love his videos. Always tell people about them. His last couple with method man had me 😂😂😂
What are some reputable fair companies? I'm also from California
The whole pre sloughing thing is ridiculous how is that allowed I've never ever heard of that on UK travelling fairs. That would be extremely frowned upon. And by the way, the UK fairgrounds have some of the shortest turnaround times for getting to the next gaff. The most they would do is strip backflash and lighting I.e. non safety critical parts of the ride.
Does jumper=override?
Yes. Or bypass
@@ryantheridemechanic Wow, they jumper the safety system and let people on. It seems there should be a state inspector on site at all times.
@@sumguy8 they can do it easily. So can permanent parks but no where near the frequency a traveling ride can get. When no one is watching it.
@@ryantheridemechanic By all time I mean, at any point a ride is being constructed or operated. I think by that definition, there's always someone who can be overlooking. I do agree it would be tedious and wouldn't fix many of the problems. I guess better legislation concerning traveling rides would be the only way to operate safely.
@@sumguy8 I would love to see a nation wide policy of state or government inspection prior to operation each setup
I don't understand removing the pens is illegal right
Hi so one question, not sure if you will have an answer for this though because I know none of the coasters at your park were by defunct manufacturers. Is it more difficult for maintenance to work on coasters/flat rides whos manufacturers don't exist anymore? If you a major part breaks, or a problem happens and you can't fix it who would you even contact, another manufacturer to see if they can fabricate a replacement part?
Also love the parody of that one tiktok guy you did at the beginning of the video. I feel like a lot of people watching won't know who he is, but for those of us who do, your parody was hilarious lol
@@thelis4u thank you! Not many people (you’re now the second) pick up on that.
So it normally means there is a lot more downtime when parts break. Sometimes they need to be re-engineered to be replaced. So lots of cost as well. On rare occasions alternate manufactures pick up service for those rides. Last thing a dying company does is kind of sell the designs to another company allowing them rights to service the ride. Means more money for that other company if they are willing to take it on. But that’s not very common.
I don't think traveling rides here (North of Europe) are unsafe, but there's a lot of regulation and inspections over here. They still could make a mistake putting the rides up ofcourse and because they do it every other week or so it might be a little more common. But that could happen at a permanent ride as well. All falls or stands with proper procedures and training.
Well said. I think training is where a lot of places fall short but the standards can fix that gap. But we don’t have the best standards for these type of traveling rides here in the US. So I worry.
Pretty sure my home park Kennywood has a Hawk 48. Call the Aero360.
When I was a kid back in 1998 I went on a carnival ride it's called the zipper it's that thing that spins around and you sit inside the container I think that's called I was with my mom when that ride started 😂😂😂 forget it I heard bangs and meato kreaking and it through us around why we was inside the thing that people in i was screaming stop the Fing ride and after that never again
I'm curious, are Strates Shows rides a bit safer since it's the only show that the rides travel by train meaning less damage?
It all boils down to the operator. Check who operated the equipment and look into their safety record. That should be a good judge of character. If the operator has lots of accident reports, then be careful. If not then they are doing a good job. Accident records should be public to look at
In The Netherlands, The U.K. and Germany the qualifications to operate and own a travelling ride are so strict that some rides this year have been shut down due to safety concerns. Even some showman have trouble to get a permit for operation in The Netherlands and Germany after operating the ride for years due to new safety restrictions. Also they require an X-Ray on the steel every year. Also, the Zipper ride is considered unsafe by the TUV organisation. In France it can operate, but in Germany and The Netherlands it is not allowed to operate due to construct issues by the TUV they declared them "unsafe". What do you think of this? I am really interested in your opinion about this.
So I don’t know the grounds the tUV ruled on. But if they won’t allow it there must be something. Could be controls problem but more than likely it’s a math problem. As far as I understand zippers actually have a fairly good safety history so I’m thinking it must be a design problem that’s not really a problem, but the math says it is. I could see that. TUV is very precise with everything.
@@ryantheridemechanic TUV is even so strict that a ride that was refurbished by Mondial and I-works last winter, didn't got a permit reasons unknown but the ride was allready set up at the first fair and the owner had to take it down because TUV said NOPE. Same goes for a Technical Park Pegasus original. It was shut down for electro work. Sometimes for permanent parks the TUV can retract a operation permit when the evacuation procedure is not on standard even, or the E-Stop hasn't the right button size. They are super super strict when it comes to those things. Your video made it like the U.S. has a bigger problem on their hands with travelling rides and how some owners operate. Would it be wise to have a organisation like TUV operate in the whole of the U.S. with the same amount of Safety checks? I know a operator of a ride that sits on his phone can go to jail in Germany and The Netherlands when operating the ride.
