Another one of my weird concepts.

I just thought of a spring launch. There's this large spring stretching to the end of the launch, and the end of the spring has locks that grip to teh cars. It "rides" on 2 rails that keep it in the track, then, a few "riders" that are also hung on rails grab onto the end of the spring unit, then, powered by a cable, move back to the station and let's the end spring unit lock onto the cars. Then, the "riders" release and the giant spring pushes the train. Tell me some minor problems with this idea and I will explain it.

Who knows, maybe it is better than a hydralic launch. Just kidding.

Sorry, I have all these wierd ideas, such as this pipeline suspended hearlined swinging coaster I mentioned a while ago.

I don't really get what you mean by a spring launch..So just instead of a hydraulic piston pulling/pushing the train the spring will do it?

[Master of Puppets]

That would have to be one hell of a spring...

[Oscar]

might as well tie a million rubber bands together and voila!

[Brtnboarder495]

lol, it could work, if its a powerful spring. Hurry get one of those patents or whatever on the idea. I think its a cool idea, and I dont see why it couldnt work. Of course it would take loads of trial and error, but TTD had to have a prototype built and tested 4 years before it was even constructed so......

I doubt you could apply for a petent for a spring launch like that because most kids toys (ie, airplanes, etc..) have spring launches like that.

Here's a better yet idea: A bungee-launched coaster!!! j/k

That would be kinda sweet tho...low maintainence, just changing bungees every once in a while

^ Thats pretty much what WeeWeeSlap said. A bungee would be no different than a bunch of rubber bands strapped together

yeah, but the rubberbands would probably snap and kill someone...oh well, like you said trial and error.

Originally posted by WeeWeeSlap

[lol] might as well tie a million rubber bands together and voila!

Could NOT have said it better myself.

I mean, the concept would be FUN, but...the baby would start crying, the mama would hold the baby, but then, she'd drop the baby. So the mama would jump off the coaster, make the spring snap, and kill the baby, herself, the coaster and everyone on it.

[Brtnboarder495]

yeah, but the rubberbands would probably snap and kill someone...oh well, like you said trial and error.

Well the idea of a giant spring would not work or would not be realistic. Due to the fact there is no real way to control to speed of the release of the spring and the acceleration. The G forces would also be so intense as you would be shot to a high speed in a split second etc etc

[Brtnboarder495]

uh, the acceleration forces on TTD have got to be 4 or more. watch the video:

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And it would be hard to control the speed, however like TTD there is a brake section right after the catapult, to trim off any extra speed. However it probally wouldnt clear the hill too often.

Well on second thought maybe the acceleration G's would be more like 2.5-3.

umm, the brakes after the catapult are to stop the train if it rolls back. And a spring would be a sudden jolt of acceleration. TTD is a more gradual acceleration.

Actually, if you think about the physics, the launch won't be as sudden as you think. Emergancy brakes incase of a rollback can be mounted by the side. I thought of a complete design. More later.

If you compress a spring you have no way of controlling and it is a sudden acceleration compared to a hydraulic launch.

Yeah, and it gives it more speed. Haha, you'll be having some red faces at the exit.

You might as well strap yourself to a rocket sled.

[Brtnboarder495]

^^[lol]

[coolbeans326]

well, its a good idea, but I'm sure it would take a long time to comress the string, and as FN, there's no way of controlling the launch, or speed, so you could easily pull to many g's. Plust I think they will be switching all new launched rides over to Hydrolic as soon as they get all the bugs out the system. It still seems to break down a lot. Although I'm not sure about that new one at Hershey Park.

think of those "SLingShot" rides, theres one at SixFlags Darien Lake, the springs compress while your loading, then relase and you go like 300ft really fast, it could be done just like that just the cable attached to a coaster car instead of a ball.

yeah but there would have to be alot more springs and theyd have to be alot stronger in order to handle the weight of the trains.

how would a water pressure launched coaster work? You'd get wet and launch off at the same time. Just another idea...

Originally posted by Angry_Gumball

how would a water pressure launched coaster work? You'd get wet and launch off at the same time. Just another idea...

Do you mean using pressurized water inside of a cylinder to move the train? If so, that is the basics of a hydraulic launch.

if it wasnt in a cylinder then i guess it would just be another deadly concept of a way to get a coaster moving.