Question about HULK strobe lights?

[Spaceman Spiff]

Pulled this from a coaster forum:

the person here says that the HULK had strobe lights under and in front of the cars. Is/was that true?

They do have a couple of lighting strobes towards the back half of the ride, the flash as the trains go by, which looks pretty cool. Also, when the ride was first opened, at night, the trains would have strobes all on the front, and underside that used to chase down the train. Looked AWESOME. Haven't seen it work in a LONG TIME though.

 

[fboy9287]

bump this sounds like a cool thing to get awnsered

 

[MIB999999]

well if the ride ever had those lights they have not worked from like opening week on!!! riding hulk at night would be so cool if it were more illuminated.
put running lights on the hulk cars and track, and disney can have all the illuminations they want hulk lit up would win that contest hands down,

 

[MrNonacho]

I have seen the big strobes in the back part of the ride (not the photo strobes) work before. It was way back when the park first opened. I don't remember them as being very reliable.

As for the strobes on the trains themselves, one or two of the trains had their strobes working 7 or 8 months ago. Just prior to this either Earl or CoasterFEV had said the train strobe system was being reworked due to its unreliability. Soon after, the strobes were working but unfortunately only for a few weeks.

 

[Earl]

Yes, the trains have strobes. They have been turned off for some time due to a very hugh failure rate. The company that manufactured them is supposed to be re-designing them.

 

[CoasterFEV]

Ditto what Earl wrote.

As an added mention: All 8 cars of the train have strobes on the undercarriage. These are powered by batteries located in the train's nose, or lead car. The batteries are charged each time the train is sitting in the station (just like the batteries aboard each of the Rock n' Roller Coaster trains). Next time you ride, you will notice a large electrical cable running between each car (next to each "coupler"). This cable carries power to each of the cars' strobes.

 

[MrNonacho]

Earl/CoasterFEV/IOATech etc. could you please elaborate a little more on the other strobe system (the strobes on the ground)? It's only a vague memory to me, but I'd be interested in its story.

 

[chris mcfly]

Speaking of HULK effects, Wasn't there *supposed* to be fog billowing out of the end of the launch tube in the early stages (with lasers shooting out too)? I dont think the effect was ever there, nor were the fog machines even installed-- but i have a friend who SWEARS up and down it worked one day shortly after opening. Im sure it was scrapped because the fog interfered with the sensors. However, it would be cool to get launched into a white cloud, and once you burst through it, you are high off the ground!

Oh yeah, and just as a little side-note: If anyone has any early early press releases for IOA, you can read about how the hulk was supposed to have a neon green track that glowed brightly during the night. Hmmm...

 

[Earl]

Your correct on all, your friend is incorrect. Originally there was going to be a steam blast at the end. The boiler was installed, but never plumbed. The piping was never installed. It wasn't a sensor issue, it was safety and money thing.

And, yes, many moons ago there were plans for the track to glow. The problem was that the lighting technology just wasn't, and still isn't there for this effect to work. The EL panels were cost prohibitive and wouldn't hold up outdoors.

 

[chris mcfly]

Originally posted by Earl
Originally there was going to be a steam blast at the end. The boiler was installed, but never plumbed. The piping was never installed. It wasn't a sensor issue, it was safety and money thing.

How cool is that?

Ah, a boy can only dream....

 

[CoasterFEV]

As another interesting note:

The boiler for the steam/fog blast is still in place in the Hulk building. Although never plumbed (nor the steam/effects system ever installed), the boiler was never removed and still sits idle in a small room behind the walls of Child Swap.

(Earl - this is one area of the building I am never in so please correct me if I'm wrong).


The ground strobes MrNonacho speaks of were only located in the back portion of the ride area. Once the train circled the launch tube and came out of the first flat-spin (5th inversion), there were a number of large ground-mounted strobe lights that were triggered to strobe, lighting the back area.

Again, the weather would play a factor here. The strobes just couldn't be maintained to withstand the outdoors and Florida weather. Yes, these are outdoor/weatherproof strobes - but to REMAIN outdoors 24-7 365 days a year - well, you can imagine the toll they took. The effect (which really didn't do anything for the ride) will most likely remain out of show indefinitely (maintenance cost vs. the minimal effect they actually add to the show).

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

So if and when the company that created the strobes for the trains they will be installed?

I am assuming that the other stuff: fog, out doors strobes and lasers are what you guys are saying will not come to pass. Am I correct?

 

[chris mcfly]

And what's with the random alarm at Hulk? Every few minutes you hear DOOT DOOT-DOOT DOOT in the curtyard. Its funny becuase everyone thinks there is something seriously wrong. Heck, even I did when i first heard it.

Is this audio on a timer, or does it correlate with anything? Or is it just random?

And I wish they would modify the explosion audio when you come out of the tunnel. It would be awesome if there was a powering-up noise and then culmiating with the blast out of the tube.

 

[CoasterFEV]

The alarm sounding in the exterior queue is part of the original audio for the attraction. It is a timed audio piece - therefore it is not triggered by any portion of the actual ride.

Also, at this time there are no plans to change the Hulk audio package.

 

[UrbanMoon]

Originally posted by chris mcfly
but i have a friend who SWEARS up and down it worked one day shortly after opening.

Maybe your friend saw the smoke in House on Haunted Hill. They put a smoke effect at the top of the launch for their shots.