Thunder Mountain Crashes Again

[CujoSR]

Today at about 5:05 a train on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad collided with another train near the loading area.

NBC is reporting that an 11-year-old boy was treated for a neck injury. A 35-year-old man may have also been treated for neck injuries.

Disneyland spokesman Bob Tucker said only that the ride had been closed and state safety regulators notified.

"In an abundance of caution, the attraction is now closed. ... We are investigating the situation and will report back once we have more facts."

Thunder Mountain was involved in a de-railment in which 22-year-old, Marcelo Torres, was killed last September. The cause was determined to be poor maintenence.

Thunder Mountain also had an accident last April where two trains collided into each other. The cause was said to be human error. No one was riding at the time of this accident.

[BirdMom]

I suppose the old adage that those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it applies to Disneyland maintenance...

[CujoSR]

This seems more like the April crash than anything else. Human error? Maybe.

[Jungle Vanessa]

This seems more like the April crash than anything else. Human error? Maybe.

It's a very good possibility, though I kinda hope not.

[Grumpy]

This seems more like the April crash than anything else. Human error? Maybe.

What it sounds like. Either that, or some type of electrical malfunction, or brake malfunction. I guess it just needs to be given extra attention. .

[GMC]

the april crash was human error, and the guy saved his job by taking off his name badge in the adventure frontier office, and asking who was going to escort him out of the park.

What happened last night would have required at least two humans doing it on purpose, and more than likely an override malfunct. It is hoped by all in the adventure frontier main street department that this is a simple sensor malfunction, and not a computer bug.

I dread seeing the maintenence lights comming from behind the emporium from main street station, but if i will be down for a while, maybe i'll get to meet my fellow conductors, that have been at thunder for a while.

[BirdMom]

after I read the details on the NBC4 website, I was wondering how on earth one train could rear end the other if the sensors are supposed to indicate two trains being too close together then shut the system down?.... manual override? why do something so clearly stupid when the trains are loaded with guests? or are they still allowing 16-year-olds to be r.o.'s?

[IndyandMarion]

Wait? 16?

Geez. Here at WDW, if they found someone working an attraction (as in sending the cars, ect.) at 16 they would fry your ass on the spot.

And this is true they want you to be 18 that way when you do encounter that one tourist that pisses you off, when you "accidently" kill the person, they want to throw you to the law as an adult.

[lady ulrike]

Thunder Mountain also had an accident last April where two trains collided into each other. The cause was said to be human error. No one was riding at the time of this accident.




I had heard that this one was not human error. I heard that it was while they were powering up from a downtime and they were in manual mode (for those of you who don't know, that's the maintenance/fix the ride mode and it's not operated in this mode) and the train failed to detect a train. I had also heard that it was something that couldn't have happened in normal mode. I have no idea what happened this time, noone (except those there at the time) will probably know the truth until several months later, that's what happened with the first one.

[hulkcoaster]

It seems like the fault of the problem was the switch, which sent a train ito an occupied station. If the switch is the fault of the problem maybe this wasn't human error. After the first accident all the functions were switched to computers, so the switch is definitely not manually operated now and I'm pretty sure it's never been. Sounds like a faulty sensor or switch mechanism. But some blame could lie on the operators who failed to notice the switch was in the wrong position and still pressed the load enable button, unless the brakes failed. Also the heads up display in the tower should have shown the position of the switch, unless the sensor showed it was in the right position.

And also, you have to be 18 to have basically any job at the resort.

[CujoSR]

The problem could be the switch. If there was a mechanical problem with it the computer may not have registered it and let the second train continue on it's merry way. The computer would think it was going into the empty station. Very possible.

I don't on the other hand think it was a sensor. Correct me if I am wrong but, if a sensor is not working the computer will not know where a train is and automatically shut the ride down. Right?

[hulkcoaster]

^But the switch position is still visible to at least the back CM on the platform, who had to push the load enable button.

