Silver Bullet's brakes

'tuan (I guess everyone ignores the "An" prefix of your name), the way I've always understood it is that when the train is going forward, the chain-dog is retracted into the train by a magnetic field. The moment the train ends its forward movement/begins rolling backwords, the magnetic field no longer exists, and the chain-dog falls (or in an inverts case, pops up?) engaging the anti-rollback teeth thingys.

Hope that helps a bit. Hell, I hope I got that right...

Thanks...that was my guess! The reason I doubted was that it doesnt appear as failsafe is the older system. But I am sure you all are smarter that me in this area. I believe you ;)

'Tuan - it's not the first time such a system has been used. Millie, borgASM, and Talon use it, too.

My understanding of MF's anti-rollback system:

There's a wheel mechanism on the bottom of the train that rolls as the train is pulled up the lift hill. The wheel is connected to some kind of small motor/turbine or something which creates a magnetic force which lifts the anti-rollback dog up off the ratchet teeth. The second the train stops to start rolling back down the hill, the wheel isn't spinning and consequently isn't lifting the teeth anymore. Teeth fall, train stops, Intamin maintains reasonable reputation. ;)

Apparently, if it's rainy out, the wheel doesn't get enough traction to create enough force to lift the dog. I've heard it's quite loud.

Edit: Oops. Looks like someone beat me to it.

*** Edited 7/15/2004 5:10:53 AM UTC by ApolloAndy***

On MF if the train even slows down, the anti-rollbacks will contact the ratchets and start making noise, even if the train is still moving forward. I've seen it happen a couple of times and have even been on the train when it happens. I'm guessing it slows down because the other trains have yet to finish advancing off the final brake. The anti rollbacks are very loud when they contact the ratchets. The first time I heard it everyone on the frontier trail looked up. It's usually very brief, a second or two of clanks and once the train speeds up again the rollbacks retract.

Andy is right about the Millennium Force mechanism. You can see the wheels that generate the current that pulls up the anti-rollbacks on the back car, and I think on the back of the fourth if you look between the cars.

That doesn't automatically mean B&M will have the same system. I would expect theirs to be in some way better.

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Jeff said:
That doesn't automatically mean B&M will have the same system. I would expect theirs to be in some way better.

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You mean like always? ;)

Funny, from the pics I keep clicking on with the "alleged" Intamin track, there is nothing in that pic that reminds me of Intamin track. What in the world are you all talking about?

In the background, what was stated to be Intamin track right under the track laying there, but all it is, is the supports for the brakes....

Here... I edited the picture and circled it...

http://coastergames.org/o_s_i/silver_bullet.jpg

*** Edited 7/15/2004 5:33:15 PM UTC by Rctycoon2k***

You all make it sound as if Intamin wrote the book on trusses as structure or something. It's just a truss used to hold something. The folks who build bridges and roofs figured this stuff out *way* before Intamin.

[sarcasm]
Nah uh... Intamin founded it!
[/sarcasm]

Just because the track has crossbraces it makes people think Intamin had something to do with it because they use crossbracing ties...

Especially since Schwarzkopf was doing it before that. See SFoT's Shockwave or SFoG's Mindbender for reference.

Didn't the Intamin engineers branch out from Schwarzkopf, though?

Yes, as did Mr. B and Mr. M of B&M.

...which still doesn't change that it's an engineering principle that has been in use for hundreds of years.

...must...resist..to answer...to...Rctycoon2k...and Mamoosh....
;)

I never said it wasn't, but people just see the crossbracing and say offhand that its Intamin...

Eggsactly, Jeff.

I can't believe how long this topic is just because someone saw a piece of metal, in a certain position, and blurted out "OMG!!! THEY ARE USEING TEH INTAMIN TRACK TO HOLD UP THE TRACK!!!! IS INTAMIN BUILTING THE RIDE WITH THE B7M??????" This thread reminds me of something I'd see on Troll...errr Thrillnetwork...

Now now. Don't get your shorts in a bind. Don't even try to tell me it wasn't fun in some way...

So does anyone know the advantage of using a more complicated mechanism for the anti-rollback? Noise? I kinda like the clickity-clink-clink. Do the springs wear out quicker because they move more? *** Edited 7/15/2004 9:35:35 PM UTC by janfrederick***