Can you elaborate on that?
@@DJWezzyK I think I could do a comparison between TUV and US bodies. Is that what you’re looking for?
@@ryantheridemechanic No, like more why the U.S. is less strict with safety ruling then some European countries when it comes to traveling rides, according to your video. While here a ride can be shut down when one bolt or even a safety pin is missing or it can eveb be not permitted to operate when having hydraulic stamps. While in the U.S. they are allowed to operate without these as you say at the end of your video. It just blew my mind how different safety standards are.
@@DJWezzyK okay. I can work on that.
Hey did this come as my recommendation for traveling coasters?
I don’t think so. I’ve had this on my list for a while. It’s mainly just my feelings on the subject.
Theres gotta be a junkyard full of old carnival rides somewhere!
Not that this is an excuse, but I imagine the motivation behind the companies bypassing systems is to ensure they’re operational so they can make money. If a ride is down at a fair for a weekend, it’d lose a lot of revenue.
Money is the root of all evil.
Well we can take a look at the safety record of carnival rides. Or we can look at it from a logic perspective. My logic is anything that's constantly being put together, taken apart, then hauled off and not kept out of the elements, is going to suffer more wear and tear. And I doubt a lot of these fairs and carnivals put in the man hours to maintain these rides to manufacturer specific recommendations. But that's just me and my logic/opinion.
I honestly tried to push rides onto cycle based maintenance because it would mean less tear down. Most manufacturers specify 12 months though and engineering didn’t want to override it. I could have gotten 2.5 years out of one train the way we ran.
I won’t ride anything a carnival or fair that goes upside down or has a high rate of speed. My son wanted to go on a roller coaster that was on a continual motion that went round and round kinda like the Harley Quinn coaster except no figure 8. He got so sad and angry with me because I wouldn’t allow it! It just doesn’t seem safe to me.
I've seen ride operators at carnival's completely ignore their own safety signs such as allowing kids way too short etc
I went to the strawberry festival in Florida the other week and have never seen an Astro Orbitor esc ride (also jumped up and down quick for air time) spin so fast before lol. Looked fun but HECK NO
It’s gonna be a no dog! Haha
Some of the stuff you mention would never be allowed in places like the uk and europe also we dont get 1 company who own all rides a fair/carnival will have several familes (showman) who will usually own 1 or 2 rides and take pride in running them
Unfortunately there will be a couple of bad actors around but most are good that also applies to permint parks
Some fairs are like that in the US, where rides are individually owned, and others where everything is owned by the fair.
There should be an auto like, the people that watch this I'm sure are super interested in every video you make. Great job! (Even though you said "acrost" again lol jk)
Going to have to add a grammar and spelling warning to the channel haha!
I have noticed carnival right operators be completely uninterested in what they're doing. Not very attentive at all
Not good
I cannot even tell you how many rides I've been on in my life. I used to ride ANYTHING anywhere. BUT, no longer. I've seen and heard too many friends and strangers who've had terrible experiences with carnival rides. And I've seen way too many vids of people being hurt or killed by them. Not to mention all the horrible stories of the owners, and how many times they've cut corners on maintenance on their rides. Then for me, what sealed it was a friend who worked for a company I won't name here, who traveled all over the country with different types of carnivals/fairs. What she learned and told me, had me seriously cringing and rethinking EVER getting on one of those things again. She ended up quitting a few years later, because of all she saw and witnessed. It's now a big NOPE for me.
Yikes. Not good at all. Thanks for taking the high road and not dropping the name. I know that hard to do sometimes.
@@ryantheridemechanic No point in dragging it through the mud on naming them, especially since this was 10yrs ago, and /maybe/ they have new ownership who's more responsible. But like you, I'm not taking my chances. And thanks for all your fantastic vids!
@@batshtcrazy5293 your welcome! A lot can happen in 10years. Maybe they have their act together and are running nicely now. Who knows what time does.
Last time I went on a ride at the fair was years ago. After everything I've learned about them, I'll never go on one again
Guess the "Swiss Cheese Model" applies here too...
Anything that remotely resembles a carnival ride is something I'm immediately way more cautious about. I just don't see how rides that keep getting dismantled and rebuilt with lackluster personel and maintenance can operate safely. Besides that, the main rollercoaster on my local big fair for example is just so extremely painful it can totally give you some severe body damage. Would pick any SLC over it any time of day.
