Silver Bullet's brakes

Well, there's really two advantages...

1.) Noise... KBF is under a noise restriction
2.) Wear... Less wear on the chain-dogs, so less money into replacements

Regarding a magnetic anti-rollback system...

I don't know if this is what B&M are doing, but Herr Spieldiener (Intamin) came up with a nearly-conventional anti-rollback system which uses a permanent magnet on the safety dog to lift the dog when the train is moving forward and to drop the dog when the train is not moving or moving backward. The system was used on all three of the Six Flags Superman: Ride of Steel coasters, but is different from the system used on Millennium Force.

It's United States Patent #5,947,030. If you go to the Untied States Patent Office web site at http://www.uspto.gov and do a patent search for that patent number you can see the detailed description and download TIFF images of the drawings.

I shall attempt to supply a direct link:

United States Patent #5,947,030

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Dave - IIRC Talon uses the same/similar system for the lift due to noise issues with the neighbors, hence why Knotts is also using it.

Actually Moosh, Talon does not use a similar system or magnetic brakes. Its just done the old fashioned way unless somebody retrofitted it when I wasn't looking.

Well obviously you'd have first-hand knowledge, so I believe you. But I don't recall the typical B&M 'clack clack clack" of the chain dog. I thought they had to do something to quiet that - along with the sand sound dampening - to appease the neighbors?

*** Edited 7/16/2004 6:25:30 PM UTC by Mamoosh***

Whatever it is on Talon, the anti-rollbacks are disengaged while it's moving forward because they're silent, and it does have the traditional teeth on the lift.

Thanks, Jeff...good to know I'm not completely crazy. Whatever device Talon uses to dampen the sound of the chain dog will also be used on Silver Bullet.

Oh come on...craziness is boolean...either you is or you isn't! ;)

Eye iz! ;)

There are 10 types of people in the world: Those that understand binary and those that don't.

Duh, I don't get it... ;)

I saw that joke posted in someone's sig on here a few weeks back.

Perhaps Dorney just installs those anti-rollback sound dampening pads moer frequently. The first couple of weeks of Raptor's life, its lift was very quite as well, thanks to those pads. Some parks change them frequently. Others don't. I haven't heard a quite lift on Raptor in years.

-Sean

The problem with that binary joke is that if you REALLY understand binary, you know that if there are 10 kinds of people in the world, they must be:

00: Those who understand binary.
01: Those who don't.
10: Those who merely think they do, but really don't.

@#$! geeks can't even write an accurate joke...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Numbering starts at 1, not 0. :P

I wouldn't say there're 0 kinds of people: The alive kind.

I received an email from a friend/source clarifying everything: The chain dogs on Talon [and soon to be on Silver Bullet] are not quieted via magnetics but rather a piece of polyeurothane that attaches to the top of the dog. If park stays on top of the upkeep and replaces it often the lift remains quiet.

As for the magnetic brakes, they are found on Nitro and Dragon Khan in Spain (which was where B&M originally tested them). Look for them to be used more in the future.

Sorry, folks, for being wrong ;)

mOOSH

Dragon Khan? Were they added after the ride was opened as I can't remember them when I rode a few years ago.

Moosh,

Magnetic brakes are also found at the end of the ride on Silver Star.

Joe "first I've heard of Dragon Khan having mags" C.

Huh, didn't even notice them on Nitro. Granted, I've only been on the ride in the back seat.

About keeping the upkeep of that polyurethane piece. La Ronde Vampire was really quiet in its opening year, but this year, its a bit noisier, but its still nothing like the Vekoma Corkscrew! The noise its make when its go up the lift is metal on metal and horrible!

Yeah, I noticed them on Silverstar. You hit the magnetic brakes and it was like "ahhhh..." and then the usual brakes jerk you to a halt. I'm surprised that the trims on Silverstar aren't magnetic, although I guess then they don't have control over how strong they are.