So Pony Express crashed...

[Freak]

LA Times Blogs Link
So apparently it rolled back...I don't recall a lot of info on Pony being I only rode it once and was not impressed by it...but it only goes 38 mph? And it doesn't have a horribly high hill to clear....I'm surprised it rolled back, and even more surprised that there was no active braking system in case of a rollback. Odd.

[Big Wallaby]

Sounds to me like it was not a major event, and the seating style may have actually been helpful in this case.

And what kind of question is, "Did the chain that was bringing it up the hill break in some way?" Look at the video. There IS no chain.

I hate news reporters.

[xUnxDeaDx]

LA Times Blogs Link
So apparently it rolled back...I don't recall a lot of info on Pony being I only rode it once and was not impressed by it...but it only goes 38 mph? And it doesn't have a horribly high hill to clear....I'm surprised it rolled back, and even more surprised that there was no active braking system in case of a rollback. Odd.

By the looks of the clip where the train is launching, and after watching a POV on youtube it looks like there is a braking system on the launch track. There appears to be a set of brakes lining the launch track, they may have just not completley worked in this case.

[Freak]

Ah, its been awhile. Okay. I didn't see those. Maybe they didn't work as well as they should've.

It just seems so odd that a tame coaster such as this decided "Well, I don't think I'm going to clear the hill tonight.." *rollback* It's nothing major at all, just me wrapping my head around this random incident lol. And I agree, the seating style probably made it easier for people to brace for impact than a standard sit-down coaster.

People at board x is making it seem like this was a huge deal and that K's dodge a bullet though...bleh.

[xUnxDeaDx]

Ah, its been awhile. Okay. I didn't see those. Maybe they didn't work as well as they should've.

That seems to be the case, it probably was a brake issue. I'm sure the op or someone on the ride crew saw it rolling back and probably didn't hit an E-stop/ride stop/auto stop (whatever it is they have there) because they were expecting the brakes to kick in on their own.

Must've been windy and/or too light of a train to cause it to rollback. That's a pretty small hill it has to clear. Weird.

[dazyhill]

I don't work in rides at Knott's but all the media helicopters,news trucks, and ambulances caused quite a commotion that night. The ambulances pretty much closed off Western Ave for a while. My friend, who's working as a Haunt Monster, could see the helicopters from her maze and found them very distracting.
L.A. times almost always overblows a story involving the major theme parks. Nine times out of ten, the story casts the park in a negative light.
I've been on Pony Express, and as much as I love horses, not a fan of this ride. Just too short! I wish it was more like the classic Soap Box Derby ride.

[Big Wallaby]

L.A. times almost always overblows a story involving the major theme parks.

Just the LA Times? I would say you guys are lucky, then. Here in Orlando, they all seem to go for the throat.

[kcberlin]

Not that it would make much of a difference, but maybe the anchor should get his info right. I swear it sounds like he says "Knox Berry Farm". Did you guys open a new park on the left coast and forget to tell the rest of the world? :p:

[Cheshire Figment]

Not that it would make much of a difference, but maybe the anchor should get his info right. I swear it sounds like he says "Knox Berry Farm". Did you guys open a new park on the left coast and forget to tell the rest of the world? :p:

It is sponsored by a large gelatin manufacturing company.

[felinefan]

That's how my mom used to pronounce it. Staples came out Staplers, etc.. Us kids had to interpret for her for years. "This is what she means...." I swear, some weird type of dyslexia must run in our family.