Goliath

This coaster sure looks cool, but it has one of the worst reliability records of any large roller coaster.  When it originally opened, getting the train to engage and disengage from the catch cars caused a variety of problems.  In case a train doesn't get raised to the proper height before being released, brakes are scattered throughout the track.  On the right side of this vertical loop, over a dozen pinch brakes are installed in the track's centerline.  If the coaster is operating normally, these brakes are not used.  But if the ride determines that the coaster is travelling too slowly and might get stuck somewhere on the track, these brakes slam shut to bring the train to a halt in the bottom of this vertical loop.  Evacuating a stuck train from this low spot would be much easier than rescuing people from a higher location.

©2015 Joel A. Rogers.