I asked the same question in several threads on LIM/LSM & launched coasters, no-one answered it. Forgot to make this a new topic, thanks for doing so.
Yup, I reckon MAGLEV technology can be used on coasters. However it most likely will be very expensive & the same goes for running costs. As for safety, it would have regular wheel assemblies, only with the wheels set a couple inches off the rails in case of a power failure. True, it will be the smoothest design yet, imagine, the train is riding on a 'cushion of air' supported by magnets.
The train can propel itself up the lift hill or a TA2K style hill & have gravity take over. As the friction is greatly reduced, would lead to higher sustained speeds & longer layouts. Or can propel itself along the whole layout. The best thing about this is if a coaster is normally gravity-powered, for ERT, with the flip of a switch, self-propels itself leading to the extreme G's & speeds we love so much.
Speeds of 200mph or more can be easily attained. Since hills would be prohibitively expensive, terrain layouts are the way to go. Can have a 50ft floater hill, but stretched out a long way as to prevent excessive negative G forces. Or a Formula One style layout, racing even. Actually there is an animation on the Vekoma site for their LSM coasters, the same can be applied to MAGLEV coasters;
www.vekoma.com/productshowcase/linear/linphoto1.html Animation;
www.vekoma.com/productshowcase/linear/linkeuze.html
