Trim Question

This may be a question for RideMan, but maybe some other may know as well. It seems that the trims on most coasters tend to brake the train to largely different degrees each ride. Is this somehow based on the weight of the train, some subjective decision of a ride-op, mechanical functioning (as in sometimes the fins just grip better), or other factors. Sometimes a coaster just seems to fly by through the trims (or certain trims not even engage) and in a reride just hours later you can really feel them. The same thing applies to the MCB on some coasters. Just wondering if someone had an answer.

Some times it an be a difference in heat. On wooden coasters the hotter, the faster. So they try to match the level or intensity of the trim brakes, through out the day, to make it have a constant speed...all the time. On steel coaster I'm not sure. I think it might have to do just watching it and seeing how fsat it is traveling thorugh an element/inversion and then judging on if it needs to be faster or slower. I hope that helps.
-----------------
It's his turn to feast, when you ride the Son of Beast.

In some cases trims are adjusted to maintain a consistant ride time.  If the target time is 2:00 minutes and the train starts coming in at 1:53 they will tighten down on the trim a bit to slow the train.  If the time gets much over 2:00 they will loosen the trim a bit.  The object is to keep the ride safe and reliable.  (And hopefully interesting)  Other trims are just fixed, but the effect does change somewhat based on the weather.  (Actually fixed trims can be adjusted by maintenance when the coaster is not running.)

*** This post was edited by Jim Fisher on 9/2/2001. ***