Intamin lift question

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery977.htm?Picture=11 What are these like holes in the middle of the lift used for? Chain dawgs?

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At least I dont call a vertical loop a "loopdie-loop"!

I believe you are correct.
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Jon-Visit our website and help change our name-http://geocities.com/wildcardska/Ratfinkenter

Are you talking about these? Those are for the anti-rollbacks of course.

These are those infamous things that cause that click, click, click, click, click, click, as the train ascends a hill. It is part of the anti-rollback device.

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Planned Parks for this summer: CP, SFWoA, SFGAm, SFKK, PKI, MA, SFStL, HP, KW, SFMM, KBF. Is 11 enough?

Except on the newer Intamins there is no click click click! :)

Sometimes it's more like a grind grind screech grind, which gets people freaked!

When the train is moving, a current is generated which lifts the anti-rollbacks up away from the groves. If the train stops on the lift, the rollbacks fall down. When it is down for a mechanical reason on the lift, the rollbacks will fall down and usually catch the next notch back. If it's just a setup on the lift, they fall but the train still moves forward very slowly by the catchwagon.

On rare occasions for some reason, the current gets lost or something and the rollbacks grind horribly (nothing like a normal rollback). This usually happens near the top.

So how is the rollback used on MF?Is it magnetic like the dutchmans?

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At least I dont call a vertical loop a "loopdie-loop"!

Usually, S:RoS at SFNE isn't too noisy. It got quieter since 2000. It was wretched in 2000. At the top it was the loudest and echoed throughout the park. I guess they fixed it for 2001.
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SFNE loses its "floor" for 2002! Visit www.geocities.com/sfneguy for info. and pics of SFNE, including the most unique constr. pics of SFNE on the web. Formerly known as srosatsfne.

For the Intamin Cable Lift coasters (MF, Expedition GeForce, the new Goliath), the anti-rollbacks are odd. I don't know exactly how they work, but I think that the rollbacks stay up inside the train and if the lift stops, they come down and catch on. Since the sled that the car is connected to doesn't move from under the train, there is no need for the rollbacks to constantly fall back down over every bump.
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-Kyle Brylczyk
SAVE INVADER ZIM!

There are a pair of wheels that roll along the I-beams that generate a current that produces a magnetic field, pulling up the anti-rollbacks. The Supermen work the same way, only the wheel is mounted flat and rolls against a vertical metal fin on the track.

The problem with the one on Millennium Force was that apparently the wheels weren't making solid contact, slipping, and therefore not lifting the anti-rollbacks up. Cedar Point installed some kind of tape on the rails, similar to what they use on stairs to keep you from slipping. If you look carefully in some of the Expedition GeForce photos, you can see they used a similar substance that was sprayed on.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

So theoretically, if the train started to roll back, and the anti-rollbacks didn't catch at first (just suppose it happened), would the train rolling backwards keep the anti-rollbacks from engaging?

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If you don't have it, get the Screamin' Serpent.

I don't think so as it would reverse the polarity of the magnetic field & push down the anti-rollbacks!

Btw, I'm trying to get a SS or more shipped down under & having no luck.

Whenever Millennium Force stalls on the lift, ask anyone what happens, and this is what they tell you:

It stopped, rolled back slowly a little bit, and came to a rest until it started up again.

This coincides with Jeff's explanation.

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-Kyle Brylczyk
SAVE INVADER ZIM!

Same thing happened on SFA's Superman when the chain broke. It was a little alarming, because it dropped back about a foot with a loud thud. Not sure how many anti-rollbacks there are on that train, but Millennium Force has four: two on the fourth car, two on the last one.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

Jeff, that must have been freaky. Even though you know that it has anti-rollbacks, I would've probably panicked for a couple of seconds.
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SFNE loses its "floor" for 2002! Visit www.geocities.com/sfneguy for info. and pics of SFNE, including the most unique constr. pics of SFNE on the web. Formerly known as srosatsfne.

I had a stop on the MF lift once, and the train rolled back a foot or so with a loud noise. I wasn't concerened, but I think it freaked out a few riders!
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- Peabody