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.

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�2021 by Joel A. Rogers.