Drop Towers, how they work

I have a report coming up and I need ALL the details on Intamin Second Generation drop towers. How do they work? What releases the car from the pully at the top? How does the lift system work? How do the cars work? Restraint systems? The magnetic braking?

ANYTHING you can add would be great, I already have some info but more would be all the better. Thanks. :)

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How do they work:

A counterweighted tow car pulls the passenger cars up the tower. At the top, the hook releases, and the cars drop. The cars have magnets on them. When the car gets down the tower far enough, conductive non-magnetic brake fins pass through the air gap between the magnets, inducing a current and causing eddy-current braking.

For details on the lift mechanism, research elevators.

For details on the braking system, research eddy current braking.

For details on the restraint system, consult this article at Virtual Midway and look at the first two sections. Intamin's hydraulic shoulder bars use exactly the same mechanism as their hydraulic lap bars.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Thank you so much Dave. My presentation should go pretty good with that information. Sorry for the clutter in the forum.

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