Braking on woodies.

How many other people besides myself cannot stand braking on wood coasters during its run through the track? The American Eagle at SFGAm started out doing the whole circuit through the track in its early years without braking but now on the helix it brakes almost to a stop. I know they do this because as the coaster gets older they need to slow down the trains at certain points to maintain the structure. I wish they could think of a better way to maintain a coaster besides braking. This coaster used to be a top notch ride but with the braking it leaves an empty feeling. (BUT I STILL ENJOY IT FOR SOME REASON!!) Probably because it still goes 66mph down the first drop. *** This post was edited by Chitown on 3/26/2000. ***

I know that I can't stand brakes at all, I mean look at what they did to Mean Streak!

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Matt Bly
http://www.geocities.com/sfohio

How is it that megaphobia has no brakes. (I know that they designed it that way) But apparently its structure is holding up good enough that they don't need to add them (and they shouldn't). I think they add brakes to woodies because too many people complain about the roughness or the speed or something they don't like.

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Closing Time: 5:30
CP Arrival Time: 5:50

Whose Line is it Anyway?

Brakes are a bummer on woodies. Hercules at Dorney was great until they added two trims on the first drop (practicly stopping the train on the hill) and at least one other brake on the rest of the circuit.
The Phoenix at Knoebles is unbraked until the final turn that was originaly built in 1948 in Texas. When it moved to PA in 1985 Knoebles removed a brake from the second turnaround and it is still holding up.
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I can't wait for the 2000 season to start!!
April 1st PKD, April 2nd BGW

I don't really mind brake-runs, but I really dislike brakes on drops. They always seem to kill the rest of the ride. Mean Streak probably had a great first drop before they added all the trims.

Megaphobia is only a few years old, making its structure still very rigid and solid. But I agree with this post, and no where is this more evident than the now pitiful ride known as colossus. I mean the thing barely crawls over what could be the best set of camel-backs around after that mid course brake run. Take it out and run 2 trains if you have to.
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Ghostrider = good

I think most of the woodies with brakes during the ride are the bigger ones. It's harder to predict speeds and stresses on these monster woodies. The best example is the Beast. Kinda boring now compared to the early 80's ain't it? I rode it once in 89 on what I thought was a brakeless (or very near brakeless) ride and it scared the crap outta me! Thought the train was gonna literally rip right off the track!

Ahh.. The American Eagle. My home biggie woodie. It's not really a woodie anymore. In the early 90's the whole first run, starting on the way down the first drop to the top of the big helix, it's all steel I-beam track. Same with the first drop of the Texas Giant. And that new one in Germany (as cool as it looks, sure it kicks butt still!) is all steel track.

I know it's off topic, but while we're talking bout the AEagle, I'm pretty sure it was the first woodie to convert from stationary lap bars to ratcheting, starting that much-hated trend.

A small amount of trim brake may be required on the best really large woodies to compensate for varying conditions. This can also sometimes be done by varying the speed of the chain lifr. However, all too often parks just throw on heavy trim brakes to patch up design errors or make up for lack of proper track maintenance.