What powers the ride?

Is the ride powered by magnets or by a cable or does the cable get it started until the magnets take over?

"A highly sophisticated hydraulic launch system" as put by Sandor Kernacs.

It's a 10,000 HP system of hydraulics that I've heard called Medusa. I think it's quite impressive. Most people including maintenance for Cedar Point call it a huge pile of crap.

I'm no expert on hydraulic systems, but it does seem kind of complex to me. Maybe that's just my thought that Intamin over-thinks everything they do and makes simple things complicated.

Basicaly its like this (using the help of the TTD Tech Talk):
Hydraulic fluid (from a reservoir) is pushed into a large hydraulic accumulator(containing a large piston). The bottom of the accumulator is filled with nitrogen and is connected to a group of gas filled "bottles". As the cylinder(accumulator) fills with hydraulic oil, the piston is forced back in the accumulator, compressing the Nitrogen gas out of the accumulator and into the bottles.
Now that everything is set and a train is in position, the system is ready to launch. To do this a valve is opened which allows the hydraulic oil to flow (rapidly) through the lines to a reversible hydraulic motor(remember that the hydraulic fluid is under extreme pressure from the nitrogen being compressed in the "bottles"). As the hydraulic motor turns, the fluid is returned through a check-valve to the reservoir. The hydraulic motor is mounted coaxially with and attached to a cable winding drum. The launch cables pull the catch car, which is attatched to the train, down the launch track.

And there you go!

Thanks for the info. So no magnets involved on this ride at all?

Yes, there are magnet on the ride. The magnets are used to stop the train, a similar system is used on MF, just the system is reveresed more or less.

Here's a picture of what the brake run magnets look(keep in mind that they’re allot more shiny then the ones we have now): http://www.thepointol.com/k1.jpg

I'll post back when I find a descent picture of the launch track magnets. They're exactly similar to the break run magnets...just shorter and spaced apart. And they also move up and down. Down so the train can launch, and up right after the train launches incase of a rollback.

*** Edited 7/26/2005 10:45:45 PM UTC by TTD 120mph***

http://pointbuzz.com/Gallery.aspx?i=705

There's a picture of the magnets on the launch track. They are space apart, and move down when the train launches and return to their normal positions once the train reaches the hill.

A motor pulls a cable that is hooked to the train. Simple, huh:)

Explaining the motor is where it gets complicated...

Yeah, I tried to explain it the best I could.

ForgottenEE said:
"A highly sophisticated hydraulic launch system" as put by Sandor Kernacs.

It's a 10,000 HP system of hydraulics that I've heard called Medusa. I think it's quite impressive. Most people including maintenance for Cedar Point call it a huge pile of crap.

I wouldn't go as far as calling it a huge pile of crap since the motor has huge job to do. It has run about 14 hours a day, for about 6 months straight. That and it must ensure it does a safe launch every time.

Very much like Jeff said though, Intamin over builds their rides making a mechanical issues hard to find. They try to hard to ensure safty (ie: MF seatbelts).

Can someone explain what Intamin could do to not overbuilt their rides?

Simplify their systems.....

*** Edited 7/31/2005 6:41:42 PM UTC by TTD 120mph***

What would work better for a launch on TTD? Thats right nothing. LIMs accelerate too slowly, are proven to be unreliable for ultra high speed rides and suck up the juice, just look at S:TE, and dont work in rain so they require a roof. LSMs are bad for the same reasons. Hydraulic launches work well on slower rides because theres less demand and stress on the motor. They are probably the cheapest way to propel TTD because there arent a hundred LIMs which would double the power needed for the park on every launch.

I know that Intamin builds very complicated rides, but if CP didnt use Intamin MF might not have been built, Vekoma is retarded and B&M wouldnt go over 300ft. Would you rather have the slow chain for MF or the elevator system? *** Edited 8/4/2005 7:10:32 AM UTC by SFGA=toilet***

You're wrong on several accounts. S:TE was one of the first rides to use any kind of magnetic propulsion. It also uses LSM's, not LIM's. Water doesn't matter, see California Screamin', which has water sprayed on it purposely.

LIM's could certainly be used, but the concern stated by Jasper on the construction tour was that it would require a much longer launch track. I'm starting to wonder if maybe that would have been a better idea anyway. I have to think the duty cycle would be a lot easier on the units than it is for an Impulse (one energize every 45 seconds instead of three or four in the same time span).

That is true about it being a better idea, but.....We wouldn't have the same kind of awesome acceleration that Dragster provides for us. I mean it takes S:TE 7 seconds to get to 100mph!
I pick 0-120 in 4 seconds thank you.
Don’t get me wrong, S:TE provides some great air time, but it doesn’t even reach 330 feet (or does it?).
And from what I've heard from a friend who rode it, it's quite boring (except for the zero Gs).
He said Dragster Beats it hands down........Head back, And Hold On!.......sorry couldnt resist.

Aside from the massive amount of problems, Dragster is fine just the way it is.

Superman just isn't what it used to be. The launch used to seem incredibly more powerful. I have seen pictures(from '97,'98) where the car is very close to the top of the tower. I just don't get the sudden rush and "oh my gosh, this thing is powerful!" that I used to get on it.

I thought part of the reason they used the hydraulic engine was that it would use considerably less electricity than using a LIM powered launch.

I'm sure someone would know. I don't. While something like Wicked Twister fires in short bursts, Dragster has motors running more or less continuously (plus some serious air conditioning to keep it cool).

Why are the launch track magnets smaller and spaced apart more than the brake run magnets? When the train rolls back is it not going as fast as in the brake run, should'nt both the launch and brake runs require the same amount of brake fins to stop the train?