Chain Lift Hills vs. Cable Lift Hills

What do you like more chain or cable?

I like them both. Chain gives you the anxious feeling of slowly going to the top. Yet MF and its cable make it cool going up the hill very fast and not wasting any time.

Hard to say because I have only been on one Cable Lift. But there is something special about a chain lift.

Chain lift. More traditional and anticipating. Plus, nothing beats the clanking noise.

Doesn't matter much to me, just as long as it gets you to the top... :)

^Ditto.

Yes, they both get the job done :)

That's tough. I love MF's 45 degree lift hill but I hate that since it goes so fast, you don't have any time to look around. I guess I don't really prefer either one, they are both unique.

It depends on how tall the roller coaster is. The Magnum's 205 feet are about as long of a chain as I can tolerate. I can't imagine climbing MF's hill on a chain. Yeah, you'd have time to look around, but I'd probably be taking a nap by the time I got to the top.

^ Just imagine a ride on Steel Dragon 2000. 318 feet on a chain lift, and if it has to be evacted, you have to walk all the way down.

Some people need to look over the rules of this forum a bit closer.

I prefer the clickity-clack of a chain. I am hoping that if 2007 has a lift it will be chain driven.

Gomez said:
Some people need to look over the rules of this forum a bit closer.

At least it is somewhat original.

EDIT: Coastern3rd, I have been on the Intimin chain lifts they are as quite as cable lifts. *** Edited 7/9/2006 3:25:24 PM UTC by CP4eva'04***

I really enjoy the cable lift style because of how fast your going up the hill and you don't have much time to look around which builds up the excitement more.

it would be alright if they could slow the cable lift down a bit to enjoy the view but its probably at that speed for faster que times and ride perfomance.

Here's a question. Say you wanted to build a really tall coaster, like TTD equivalent or higher, but you're limited in space for the footprint of the lift. Has anyone designed a coaster with a tiered, overlapping lift?

Let me describe this idea a bit better. Take a conventional chain lift up, say 100 to 150 feet, then a tight turn around incorporating some kind of block brake, then another lift, running in the opposite direction and almost directly over the previous lift. At the top of the second lift, repeat the procedure until desired height achieved.

Here are the advantages I can think of:

1. A smaller footprint for the entire lift structure.
2. More than one train can proceed on the lift at the same time, using standard computer sensor technology in conjunction with the block brakes (i.e. a train doesn't start one lift until the preceding train has cleared it).
3. Because the forces applied on the structure are limited, the same steel structure can be used for all the lifts in the series.
4. It would take a long time to reach the top, which for some people, at least, would be an exceptional experience.

Now the disadvantages:

1. The motors for the second and subsequent lifts would be elevated, along with all corresponding electrical apparatus. I imagine this could be pretty hefty.
2. It would take a long time to reach the top, which for another set of riders might be too long.

Any thoughts? I'm thinking of calling it 'Ensign Smith: The Ride'. ;)

If your not the biggest fan of heights, chain lifts really get the adrenaline pumping and I like that.

Nothing like sitting on the left side of Magnum, especially on a windy day, and looking to the side and seeing no catwalk, no rail, just straight down as you slowly make that clickety click trip up that hill. :-)

Ensign Smith, Twister at Knoebels has a tiered lift like you describe, though it only accomodates one train at a time, I suppose they could break it up into blocks if they wanted to.

I prefer the traditional chain lift because I would hate to be stuck on a 45 degree angle and have to get out of the train and walk down..... or climb down a ladder. I couldn't possibly get out of a coaster train at a 45 degree angle. I couldn't bear to think about it lol

Cable lift all the way... Its so peaceful and quiet... its like the calm before the storm. I love it!

I'm a huge fan of the cable lift because its so quiet and eerie. :) But, you can't really beat the chain lift for nostalgia. :)