Brakes
Rolling Thunder uses skid brakes to stop the trains rather than modern fin brakes. The trains have brake pads underneath each car which slide against the brakes to lift the train's wheels off the track. The brakes are always in the up position unless the operator, in conjunction with the rear unloader attendant, advances a train. The road wheels can be heard spinning at the end of the ride and will continue to spin until the operator, in conjunction with the unload attendant, advances the train.
There are three sets of brakes(3). The trim and ready brakes are located in the tunnel at the end of the ride. The trim brake slows and stops the train and serves as a holding place for one train until the second train leaves the station. The train can then be advanced off the trim and onto the ready brake. The ready brake holds the train until the second train reaches the top half of the lift hill. The Dispatch brake holds the train in the station while it is being unloaded and loaded for the next ride. The trains are stopped manually and will not always aligned with the queue stalls in the station. Therefore the attendants will have to direct the guests to their rows from time to time before the airgates are opened.
When the brake pads and wheels get wet, there is little friction to stop the trains and they will slide too far onto the brakes. For safety reasons, only one train can run per side in rainy weather.
Read more about this topic: Rolling Thunder (roller Coaster)
Famous quotes containing the word brakes:
“What blazed ahead of you? A faked road block?
The red lamp swung, the sudden brakes and stalling
Engine, voices, heads hooded and the cold-nosed gun?”
—Seamus Heaney (b. 1939)
“There is a limit to the application of democratic methods. You can inquire of all the passengers as to what type of car they like to ride in, but it is impossible to question them as to whether to apply the brakes when the train is at full speed and accident threatens.”
—Leon Trotsky (1879–1940)