You're on the right track there, but for the most part, you've gotten a few things mixed up.
This sound, often desribed as a 'click-clack' sound, is caused by the anti-rollbacks. It is basically a bolt, that ratchets along a line of grooves, which is beside the chain. If you've seen a car winch in action, then that is very similar to many coasters.
There are no rides in existance that use hydrolic safety systems. Most coasters use a pneumatic braking system to slow the train. There are trim brakes located around the course of many rides, that slow the train to a better speed for coming elements. There's also block brakes, that are designed to prevent a colision on rides where more than one train is used. Pneumatic brakes use a metal fin on the bottom of each car, and this passes through almost like a clamp.
A few modern rides use natural magnetic brakes - this smoothly slows but not stops) the train and is 99% failsafe. The reason I say is because of an incident that happened last year at Six Flags New England. Many rides have these magnets permanently mounted in the right position, but a few rides have them pneumatically powered - unlike the above pneumatic brakes, these ones need air to be put into position, whereas the regular pneumatic brakes need air to be released. However, on rides where the magnets are mounted, there is a theoretical 100% failsafe system in place.
Some rides have different styles of anti-rollbacks, different to the ratchet system. Suspended Looping Coasters (where the track is above you, and the seating is 2 across, not 4 across as found on the Batman the Ride's) use a camming system. Running for the entire length of the lift hill is a metal fin, the cars on the train have cams that allow only one way of travel, and if the chain stops or brakes, then the train slip.
This fictitious hydrolic braking system doesnt exist. The only noticably use of hydrolics in coasters in recent years is Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm, where it uses a hydrolic launch system to launch the trains to around 80mph in 2.5s. This ride uses magnetic brakes, for those that are interested. It has a combination of the fixed position magnetic brakes and pneumatic mounted magnets.
Some rides, you don't hear the 'click-clack' up the lift hill. Either this ride doesn't use the standard chain system - some rides use tyres to lift the train. Some rides also use an electromagnetic system to keep the anti-rollbacks retracted, as there is a small generator on each car, which uses a special small rail on the lift hill to generate electricity, obviously, when the generator stops, if the lift stops, then the anti-rollback will fall down and stop the train from moving backwards.
If you really must lash out at people, I'd say that having all the facts right would prove useful.
Slashdot Mirror
You're on the right track there, but for the most part, you've gotten a few things mixed up.
This sound, often desribed as a 'click-clack' sound, is caused by the anti-rollbacks. It is basically a bolt, that ratchets along a line of grooves, which is beside the chain. If you've seen a car winch in action, then that is very similar to many coasters.
There are no rides in existance that use hydrolic safety systems. Most coasters use a pneumatic braking system to slow the train. There are trim brakes located around the course of many rides, that slow the train to a better speed for coming elements. There's also block brakes, that are designed to prevent a colision on rides where more than one train is used. Pneumatic brakes use a metal fin on the bottom of each car, and this passes through almost like a clamp.
A few modern rides use natural magnetic brakes - this smoothly slows but not stops) the train and is 99% failsafe. The reason I say is because of an incident that happened last year at Six Flags New England. Many rides have these magnets permanently mounted in the right position, but a few rides have them pneumatically powered - unlike the above pneumatic brakes, these ones need air to be put into position, whereas the regular pneumatic brakes need air to be released. However, on rides where the magnets are mounted, there is a theoretical 100% failsafe system in place.
Some rides have different styles of anti-rollbacks, different to the ratchet system. Suspended Looping Coasters (where the track is above you, and the seating is 2 across, not 4 across as found on the Batman the Ride's) use a camming system. Running for the entire length of the lift hill is a metal fin, the cars on the train have cams that allow only one way of travel, and if the chain stops or brakes, then the train slip.
This fictitious hydrolic braking system doesnt exist. The only noticably use of hydrolics in coasters in recent years is Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm, where it uses a hydrolic launch system to launch the trains to around 80mph in 2.5s. This ride uses magnetic brakes, for those that are interested. It has a combination of the fixed position magnetic brakes and pneumatic mounted magnets.
Some rides, you don't hear the 'click-clack' up the lift hill. Either this ride doesn't use the standard chain system - some rides use tyres to lift the train. Some rides also use an electromagnetic system to keep the anti-rollbacks retracted, as there is a small generator on each car, which uses a special small rail on the lift hill to generate electricity, obviously, when the generator stops, if the lift stops, then the anti-rollback will fall down and stop the train from moving backwards.
If you really must lash out at people, I'd say that having all the facts right would prove useful.