I get that they have connections that keep them on the track. I’m talking about insane ones that aren’t always consistent, like the Top Thrill Dragster or Kingda Ka. These huge roller coasters have very minimal instances of accidents, yet aren’t even consistent at getting over the apex (instances of rollback and having to try again). So my question is how are these made to be reliable and how are they maintained even when in use a lot?
In: Engineering
Coasters, like all amusement park rides, are maintained at night when the park is empty. There are rigorous inspection and preventative maintenance procedures, performed by mechanics that have been trained to work on the specifics of the attraction/coaster.
There are redundant systems for anything that could be a risk to people Or equipment. For example, the wheels that ride on the track are redundant such that a certain number can fail without endangering the occupants or bystanders.
Static structures like the track are designed with insane factors of safety such that the steel is very conservatively loaded relative to what the steel can handle.
Coasters, like all rides, have tracks divided into zones such that only one coaster train can be in a zone at a time. In the event of a rollback, brake failure, etc., there is no way for two coaster trains to collide with each other.
Ride control systems are also redundant, and designed to fail safe (much light stoplights at road intersections are designed to fail in a safe state).
Source: used to work on theme park ride design teams
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