First Drop brakes

Is it me or does CP hold the record for first drop brakes with Mean Streak and Mantis? Did those rides always have those because Mean Streak would probably be a better ride without them. Also The Beast has brakes on the first drop as well but I know those were just added (I think). Are there other parks with a lot of first drop brakes?????

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It's Giant, it's Inverted, it's a Boomerang, Beeyatch!

Mantis and MS did not open with those brakes. Beast has always had skid brakes on the drops off both lift hills, though not always used. They switched to a new braking system this past year.

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- Peabody

*** This post was edited by Peabody on 12/2/2002. ***

I like Mantis's brakes, they give you awesome hangtime in the loop and diving loop.

I'm not positive anyone know which coasters exactly have trims on the first drop, so I don't know.

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Säubern Sie mit Milch?

The Beast lost all of its skid brakes over last winter. They replaced the braking system with a combination of pneumatic and magnetic systems. During the conversion they replaced the drop into the Helix with the magnetic system. The first drop is now brakeless while they installed a magnetic trim over the top of the next hill after you exit the first tunnel.

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CBCon Quote "We didn't even get wet"......30 seconds later you hear plop, then splash!!!!

lumpy, a magnetic trim brake was added near the end of the season to the first drop. there have been other threads discussing it. I think mean streak added the 1st drop trim this year as i don't remember it there last year.

I didn't have a chance to ride the Beast at the end of the season, so I didn't know that, thanks.

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CBCon Quote "We didn't even get wet"......30 seconds later you hear plop, then splash!!!!

PKI's Beast and Dorney's Hercules are two coasters I know of with brakes on the first drop. And I thought I heard that Valleyfair's High Roller did, too, but I might be wrong.

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-Rob
Don't forget to vote for your favorite steel coasters @ http://www.geocities.com/wcoasterpoll - the polls are open until December 15th!

Timberwolf at Worlds of Fun has a first drop trim...

I don't know if it was there when the ride opened, but I doubt it.

Correction Lumpy, PKI added a magnetic break on the first hill of Beast later in the season.

Damn, Beastfreak beat me to it

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"The Moose says your closed, I say your open"! Chevy Chase-Vacation

*** This post was edited by Donny S on 12/2/2002. ***

BeastFreak,

CP's Mean Streak has had trim brakes on its 1st drop for some time now. I'm not sure when exactly they were added but I know it was before the 1999 season, because I rode it then and it did have them.

BTW, has the new magnetic brakes on the Beast helped make the speed more consistant so its not so rough?

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Welcome back Force riders how was your ride!!!

*** This post was edited by Chadster on 12/2/2002. ***

I think Valleyfair's Excalibur may have the record for longest continuous first drop brakes. They seem to add another set every couple years. I haven't been to the park since 2001, but I think there were something like 4 sets of brakes on it.

Chadster, I have only riden Mean Streak a few times but had never noticed that trim until this year. You could tell it was on, it was braking hard, just about jerked you out of the seat. Sorta was the only thrill on the ride.

This is already being discussed in a number of other topics.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Climbing as we fall, we dare to hold on to our fate, and steal away our destiny to catch ourselves with quiet grace" - The Stairs, INXS