To anyone who knows anything...

[Edward]

Hi!

There's something I've been wondering about when it comes to Rollercoaster lift hills. What's the difference between having a chain lift hill, and friction wheels lift hill? Just wondering since I've seen that both Juniour and some big coasters have friction wheels lift hills (Olympia Looping, Thriller).

 

/Edward

[willski]

Friction wheels allow those huge Schwarzkopf portables to have a curved lift and save space (although chain can do this as well, Schwarzkopf opted for friction wheels).

 

 

Chain lifts are the norm, I would imagine because they are cheaper to operate and can easily incorporate anti-rollback devices. The reason you see them on a lot of junior coasters is becuase junior coasters don't need anit rollbacks and that they could be cheaper on a small scale.

[Goliath513]

^Schwarzkopf models with curved lift hills also have the anti-rollback devices.

 

[Top Thrill Dragster]

I assume that most coasters have chain lifts because it requires less maintenance compared to having to replace tires. Also the Schwarzkopf portables probably used the wheel lifts to make take down and set up easier and faster.

[Golfie]

Also, you can find friction wheels on smaller lifts and in situations in which using a chain would be impractical (i.e. Kiddie Coasters)