Station Braking Procedure

I have noticed on a lot of rollercoasters especially wooden coasters that when the train is entering the station after it is stopped or slowed by the final brake run it makes a complete stop 1/2 or 3/4 in the station and then rolls to its final stop.  Why do a lot of these coasters do this?  Is it a safety procedure?  I have always wondered about it.  Thanks in advance for the help.
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Mike
Favorite Wood: Viper at SFGAM, Shivering Timbers
Favorie Steel: Magnum and Raging Bull

sorry if im being mean, but does it really matter?

Probably to ensure that the train is at a certain speed and doesn't go too fast as it rolls through the station.
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.:| Brandon Rodriguez |:.
http://www.coasters2k.com

DrachenFire04, I was just wondering about it.  It may sound like a stupid question but I got the off season blues.
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Mike
Favorite Wood: Viper at SFGAM, Shivering Timbers
Favorie Steel: Magnum and Raging Bull

I think it is to ensure that the train isn't going too fast to be accurately stopped to line up w/ the gates
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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.

Its to make sure the train lines up with restraint releases bars, located in the station. Also, its to lessen the risk of a life threatening accident, if a guest jumped in front of the train or an op fell on the track.

On some coasters, there are no brakes in the station. Instead, there pusher wheels to move and keep the train in place. This method is more precise than gravity and brakes only... that if, if the tires are not completely bald or wet!

Vekoma use a combination of the 2 on some of their coasters. Among others, the SLC and Space Mountain at DLP.

Disney use, on their 4 Big Thunder Mountain coasters, gravity and brakes, but, to move trains from transfer tracks to station and vice versa, also to give the necessary "kick" to the train when its leaves, LIM!

As previously mentioned some coasters use advance wheels.  On manually operated coasters the easiest thing for the operator is to set the station brake to stop the coaster, then advance it slowly to the final spot.  This makes it a lost easier to avoid overshooting the station.  I believe that some automatic control systems do essentially the same thing only they automate it.

Jim nails it again...
When the brakes are manually operated, the operator sets the brake, and if skilled, releases and resets the brake (using pushbutton controls) to ease the train to a precise stop. Computers do exactly the same thing, but while the operator can watch the train and estimate how much braking is necessary, the computer can't see the train until it reaches the trip switch in the station. So the computer will tend to hold the brakes closed as the train approaches the station, and the train will trip a switch as it enters the station. Then after a programmed time delay, if the train doesn't reach the next switch, the computer will hold the brakes open for a programmed time period or until the train trips the stop position switch. The process is repeated until the train hits the final prox switch, at which point the brakes are held closed and the rest of the parking procedure is executed (for instance, unlock lap bars, open gates, play spiel, etc.).

--Dave Althoff, Jr.