Top Thrill Dragster

This is how the train looked after the Goodyear racing tires, a fake engine, and an aerodynamic spoiler were removed but before the last row of seats was added.  The water bottles are used to add weight in order to simulate a fully loaded train.

This gold train is shown on the transfer track.  The launch track is in the foreground.  It is equipped with about 125 sets of retractable metal fins.  In a "rollback," these fins interact with rare-earth magnets installed under each car.   It is the opposite of other Intamin coasters, such as Millennium Force, where the metal fins are installed on the trains and the magnets are mounted on the track.  In the background, a little of the track at the end of the ride is visible.  This section has large metal fins that are rigidly installed above the rails.  They provide the braking force at the ride's conclusion.  Since trains are entering the final brake run at about 120 miles per hour, it takes a lot of fins to remove the energy of each speeding train.  Despite the large decrease in speed, these magnetic brakes provide a very smooth deceleration.  As a bonus, they require almost zero maintenance.  If traditional friction brakes were used here, the park would have needed to worry about heat dissipation as well as the frequent replacement of brake pads.

©2021 by Joel A. Rogers.