well I can explain how the brake fins work, but I think I'll have to leave the Hydraulic luanch system to someone else
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On the bottom of the trains are some magnets and when the train is going along a regular piece of track without the copper alloy fins on, there is nothing affecting the magnetic field of that magnet, but when the copper alloy fins are raised, they interfere with the magnetic field and slow the train down .... or something like that [:)]
I know sort of how the Launch system works, but I don't think I'll risk the embarresment