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the train and effectively park it. Another disadvantage is that they cannot be conventionally disengaged like other types of brakes. Instead, the fins or magnets must be retracted so that the fins no longer pass between the magnets. Accelerator
Coasters, for example, have a series of magnetic brake fins located on the launch track. Prior to the train's launch, the brakes are retracted out of the way to allow the train to reach its maximum speed. After launch, the brake fins are raised back in position to stop the train in the event of a
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195:. There are various types of braking methods employed on roller coasters, including friction brakes, skid brakes, and magnetic brakes. The most common is a fin brake, an alternative name for a friction brake, which involves a series of hydraulic-powered clamps that close and squeeze metal fins that are attached to the underside of a coaster train. Roller coasters may incorporate multiple brake runs throughout the coaster's track layout to adjust the train's speed at any given time.
410:, allowing them to engage even when there is a loss of power. They are also constructed with a certain measure of redundancy, incorporating extra sets of brakes in the event that one set fails. Opening is done by a bellows type of air-operated actuator, with each set of brakes fitted with its own air supply system that is controlled by supply valves that open and release the brake when it is safe to do so. A heavy
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riders experience at various points throughout the track layout, or for preventative maintenance reasons, reducing wear-and-tear on the trains or track. A proximity sensor often precedes the trim brake in order to identify the current speed of the passing train and determining how much the brake will
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Friction brakes, commonly called fin brakes, involve a computer-controlled clamping system that squeeze metal fins attached underneath the train. Friction brakes can be used to slow or stop the train and are the most common form of brakes found on modern roller coasters. They can involve thick metal
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Trim brakes are brake run sections that reduce the speed of the train but are not intended to stop the train completely. They may be engineered into a ride during design in anticipation of certain trouble spots, or later retrofitted in areas where trains are traveling at higher-than-expected speeds.
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While skid brakes already existed by the time Scenic
Railway had been conceived, LaMarcus Adna Thompson decided against using these brakes for his Scenic Railway roller coasters, and instead opted for using a brakeman system in a similar to manner to those used on gravity trains. The brakeman would
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A disadvantage of magnetic braking is that the eddy force is not usually stable enough to hold a train completely still, and as such cannot be used as block brakes. Magnetic brakes are often complemented by an additional set of friction brakes or "kicker wheels", rubber tires that make contact with
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The different types of brake runs are classified under two main categories: trim brakes and block brakes. A trim brake refers to a braking section that slows a train, while a block brake has the ability to stop a train completely in addition to slowing it down. Block brakes are important to roller
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Block brakes also have the ability to slow the train but serve the additional purpose of being able to stop the train completely. This is required on roller coasters that operate more than one train simultaneously on the track. They act as virtual barriers between the trains running on the roller
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to feature magnetic brakes. There are also third-party companies, such as
Magnetar Technologies Corp., which provide a service to retrofit existing coasters with magnetic braking technology to increase safety, improve rider comfort, and lower maintenance costs and labor.
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coasters that operate more than one train simultaneously, in the event that one train stalls on a portion of the track. While modern roller coasters have at least one computer-controlled brake run embedded in the track, older coasters such as
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coaster, preventing collisions should one train stop along the course for any reason. Block brake sections must also be engineered so that the train can begin moving again upon release, either by using a slight downward slope to let
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against the underside of the train, reducing its speed. They can be used to slow or stop the train. Skid brakes were one of the first advancements in roller coaster braking and are typically found on older wooden coasters, such as
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Magnetic brakes are silent and provide a smoother riding experience than friction brakes, gradually increasing the braking power so that the people on the ride do not experience rapid changes in deceleration.
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are generated in the fin, creating a magnetic force that opposes the fin's motion. The resultant braking force is directly proportional to the speed at which the fin is moving through the brake element.
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The brake elements are mounted to the track or alongside the track and the fins are mounted to the underside or sides of the train. This configuration looks similar to friction brakes.
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sit in the center of the train and pull a lever to apply a brake and slow down the train. Over thirty Scenic
Railways were constructed, but only a small number remain in operation.
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Instead of relying on friction, which can often be affected by weather conditions such as rain, magnetic brakes apply resistance through
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The fins are mounted to the track and the brake elements are mounted to the underside of the train. This configuration can be found on
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If the information is appropriate for the lead of the article, this information should also be included in the body of the article.
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may have brakes onboard the train and rely on a brakeman operator to apply them as needed.
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without making direct contact with the train. They are made up of one or two rows of
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Roller coasters utilize a variety of braking methods that have evolved over time.
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beginning in 2004 with their installation of Silver Bullet, the first
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usually made of steel is used to hold the brake closed when engaged.
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contains information that is not included elsewhere in the article
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Skid brakes are common on older wooden roller coasters, such as
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Trim brakes can also be added for safety reasons, lowering the
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Magnetic brakes can be found in two configurations:
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Skid brakes involve a long piece of material, often
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that utilizes some form of brakes to slow or stop a
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57:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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285:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
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305:Learn how and when to remove this message
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565:from the original on October 24, 2021
500:. An example of this can be found on
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467:began incorporating them with their
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406:Friction brakes are designed to be
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364:Side mounted brakes are common on
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527:List of roller coaster elements
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623:Roller coasters by country
555:"How Roller Coasters Work"
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18:Brakes (rollercoaster)
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471:models, as well as
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205:Luna Park Melbourne
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732:Single-rail
366:Schwarzkopf
336:Skid brakes
326:Thunderbolt
241:drive tires
216:Trim brakes
66:"Brake run"
804:Categories
685:Technology
533:References
422:See also:
401:brake pads
295:March 2024
107:March 2024
77:newspapers
722:Lift hill
698:Inversion
693:Brake run
512:Brake Men
502:Kingda Ka
430:magnetism
408:fail-safe
330:Kennywood
266:does not
181:brake run
776:Category
715:Rollback
659:Rankings
639:Elements
632:Overview
563:Archived
521:See also
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371:Scorpion
350:friction
788:Commons
742:Station
654:Physics
644:History
569:May 13,
465:Intamin
453:Intamin
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287:removed
272:sources
237:gravity
223:g-force
91:scholar
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183:on a
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