[IndyBob]

And also, you have to be 18 to have basically any job at the resort.

You can get a job in attractions, and I think in any department for that matter, if you are a high school senior. I worked with some 17 yr olds in attractions.

[IndyBob]

I don't on the other hand think it was a sensor. Correct me if I am wrong but, if a sensor is not working the computer will not know where a train is and automatically shut the ride down. Right?

Not always, occationally at Indy, we would have 'ghost' jeeps on the track. The computer thought there was one more jeep then was really on the track. Nothing bad ever happened from it though.

[IndyBob]

^But the switch position is still visible to at least the back CM on the platform, who had to push the load enable button.

Honestly, who ever looks at the switch to make sure its in the correct position. They just assume it is, because it should be.

[imissRBT]

not unless they changed it since i worked at the park a little over a year ago. high school seniors who are 17 can work in food stores or custodial...but not attractions. cuz i was 17 and that's why i got stuck w/ food...ehh but it was fun anyway..

[GMC]

i doubt if 17 can work custodial, because anywhere where chemicals and machinery are involved, is typically going to require A adult or B emancipated minor. but all attractions CMs are 18 or older, even tho right now i honestly think i might be the youngest atrraction cm in the whole park. weighing in at 18yrs and 3 mo

[BirdMom]

And also, you have to be 18 to have basically any job at the resort.

I hate to break this to you, but I worked there for 11 years, and we had plenty of high school kids in merchandise, foods and attractions. At times there were problems with some of the scheduling aspects such as shift changes, because the under-18's aren't allowed to work past 10 p.m. I can remember one specific smart ass brat who tried to tell me (while we were both working the dock on Pirates) that I might have been twice as old as him at 32, but he was twice as smart as me at 16. He was an IDIOT! The kid never rarely paid attention to what was going on on the dock or the monitors from the tower (and this was before they installed the enable buttons on the handrails on the exit dock) and he didn't pay attention in training, therefore, didn't know what to do when the various alarms went off on the control panel. Now, prior to my hire date in '84, one HAD to be a legal adult to work in attractions, but after the strike they went to youngsters because of lower hour requirements, plus they'd take the abuse for minimum wage and not know any better. If they've gone back to having an age requirement to work in attractions since I quit, I say good for them, it's about time. I'm sorry, but the mom in me just screams internally that teens are too immature to be trusted to work on most of the attractions. No offense to those of you who are teens now - you'll understand in about 15 or so years... :wink:

[hulkcoaster]

^Your question was do they still let minors work and I answered it that they don't, which now appears is not entirely true.

[Weeble]

I was a minor when I hired in ;)

Started as a 16 year old on the Jungle Cruise through ROP which is basically slave labor for HS credits. It was more fun than summer school and more importantly I was able to get a letter of recommendation from the JC lead so that when I turned 17, I could get hired in officially. Sure enough, hired in 3 days after my 17th Birthday. I remember I had a pink timecard (yes we used to punch in just like the cartoons!).

I was also the youngest person to be trained on and work BTM at that time, got trained there at about 16 and 3 months.

Goddamn, I would never hire a 16-17 year old to do that job. Merch and foods yes, heavy machinery and guest safety? NO WAY.

[Weeble]

Oh, and I am confused by the article. Were there people on the ride or not? Were they restarting the ride when it crashed?

[CujoSR]

Oh, and I am confused by the article. Were there people on the ride or not? Were they restarting the ride when it crashed?People were riding this time. the second crash in april was when no one was riding.

[Dalisair]

And also, you have to be 18 to have basically any job at the resort.
You can get a job in attractions, and I think in any department for that matter, if you are a high school senior. I worked with some 17 yr olds in attractions.
When I applied VERY RECENTLY, I overheard them telling an applicant that you needed to be 18 or over, no matter if you graduated HS already...

[hulkcoaster]

http://jimhillmedia.com/mb/articles/showarticle.php?ID=982