I have noticed that on some coasters, the lift hill chain runs continuously. For other coasters the chain is stopped after the train/car crests the top of the hill. This happens not only at KI but at several other parks. I know that on coasters, such as The Beast, a computer controls the speed of the chain, and other coasters have elevator lifts which require re-setting the catch car to bring the train/car up the hill. My question...is there a reason some chains are stopped? Is this a manufacturer decree? Is there less wear and tear on the chain's motor by turning it on and off or does leaving the motor run cause less stress on the motor and the chain? There's got to be a reason this happens. Anyone.....

Chains are a lot more expensive to make, repair and replace than the motors that drive them. Anything that lessens wear and tear on the chain is almost always a good thing. Manufacturers, though, are not perfect. The old joke was that Chang is the sound of a roller coaster chain breaking....which is exactly what happened on that coaster's opening day.

Ah, yes! But, starting and stopping the chain puts tension/torque on it - LOTS of weight to pull over and over again.

Diamond Back's chain increses in speed as the car passes the tires before and onnce it crests the top it slows back down.

^yea, i don't think i've ever seen a roller coaster that's lift chain completely stops between trains unless the ride is down, or i just don't pay that much attention to it.

Starting and stopping the chain isn't what puts load in the chain. It's the weight of the train. I think the primary issue is start-up torque. Every motor has a "start-up" torque that it must overcome in order to begin rotating. In the case of a lift chain, if it stops, the motor must overcome its start-up torque plus the weight of a chain, PLUS the weight of a train in some cases, which in turn draws more power. However if you can justify the additional drawn power by being more efficient via shutting the motors down between dispatches, then it's obviously worth while.

I'm not sure this is 100% correct, but that's the first thing I thought of. Also, as said above, some rides don't "stop" their lift chains, but they do slow them down dramatically when there is no train on the lift, thus eliminating the need to overcome the start-up torque.

(You know, this topic title would be great on March 16, 2010....)

Terpy, I have no clue.

If you said April I would guess SOB discussions before opening day but...

probably something to do about Apollo and the proposed merger, im guessing...

^Yeah, that's it. That's the day of the big meeting in Sandusky.

^yea, i don't think i've ever seen a roller coaster that's lift chain completely stops between trains unless the ride is down, or i just don't pay that much attention to it.

IIRC, the lift chain on the WhirlWind at Seabreeze Park in NY stops completely between vehicles.

^last time i was in new york, i was 3, plus i've never been to seabreeze park.