RideMan Asks: That track segment in the Valravn Preview Center...

Okay, let's have a little fun. This time *I'm* going to ask the question.

In the Valravn Preview a Center there is a track section with a pneumatic brake assembly attached to it.

As you look at the track section from the midway, the brake assembly is offset to the right. In fact, there is an obvious vertical bend in the track at the left edge. On this particular track section, what will be the train's direction of travel as seen from the midway (as it now sits, I'm not trying to figure out where it goes on the ride), and what evidence do you have to support your claim?

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

The train will travel to the right according to the above picture. The brake run is on an angle and the track will level off as shown, where the train can (and will) be stopped using kicker wheels to either wait for a train in the station or transfer to the storage tracks.

Agreed. This piece looks like the start of the break run into the station.

I agree with the location, but not the direction. As there are no kicker wheels on that segment, it very well could be the last brake section before leveling off approaching the stations.

I would like to think it will be going to the right. I'm basing that assumption by looking at SheiKra's brakes, and when they are oriented the same way as on the piece here the train would be going to the right.

My guess is that section is the very bottom of the lift hill. It will slow the train down from the downhill left turn out of the station and ascend into the lift.

EDIT: I very well could be wrong since there aren't any drive wheels on that section though.

I wouldn't expect anything but drive wheels between station and lift..

Yeah, the POV animation shows only kicker wheels from the end of the brake run to the station, and I'm pretty certain the animation is based right off of the plans, so train would travel left. It doesn't make sense to have brakes on level track. When you release, the train wouldn't go anywhere.

I think the direction of travel is from left to right. As far as location, it is not from the brake run into the station or the brakes before the second vertical drop, both of those runs start off with magnetic brakes. My best guess is the brake run before the chain on the first vertical drop, directly after the slow turn from the top of the lift.

There are no bolt holes around the box section on the left end, and the face is painted with the main color scheme, not just primer grey. This suggests that the curved end (left) may sit adjacent to the transfer table, which is a level segment after the brake run.

My educated guess: Travel is right to left (brake to bend).

slehman said:

There are no bolt holes around the box section on the left end, and the face is painted with the main color scheme, not just primer grey. This suggests that the curved end (left) may sit adjacent to the transfer table, which is a level segment after the brake run.

My educated guess: Travel is right to left (brake to bend).

The painted end is the key to everything. It's this piece (2:13), the last friction brake just before the first drive wheels. The painted end will join up with first piece of the transfer.

Thus, right to left.

Interesting choice for Cedar Point to show off this piece..

Would've been cooler to see a piece with magnetic brakes but that'd be a huge liability issue. Don't want to interfere with anyone's pacemakers unknowingly. :(

Yeah, and as the track is typically cut in similar lengths, the last piece would be the one with the reduced length.

I like these answers.

I also think it is interesting that nobody picked up on the clue that initially got my attention. I'm going to let this sit a little longer and see if anybody notices.

Great job remembering that just because a piece of track is sitting at a particular angle does not necessarily reflect its orientation on the finished ride.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Are you referring to the grey paint on the lower section of the spine? It matches the brakes and likely the supports of the transfer table.

The track in the picture will have a train traveling on it from right to left. I believe the clue that Rideman picked up on was the male/female ends of the track tube sections. After looking at Gatekeeper construction pictures it seems to me that is the direction of travel.

I haven't looked that closely at the rails. I determined the direction based on the position of the brakes relative to the bend.

But that would be a good clue. I might need it if I wasn't talking about this last Friday at the park. :)

Actually, the right end of the track has a flat plate bolted over the end of the rail, so that end of the rail may not be relevant.

The brake assembly, on the other hand, is most interesting.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

What I find interesting is that the spine is totally flat, despite the curve at the end, unlike most other pieces the curve of the spine matches that of the rails.

I think the train will be traveling right to left as the brake run levels out

Now that I look at it again, more closely, it's obvious that it's the piece before the transfer, because there's a big hole in the tie on the left for the alignment pin.

Maybe I need to check this thing out up close. I based my answer (left) on walking by it from the midway the other night.