Launch side going higher

What did you think those fins on the track where for.... Solor Energy??

Big D said:
(in Dan's topic) But also the people that Flame have to lighten up, I include myself in that too.
(in this topic) Are you for real???...or just being stupid??

Dude, "lighten up", not everyone knows what magnetic brakes look like, especially the "new" kind that started being used on Xcelerator.

SeederPoint - the flat track with the metal fins sticking up is the brake track, and it is of course on the far side of the tower (from the beach webcam). You can also notice on the Power Tower webcam that 5 pieces of launch track are lined up on the near side.

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"Meh."
Wicked twists: 11
Danger: Hgih Voltage!

Looks like they put another piece of the tower up today.
*** This post was edited by Big Jon 11/12/2002 9:28:45 AM ***

Majin - Thanks for the explanation. I too, have been wondering something about the brakes. Photos of Xcelerator seem to show these types of fins on the LAUNCH side of the track. I remember reading elsewhere that there will be retractable brakes on the launch side that pop back up after the train goes by so that if something goes wrong and the train comes back into the station it will do so very gently.

Could we all be missing something about which side is the launch? Or is there another explanation?

Man, gotta love accusing people of being stupid in really poorly written posts. Oh the ironing ... (and my iron uses "solor" energy).

Although I may not be giving Big D enough credit. Perhaps "cant" was more than a failed attempt at "can't" - Freudian, perhaps? That poster sure seems to offer his fair share of cant, as M. Heero pointed out.

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Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill.

Yes, there are launch-side, retractable brakes on Xcelerator. There is no anti-rollback on Xcelerator's tower, just these brakes. The station video even explains their purpose, which makes me suspect that rollbacks are not infrequent. :)

The fins on the 'far side' of #16 are fixed; they don't appear to be retractable. For this and other reasons, it seems very likely that the near side is the launch side.

Hey, Big Jon. That is another piece of track going up on the launch side. It looks like the end of alternating red/white. The twist of the track makes it appear that the track is pulling away from the tower.

spewey - that is one very astute observation. I love it. :-) But you have to give Big D credit for apologizing before he lost control.

Magnetic brakes DON'T have to be retrcatable to be used as an anti-rollback. The brakes can activate AFTER the car passes over it. Then when the other car is clear to launch, the breks turn off, then the car launches, and goes throught it again and again.

Also, from Hypersonic XLC, here's how they lower the car to the station. They cut off a setion of breats one at a time, untill it is on the ground, then the wheels pull it back. From what I hear it is amazing to watch, seeeing this 2 ton car suspended in the air slowly comming down.

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Love,
The Mole

There will be brakes on both sides, as people have mentioned. The launch brakes are retractable, they go down for the vehicle to pass and they go back up after the vehicle passes. If a vehicle launches and doesn't have enough energy to make it over the top, these brakes slow the vehicle that rolls back to gently return it to the launch position. The return brakes are non-retractable and are always on. The red and white track is the launch track, as the brakes on the other side are the fixed brakes.

Why can't we all get along without the insults? If you know the answer to a question, help someone learn by answering it. Isn't that what a forum is for?

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Florida may have Disneyworld and Key West,
but Ohio has Cedar Point and Put-In-Bay.
It's great to live in Ohio!

The Mole said:
Magnetic brakes DON'T have to be retrcatable to be used as an anti-rollback. The brakes can activate AFTER the car passes over it. Then when the other car is clear to launch, the breks turn off, then the car launches, and goes throught it again and again.

The magnetic brakes are not powered, they are totally passive. A fin passes through a permanent magnet to set up a field that repels, creating a braking force. There is nothing to turn on or off, that's why the only way to stop the braking action is to retract the brake itself. MF and the Rocket Coaster work the same way, the difference is in the details. MF has the magnets mounted on the track and the fins are on the cars. The Rocket Coaster mounts the magnets on the bottom of the cars and the fins are mounted on the track.

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Florida may have Disneyworld and Key West,
but Ohio has Cedar Point and Put-In-Bay.
It's great to live in Ohio!

Sorry, I thought about something else. Ok.

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Love,
The Mole

OH YEAH!!! Another piece is going up now at 11:17!!! :D
It's smaller than the other piece, my guess is around 10 feet.

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Love,
The Mole

I think that there is an inline twist on the launch side. Maybe this piece can now be explained.
*** This post was edited by rollercoastO3 11/12/2002 3:42:00 PM ***

I think you're right rollercoast03. If you look at the Breaker's webcam you can see the track beginng to curve slightly outward on the launch side. Each day seems to bring new possibilities as to what this ride may do.
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America's Rockin' Roller Coast

The brack side is growing taller.

Also, did anyone else notice that the launch side now has two red pieces connected, instead of red-white-red-white? It appears as if the alternating colors will only last until it goes vertical.

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:) "if aquarium gravel is so bad for you... how come it tastes so good?" :)

Is is me or is the track surpassing the tower in height? I would've thought that the tower would be extended before much more track is placed. Though the evidence is fully against it with several cat walks left, and I doubt it myself. Could this be the final height of this tower?

Millenniumbouya - read the second post in this topic for the answer to your question.

The spider's back!!! ahahahahahahahaa!!!

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Love,
The Mole

If it was the final height, we wouldn't see any more yellow supports on the ground.

I am finding this inline twist theory on the launch side interesting.. though for now I'm just going to assume its more like Xcelerator.

Only time will tell!

At least it seems like most people have accepted the L:TH:B theory by now!
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