Top Thrill Dragster was awesome!

[Jeff Waegelin]

Originally posted by JosephM
But DJ, the launch mechinism can adjust the launch speed for the wind speed. But if it does roll back (official term) then the train gets stopped by breaks on the launch track and it goes to the launch position again. The train is launched outside of the station.

That is correct. There are magnetic brakes on the launch side that are on pneumatic (at least they sounded pnuematic... possibly hydraulic, though) cylinders that raise up right after the car passes through. That way, if it doesn't make it up, and rolls back, there is a set of brakes deployed and ready. We spent forever trying to figure out what all the metal plates on cylinders were, but when we figured out they were brakes, it all made sense. Joseph is correct in that the train does launch from outside the station. The car pulls out about 2 full train lengths from the station to launch. There's even a "christmas tree" that counts down with lights before the launch.

To answer DJ's question, there was quite a bit of wind at times yesterday, but there was not a single "roll back" all day. We watched it launch at least 30 or 40 times, and never once did the launch speed drop below 118 mph, and it never looked like it wasn't going to make it, even when the wind was at its highest. I think that the initial problems have been fixed by launch speed adjustments based on wind.

It was funny, though... right by the station, there is a sign that says Top Thrill Dragster will occasionally not make it all the way over the hill, and when that happens, the car will return to the station, and they will reset it for a second launch. It was rather comical to read.