Talk:Roller Coaster (Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach)

Untitled
Page created 7 March 2009 Fractal.scatter (talk) 20:21, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

Brakeman
I would take issue with the statements regarding the purpose and uniqueness of the brakeman. I rode as brakeman on the Barry Island scenic (a copy of the Great Yarmouth scenic) for two seasons in the 1960s and we had nothing to do with regulating the speed of the ride. The only time during a circuit that the brake was touched was while bringing the cars to a final halt in the station. My initial briefing when starting the job consisted of "you don't actually have to do anything, the only reason you are here is that the council insist on it and it makes the punters feel safer".

As to uniqueness ... well no ... all of the 1920s and 1930s wooden scenic railways had brakemen. I don't know for definite about 'roller coasters' but I suspect they had one also. 21st CENTURY  GREENSTUFF 00:03, 17 May 2009 (UTC)

It's true that the majority of scenic railways had brakeman as a direct result of the nascent design philosophy and track geometry. The Roller Coaster was actually one of the last scenic railways to be built at a time when the upstop wheel (which I personally would use to define a true roller coaster) was becoming more popular. So in the sense of scenic railways, this one is not really unique. The uniqueness refers to the fact that it is one of only a few such rides in the world, and as most people do not understand the differences between a scenic railway and a roller coaster, it's a unique experience for them to ride on one such ride.

The brakeman operates the brakes (by definition). The speed of the train at any point around the track depends upon a lot of factors (the specific train, weather, time of day, track-wheel lubricant, wind speed and direction even) and in the case of the Scenic Railway there are generally considered to be (amongst brakemen) five breaking points; on the approach to the lift hill; at the top of the climb out of the big drop; on the top of the climb out of the fourth drop and then into the final turnarounds and drops approaching the station. Of course, each brakeman has his own style and rides vary accordingly. The main points to note though are that the train very usually needs to be slowed for the approach to the bunny hop as the trailing bogie can (and sometimes does) leave the track here. And always for the approach to the station on entry to the final turnaround.

Ride times of between 1:44 and 2:20 (and obviously even longer if the train crawls or stops) from leaving the lift hill are common. Usually ride times are at around 3:05. These times reflect the braking of the train.

As to the necessity of the brakeman; well he is essential. The ride has no brakes on the track on no other way of being able to stop the train in the station. It is the Health & Safety Executive who ultimately issues the certificate to allow the ride to open to the public, not the local council. And the brakeman generally tailor the ride to the riders in a case of 'know your audience'. And I would have to disagree with the last comment too; the most vocal people who ride and give most feedback are those that are slightly unnerved by the fact a brakeman needs to be there at all. Fractal.scatter (talk) 13:55, 24 June 2009 (UTC)
 * The comment wasn't mine, I was just stating what I was told by the guy that "trained" me before I started as brakeman. And erm ... there was no Health and Safety Executive in 1964 ... just the local Urban District Council's safety official. Simpler and less complicated times ... how did we ever live through it? 21st CENTURY  GREENSTUFF 17:20, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

Track Length
Well done to Jack for confirming the track length with JC and getting the maintenance guys to run a wheel around the track. —Preceding Fractal.scatter (talk • contribs) 13:50, 20 August 2009 (UTC)