Funky track...
I just now remembered my reaction to when I first saw the Intamin/MF track. I thought, "How is this track for a coaster?" I just think Intamin track is a lot different, and to be perfectly honest, I like it more. I also noticed that an Arrow giga coaster would probably be a lot more expensive because their track needs supports a lot closer together to hold it up. Intamin's track is really sturdy-look at the Magnum hill on MF, the track doesn't need any supports the whole way across the lagoon. I also like how the ride switched from square track to triangle track at the end to flat track in the brake run and into the station. I think it's neat.
quick question-Is it the track or the trains that make MF smoother than most, if not, all coasters??
quick question-Is it the track or the trains that make MF smoother than most, if not, all coasters??
I would think both but I don't exactly know. The upstop wheels are alot better than those on arrow's. Intamin is my favorite coaster company, I guess I just like the cozy cars, the open cars, the airtime, the track for sure, and the magnetic brakes. Why do I like raptor better? More intense to me anyway, those zero gravity rolls if they could only turn off the trims for me.
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Raptor Flights: 78
Force Rides: 32
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Raptor Flights: 78
Force Rides: 32
First rule of engineering is that triangles are your friend. I don't know why this has escaped coaster designers for so long. I mean, they've essentially use box truss for supports since forever, why not the track? It looks a little like lighting truss used for concerts and such, and you see how much they load on that. That rigidity is the reason they can go so far between supports. I still look in awe at the third hill over the lagoon.
Arrow hasn't built a large coaster in years, and unless they've spent big dollars on R&D, I don't expect they will any time soon.
The smooth factor (in my opinion) on Intamin and B&M rides is attributed to two things: Wheel tolerance and trailered trains. The wheels don't have much play on the track; they make contact on all three sides at all times. Stand under Magnum sometime when it leaves the station and you'll see that the upstop and guide wheels don't make constant contact to the rails. As a result, they smack in to them on turns and over hills.
Some people might say it's also because the wheels go outside of the rails instead of inside, but that's more a function of track design. Think about it... is a "U" shape with curled ends between the rails or a straight line between the rails going to be more rigid?
The other thing is the trailered trains. B&M and Intamin trains have wheels at the back of each coach and connect to the next one forward by a "trailer hitch." That means every car can do something different, and the only way you'll get Raptor around its vertical loop or through a barrel roll. This configuration navigates turns a lot better than the Arrow design. Try to take a Magnum car with wheels on the corners and bend it over such a track piece!
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 35
Arrow hasn't built a large coaster in years, and unless they've spent big dollars on R&D, I don't expect they will any time soon.
The smooth factor (in my opinion) on Intamin and B&M rides is attributed to two things: Wheel tolerance and trailered trains. The wheels don't have much play on the track; they make contact on all three sides at all times. Stand under Magnum sometime when it leaves the station and you'll see that the upstop and guide wheels don't make constant contact to the rails. As a result, they smack in to them on turns and over hills.
Some people might say it's also because the wheels go outside of the rails instead of inside, but that's more a function of track design. Think about it... is a "U" shape with curled ends between the rails or a straight line between the rails going to be more rigid?
The other thing is the trailered trains. B&M and Intamin trains have wheels at the back of each coach and connect to the next one forward by a "trailer hitch." That means every car can do something different, and the only way you'll get Raptor around its vertical loop or through a barrel roll. This configuration navigates turns a lot better than the Arrow design. Try to take a Magnum car with wheels on the corners and bend it over such a track piece!
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 35
I've noticed a heck of a lot of play on Iron Dragon. The only wheel that always makes contact withthe track is the top one. Every other one has about an inch or two to play around with. I did notice that all of the wheels made contact with the track on MF.
I have seen those box trusses too and every time, I was like, I wonder if Intamin just sells pieces of track as trusses?? Probably not, but not a bad idea. *** This post was edited by MFistheBEST on 7/12/2000. ***
I have seen those box trusses too and every time, I was like, I wonder if Intamin just sells pieces of track as trusses?? Probably not, but not a bad idea. *** This post was edited by MFistheBEST on 7/12/2000. ***
Big Bad Wolf at BGW (another Arrow suspended coaster) is just as bad as Iron Dragon. They're very noisey. They did figure it out with Top Gun at PKI, and it's a huge difference. It's not quite the wheel tolerance of a B&M, but it's better.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 35
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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 35
There is usually some play between the upstops and the bottom of the rail. Magnum's may be a little bit more than normal, but a little tolerance is needed to prevent binding. B&M helps themselves out w/ their spring system, but there are some other design changes that allow for that. ST, for instance, as a wooden has some play. Indeed, at times it crests its fourth hill with no wheels on a car touching the track at any point. All 8 wheels [2 road, 2 guide, 4 upstops] are airborn and floating in that tolerance.
Wheel tolerance is part, but remember, Arrow's loopers use trailered trains too. This includes Steel Phantom, which is notoriously painful. Although to be fair, this is more a restraint problem than a tracking one.
I'm particularly impressed w/ Setpoint's truss system for the Seizmic, which is a box constructed from triangles, essentially.
Wheel tolerance is part, but remember, Arrow's loopers use trailered trains too. This includes Steel Phantom, which is notoriously painful. Although to be fair, this is more a restraint problem than a tracking one.
I'm particularly impressed w/ Setpoint's truss system for the Seizmic, which is a box constructed from triangles, essentially.
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