LIM launch.

Just a question.  I am embarassed to say that I don't know much about this technology yet.  Do the LIM's get affected by rain?  If so, why not cover the entire bottom portion of the ride?

Maybe it wouldn't matter because the opposing LIM's on the train would get wet once it left the station but I am just curious.

All of the LIM's are covered because they are all in the station. The only things on the train are the metal fins that pass through the LIM itself. I don't think that water would effect the ride any differently than it would on any other coaster because the LIM's are just big magnets.
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Brad Wagner (who seems to read this board more than he attend class)
The Ohio State University
2002: Snake River Falls

*** This post was edited by BradwagsCP on 2/22/2002. ***

From the webcam it appeared to me that LIM's went out of the station toward the forward spike.  Guess I need to see it from a different angle.

You may be right, I'm just assuming from what I've seen.
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Brad Wagner
The Ohio State University
2002: Snake River Falls

     The LIMs do extend outside the station (at least on the other impulses), yet are still covered.  I have heard that it is beneficial to keep the motors out of direct sunlight to help keep them from overheating, as these puppies get quite hot.  In fact, on California Screaming (where the motors are not covered), they have jets of water to cool the motors between launches.

 

Idora Wildcat

The LIM's (or the brakes) cover almost all of the horizontal track.

RideMan has a very detailed, verbose, explanation here, but in shorter terms think of an electric motor "peeled" open. The LIM's are the coils that go around the motor shaft while the fins are the pieces attached to shaft itself.

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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"