First Launching rollercoasters

I've been a member of this website for almost four years now and have never been the center of a topic before except for my TR's, and I certainly didn't see this coming. I guess I can speak for myself now.

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Mamoosh said:
IMHO surfing the net is this generation's version of going to the library, looking up the topic on index cards, and walking the isles until you fine the book or magazine you're searching for.

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I love this quote too Mamoosh. Sometimes people have to ask librarians for help. That's why they are there. You guys were the librarians in this case. I was looking for a guideline like rcdb which I did use. That's all that I really wanted.

One thing that I think your failing to realize is that I'm asking for help from a source to get info to better understand something so I can write about it, and to find more sources. You just take this website for granted b/c your one of those who is on it 24/7 and will probably first see this comment I made within 30 minutes from the time I post it.

So yes, all the info I got was useful. I used it to find sources. I also used the info to better understand the launches and what the other sources said. The moire info the better.

But I've learned over the almost four years of this site that it is not worth arguing the regulars here. So I'll let all my critics have the last word; eventhough, I will not agree with it.

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Mamoosh said: Ditto. I'm 99% certain I've never started a thread asking for information I knew I could easily find on my own. In fact I dare someone to prove me wrong.

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Except, of course, for this recent nugget:

http://coasterbuzz.com/forum.aspx?mode=thread&TopicID=48601

;)

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super7* said:
Surfing the internet and finding information is no more "educational" than someone providing the information. The only difference is that is "teaches" you how to surf the internet. Big deal. You read what someone else has written on the next on another site, or you read the information in these posts. Same thing. He has learned something about the launch systems either way, and Dave Althoff's explanation is probably about as insightful as anything else found on the net.

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Yeah, it seems a lot of people feel that way.

Like I said, I'm on the fence but leaning towrds the 'do it yourself' side of things. I guess I'm old at 35.

To me the difference is more like, looking up the textbook answer as opposed to leaning toward your buddy and asking, "Dude, what's the answer to #4?"

Again, fine line. It just feels wrong to me at times.

^^lol Mike. I was in "sarcastic son-of-a-b!tch" mode that day. Of course some would argue it was like every other day :)

Gonch sez: I guess I'm old at 35.

Its definitely not a good sign when you can't remember your own age and have to guess ;)

Just to add, the first coaster to use LIM wasn't either of the Flight of Fear. That honor goes to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland. It uses LIM to move trains in the transfer track and stations.

First LSM ride was probably the WEDway Peoplemover (now TTA) at the Magic Kingdom.

Oh, I forgot to add:

Vekoma uses a different form of LSM launch. Instead of mounting the rare earth magnets on each train, they're installed on a sled. The sled then pushes (the launch) the train when the LSM are fired up.

Walt Disney Imagineering had Dessault (french engineering company) build a special launch system for Space Mountain at DLP. It uses 2 electric motors to spin a large drum. That in turn wind or unwind a large steel cable. The steel cable runs to the top of the "cannon" and comes back down, attaching itself to a large sled. The sled runs on a second track, under the main one. The cannon is angled at 32 degrees. What happens when a train enter the cannon: The train goes down a drop and is stopped by the brakes. The fourth car got a moving metal piece where the sled will rest on. When the computer gives the ok, the brakes and anti rollbacks will open and the electric motors will make the drum spin very fast, winding the cable and launching the train at 40 mph. *** Edited 5/1/2008 11:27:33 PM UTC by Absimilliard***

That's really interesting, had no idea how the DLP Space Mountain launched. It's like a younger cousin to the old Schwarzkoph fly wheel system.

And then there is another system that nobody talked about...The electric drive used on The Incredible Hulk. That one uses a whole series of pinch wheels, kind of like those used on the Vekoma 700J coasters, with each pair running a little faster than the one before. It launches the train just fast enough to meet B&M's specification for train speed at the top of the lift.

I've heard that it uses capacitors to get the inrush current needed to push the train up the hill, but I have not seen any good technical descriptions of the system. But then, I also haven't really looked much, either.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

The wikipedia page referenced earlier mentions Hulk's tire-driven launch.

More on The Hulk:

http://www.reliance.com/news/press_releases/press_hulk_03.html

^Yes that was the main source for the tire driven launch that I used.

A little late, but I'd like to point out that Wikipedia is not considered to be a scholarly source, and thus is not accepted by many schools, so I don't think this kid was being unreasonable asking for more reliable sources that might be hidden somewhere on the net.

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PhantomTails said:
I don't think this kid was being unreasonable asking for more reliable sources that might be hidden somewhere on the net.

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That would be fine. Asking where to look is one thing.

Asking for the answer is something else entirely.

That's why this one feels a little 'dirty' to me.

^ and I don't think this is 'dirty' just because there is no way a credit to a coasterbuzz post would fly in a report. With the info gathered here, he can do research, and then have a credible source to quote.

I have to be honest. Some people can be quite rude and jump all over people. But it does make for good business. Iknow on long and drawn out threads, I look for certain posters such as Jeff, Mamoosh, Lord Gonchar, Charles Nungster, and a few others just because I know there posts are going to effect me. Some positive, some not but they are a good read!

Gary, who if he could only pick one person off this site to meet and spend a day with at a park, it would be Chuck. *** Edited 5/2/2008 6:41:29 PM UTC by Gary B***

I may be sarcastic (may be? who am I foolin...I'm always sarcastic!) but I am never mean. I always reread my posts before I send and after to be sure what people are getting is sarcasm, not meanspiritedness.