that clicky-clack noise going up the first hill

What in tarnation is that crackly "OH MY GOD THE ROLLER COASTER IS FALLING APART!!" noise you hear when you slowly go up the first hill? (I'm watching the point-of-view videos on cedar point's official website getting psyched up for my trip in a couple days and I'd have to say the Gemini is the loudest and best. Whoda thunk it?)

Why don't new roller coasters have it? It sounds so scary!

Umm...that's the chain that pulls the coaster over the first hill...chains can be noisy. Millennium Force uses a cable, which is quiet and Maverick is launched.

Does anyone else think Maverick launches will be more popular? Think of how much time it saves to launch to that first hill instead of crawl.

The noise you're hearing is actually not the chain itself - it's the anti-rollback dogs on the bottom of the train dropping into and coming out of grooves (teeth) along the lift. The purpose is to hold the train in place if the chain stops for some reason.

Magnum has anti-rollback dogs on the bottom of cars two and five so the noise will be loudest in those cars and you can actually feel it under you a little bit. Raptor's lift is also extremely loud if you are in certain cars (I don't know which ones).

MF's lift is silent because an electrical current is generated when the train is in motion to lift up the dogs. They only drop down if the train slows or stops. MF's lift sounds just like the others (maybe even louder) when it begins to speed up from a stop.

The clicky clack is not the chain, but rather the anti-roll backs to prevent the train from falling back down the hill the wrong way.

On most older coasters, there is a flipper on the bottom of each car and a rail with v-shaped "notches" that goes up the main lift, usually right down the middle along-side the chain. The noise is that "flipper" falling into each groove.

On millennium, there are still anti-rollbacks, but they are held in the upward position by the forward momentum of the train. As long as the train is moving forward, the flippers stay up, once it stops, they come down and catch on that same rail to prevent it from rolling back.

On Maverick, I don't believe there are any anti-rollbacks. It is actually designed, in the event of a power loss to roll back to the bottom of the hill where it will be brought to a complete stop. The LSM's will act similar to the magnetic brakes on TTD and Millenium in that the faster a train tries to move, the more braking force is applied, so the train can only slowly roll back down the hill. (Someone please correct me if I am wrong).

Great minds think alike! :)

I guess so.

Except that I always assumed there were dogs under each car, not just under 2 and 5 on Magnum.

Not on Magnum. I think some rides have them on every car though.

It would just make sense to me to spread that load over spots rather than on 1 or 2 for the whole train.

Good to learn something new every day.

You're right, it's the anti-roll back device that is loud, but you wouldn't have the sound without the chain ;)

Yes you could, you could put the same device on an LSM or cable lift.

Thats what I love about this site! Its the best CP site ever and the question was never thruthfully answered. Yet, like other topics, it turned into something of a completely different subject! Proud YSU student

If you go early in the morning sometimes you can hear the anti-rollbacks on MF when the train clears the first hill. I find it to be more noticeable when listening to it from the ground rather than on the ride itself. It's an awful sound to hear coming from a ride.

^^

How exactly was the original question not answered and how is it on a different subject?

MrSnrub said:
What in tarnation is that crackly "OH MY GOD THE ROLLER COASTER IS FALLING APART!!" noise you hear when you slowly go up the first hill?

MDOmnis said:
The noise you're hearing is actually not the chain itself - it's the anti-rollback dogs on the bottom of the train dropping into and coming out of grooves (teeth) along the lift. The purpose is to hold the train in place if the chain stops for some reason.

Magnum has anti-rollback dogs on the bottom of cars two and five so the noise will be loudest in those cars and you can actually feel it under you a little bit. Raptor's lift is also extremely loud if you are in certain cars (I don't know which ones).

MF's lift is silent because an electrical current is generated when the train is in motion to lift up the dogs. They only drop down if the train slows or stops. MF's lift sounds just like the others (maybe even louder) when it begins to speed up from a stop.

Looks to me like it was answered very well and by more than one person.

Go back under the bridge you crawled out from.

^^^Did you even read the thread? Two people answered what the sound actually is, and those same two answered why Millennium is silent, and one answered why Maverick is silent.
But those were the longest posts in the thread. Did you just skip over them or something?
And if when you say truthfully you mean they were wrong, why don't you back that up and say what is correct?

I need to go to bed. :(

Edit: You beat me, Loopy! :P (and made me add caret) *** Edited 8/6/2007 1:04:39 AM UTC by CP Tay Tay***

I think Magnum is the loudest.

throwinDs said:
Thats what I love about this site!

That's what I love about people who complain about this site. They never let reality or logic stop them.

*** Edited 8/6/2007 1:41:04 PM UTC by Walt***

Why should they?

Since there are dogs under the cars then shouldnt it be woof woof instead of clang clang? Lol.

Wow. That was special.