Why Such a Long Brake Run?

After looking at the web cam for the last few days, why will this ride have such a long brake run? If it can stop on a dime like MF, seems to me this could have had another element after coming out of the tophat... like another tophat or at least a bunnyhill. I'm not understanding this layout at all where they devote that much track (and dollars) to brakes.

I think that the train will not hit brakes right after the top hat. I think that maybe the train will speed along for a few seconds and hit the brakes nearer to Iron Dragon.

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A troika is a sled pulled by three teams of horses.

MFRules How exactly would that do that....do you mean that some brakes are decoys, they're just there to look at?. I too don't get why such a long brake run. All of the brakes will be used.

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- Dennis

The Brake run is probably so long as a safety. The cars wont stop right away but if they had to they could. It could be multiple brake sets just with one long set of fins. I have never seen brakes like this where the fin is on the track so that is the best that I could come up with. Maybe it is a block system.

Adam Raptor/Mantis/Power Tower 02

MF goes into its brake run at 65mph. #16 will probably be going nearly twice that speed. But even with that I still don't think the brake run would need to be that long.

MF stop on a dime? HA!

Magnetic brakes are powerful, but look at what there dealing with, A heavy train going pretty fast. The formula for kinetic energy is KE= 1/2MV^2 means that as the velocity doubles, the kinetic energy quadurples.

If you have two trains, one going 50 MPH, the other 100MPH. It will take 4 times the force to stop the 100MPH train than the 50 MPH train.

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House of Tomorrow: Only technology makes live worth living

He's talking about the computer system being manual and automatic, not the brakes. I only worked there on Fridays, but I believe you need to put it in manual to transfer on or off.

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Brent Haley
Gemini Crew '02

SteelMonsters said:

"On warmer days, MF goes through the first brake run with a good 10 or 15 mph."

Don't you mean, like 60 to 65 mph?

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Launch: Tophat: Twistage: Brakes...

...Denial is an ugly thing.

It enters the first brake run at that speed; however after it goes though it, it goes anywhere from about 2 - 15 mph depending on how fast it enters the brake run.

:edit: removed last post, I thought he was talking about normal operation, I forgot about manual mode...

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House of Tomorrow: Only technology makes live worth living
*** This post was edited by SteelMonsters 11/10/2002 7:38:25 PM ***

I think it has that long brake run so you don't get as strained when you go into the final brake run about 500' later. ;)

Okay, let's think about this. You've got a multi-ton coaster train moving at 115 MPH. Do you think it's going to stop on a dime and still have all the passengers come off the ride with an intact neck and back? Nope, I don't think so. 115 is a lot faster than the 50 or so that you hit the MF brake run with.

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- John
*I resign from the game of life if I have to play with stupidity.
*It's the Internet, don't take it so seriously. Don't be a moron and we'll get along fine.

As the speed doubles, the amount of energy it takes to stop the mass quadruples. Xcelerator enters the brake run at 67 MPH it takes 2.5 section of brake track to slow the train. To slow a train going 134 [double Xc's speed] it would take 10 sections. Cedar Point has 9 full length brake sections, and 3 full length brake section with holes for friction wheels.

Full length brake track with friction wheel hole

http://www.setecx.com/pics/cp92902const/imagepages/PICT0088.html

Full length brake section

http://www.setecx.com/pics/cp91402const/PICT0001.html

From the track at CP, there is about 12 full legnth sections worth of brake track for this coaster. I think that the speed into the brakes will be in the area of 130 MPH, after consitering safety.

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House of Tomorrow: Only technology makes live worth living

When I was a young lad, I remember Col. Stapp riding a rocket sled at 600 mph and coming to a stop in about 5 sec using water as a braking source.

I dont recommend it He had two black eyes and temp. blindness You can see it on Disc Ch. sometimes. So if they want to stop they better do it with care to the riders. A long brake run ought to do the trick.

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I'm not an old fogey, I'm just an old coaster rider..

SteelMonsters, that's a good point about the energy of the train quadrupling when the velocity doubles. It's always nice to know that everything must adhere to the laws of physics. :)

The brake run is so long to ensure rider comfort. You will hardly even notice that you are braking... it will feel more like coasting to a stop. MF does a great job of this with its magnetic brakes, and #16 should be even better.

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

They have the extra space anyway because it has to go past the launch before it turns around. So if you've got the room why not use more brake sections and slow the train down more comfortably? There's no reason to slam on the brakes then ride kicker wheels all the way to the end.

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-Mike

The Fast and the Fearless

I know the brake run needs to be long, but it seems ridiculously long though. We're taking off from 0 to 120(?) in what...3 seconds or so(?), yet we literally need twice as much space to stop? I never took physics though.

When launching your head and back are pressed against the seat. When breaking your head, neck, and back are pressed into nothing. It's uncomfortable to be flopping around like that.

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- John
*I resign from the game of life if I have to play with stupidity.
*It's the Internet, don't take it so seriously. Don't be a moron and we'll get along fine.

Cause it is gonna stop! :(