Volume 1, No. 15. August 24, 2001
Superman sequel
Another park incident investigation came to a conclusion Saturday as the Superman
Ride of Steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts,
reopened almost two weeks after a train ran through the brake run and rear-ended
another train in the loading station injuring 21 people.
Engineers determined that a ruptured air supply line cut airflow, lowering the
air pressure in the primary brakes. The rupture also prevented full engagement
of the backup brakes, which did not stop the arriving train but did slow it
to 20 mph (32 kph) as it approached the station.
Engineers made four modifications to the ride:
— Replaced the PVC air supply lines with steel reinforced lines;
— Installed quick-release-valves to allow the backup brakes to engage faster;
— Added a remote air pressure monitoring system to more rapidly detect
fluctuations and engage the backup brakes sooner;
— Installed a separate control valve system for each pair of brakes, adding
more redundancy.
Superman's ridership reportedly was at normal levels upon reopening.
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