Six Flags Infamous "Ride Share Program" 🤣🤣🤣🤣
The intro haha.
I hate to say this but I kind of like the jank of carnival rides. I have no idea why. It just makes it even more thrilling and I know there’s risks too it but I just can’t help it
So you were an adrenaline junkie. Don’t mean that in a bad way I used to race stock cars for the same reason!! It’s a rush
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MORE RYAN CONTENT
Looks like an opportunity for you to make some merch money by hosting the “2024 Great Carnival Ride Challenge”. Then people can buy the new “I Survived the “Ryan the Ride Mechanic’s Great Carnival Ride Challenge”. I’m in! 😂
Funny I have a lot of requests for some type of merch but I’m waiting until I can think of something I wouldn’t mind wearing to the parks. That’s harder for me. I like more of golf polo shirts about so much the basic cotton t-shirt.
Yep, you won't catch me dead on a fair ride. Sadly, I don't ride at permanent parks either because of the distrust of non coasters.
They’re just flat rides, you should be good since they don’t travel, have no crazy time limit, are well kept, etc.
@@AyrtonSennaDaSilvaTheGOAT they are inspected 2 times a year. Not 7 times a week like portable models.
@@FAFO4wisdom and they’re safer still. I told you, better off with a well engineered ride that’s rarely inspected over a shitty unsafe ride that is inspected often
Flat rides aren’t your thing and that’s ok. I still like them but I do focus my park visits on rollercoasters. Only exception now is when I went on ricochet at Six Flags, great America, that thing was sooooo much fun, and I want to ride it next time I go as well!
I think I road the Matterhorn once at an amusement park. It was OK, but still, I just skip them. Doesn't help,my home park is known for its 120 and 90 min waits for their main attractions. So if not entirely focused on that you miss 4 or 5 a visit.
The State of Ohio requires them to be inspected every carnival or fair
That’s good
@@ryantheridemechanic I believe Kings Island even has their rides checked halfway through the season. Either way good video and I hope to join the amusement park industry operating rides and attractions
Zipper ride the best carnival ride ever!!!
My problem is the permanent parks almost NEVER have the caliber of wild flat rides you see at traveling fairs. That’s why I’ll take the risk. I always tell my friends if I die riding anything, I died happy 😅
I can’t speak for all parks, but I do know they have a much higher cost of maintenance than the slower rides do and I believe parks truly weigh those options when they look into purchasing new equipment.
@@ryantheridemechanic this is true. My home park is Carowinds and I worked as a ride op then area manager and became cool with the head mechanic and others. I asked this question and they gave a similar answer. Flat rides at fairs just have too many moving parts to them. This is why when they do get a flat ride similar or identical to fair versions they tend to run them slower that what you experienced at a fair. Carowinds culprit is their top scan. I definitely prefer the fair operation over the perm park.
Are you joking about the safety pins wow that's crazy thankfully here in the UK that wouldn't be happening taking flash and rounding boards off night before for easy pull down but definitely no safety pins thankfully we have strict health and safety guidelines won't be riding traveling rides if ever I'm in the USA WOW😂
@FunfairAndAmusementEMagazine no joking. I’ve been told it only applies to the scenic paneling but I guess it happens to everything. Traveling show people aren’t worried about it but I don’t like it.
I’m in maintenance in a large automated factory. I understand what a safety jumper is. But the average person may not. Will you please explain what a safety jumper is and the risks are.
Maybe I should do a show about those. Thanks.
The big problem is ... as an average Joe (with kids), you have absolutely no idea what kind of operator you have at your local traveling fair .... you really gotta decide if there's a risk worth taking or not.
It could be perfectly safe, properly maintained, inspected, and operated. But if not .... holy smokes.
It takes some faith to blindly get on a traveling ride in my own opinion.
NEW VIDEO WHOOOOOOO
Of course travelling rides are safe, they're built up and pulled down it's far easier to spot any defects, cracks etc
Zippers !!!!!
Chad Ryan the Ride mechanic vs the Soy GP2E
the ferris wheel is safe. nothing else
out of curiosity, what happened if it’s not put together probably? same as the other rides. they ALL have the same risk
Funny enough, the only carnival ride accident near me in recent memory was a Ferris wheel. I believe a gondola came off or didn’t rotate properly.
Are carnival rides safe ?
Amusement parks take at least 6 months to build rides
Traveling carnivals take 1 day max
I don't ride "traveling rides." For sure now!
Me either screw that shit