Vekoma Track Design

[Guest]

Apologies if this has been covered somewhere else...I did a search but came up with nowt relevant.

 

Anyway, my question is; does anyone know why Vekoma doesn't build their large scale rides using the track they use on smaller kiddie coasters? I know that Expedition Everest is the exception to the rule currently but it seems to me to be an easy way to address any future problems with roughness is to make a shift to this newer track design...not that all Vekomas are rough (I don't want to end up starting another Vekoma bashing thread)

 

Are there actually any benefits for using tracks where the guide wheels run on the inside of the track?

[Tmcdllr]

I think the wheels on the outside of the track looks cooler. I've noticed that coasters with inside wheels tend to be 'loose' therefore rougher. Coasters with outside wheels seem to be 'tighter' and smoother. Whether it makes a difference in design where the guide wheels go is beyond me. I'd like to know the answer too.

[coasterguy618]

It does look cooler, and if you think about it, all the coasters with wheels on the inside of the track tend to hurt a lot.

[Tmcdllr]

So I'm not the only one who has noticed that. I think with the wheels on the outside, it allows a design that incorporates a tight fit against the track, with some flexibility to let the wheels move in and out as the train goes through twists and turns, from what I have seen anyway. One example I can think of is V2 at SFMW, that type of Intamin axle. This may also be true for the inside track guide wheels, a similar idea would allow the wheels to 'lock' onto the track thus providing a smoother ride, but I can't remember ever seeing any designed this way. If you look at Arrow coasters you'll notice the guide wheels usually have a small gap between them and the track, not a tight fit, no flexibilty to move in and out which equals roughness. And as the coaster ages, it gets worse. Demon at PGA (when it was Turn Of The Century), used to be a pretty decent ride as far as smoothness. Today, it's very rough and as it goes through turns, the train bounces from side to side and I'm sure track wear has a part in that too, it's about 30 years old. But if it had a tighter wheel design to begin with, I can't help but wonder if today it would have been a lot smoother.

[paulosthejackal]

History tells us that wheels out makes a better ride, whatever makes the best rides suits me so I would disagree.

[timetrial3141592]

So why do TOGOs (outside wheels) hurt so much?

[viking86]

And why are Intamin woodies with inside wheels so smooth???

 

I think it depends on how the wheel assemblies are designed, and not if the guide wheels are inside or outside the track.

[coasterlover420]

All woodies have inside tracks, so it's just the fact that Intamin has perfected the concept and doesn't use it on steel coasters.

 

^^ I think Togos hurt so much (well, maybe not anymore. Perhaps old ones do) because of the basic design of the track and the trains. I find the ME restraints are pretty close to rock hard, and the track design is based somewhat on the inside rail design. I like most others have no Idea, but this would be my guess.

[FlippyTrick09]

I'm not really sure if this is true or not but I think why some coasters are rough is because there is a slight gap between the wheel and the rail. That would solve alot of the problems, because when it is goin around curves it would shake from side to side (like lots of coasters do) Maybe Im wrong I also think it is the types of wheels they use. I've noticed on some rides that some wheels have some kind of coating on them like an inch thick or two (it might be rubber) that would also solve other problems to, but the world may never (I only got to lick 140 )

[Freefallbestrideever]

^ I think Arrow's and Vekomas do