B&M track size answers

[Shane]

I went and measured the track today. The rails are 6 inches in diameter.
And in between the rails it is 42 inches. *v* Hope this helps who
ever wanted it.
Shane

[Dave Althoff]

Shane (n...@bhy.org) wrote:
: I went and measured the track today. The rails are 6 inches in diameter.

: And in between the rails it is 42 inches. *v* Hope this helps who
: ever wanted it.
: Shane

You mean 42" on center (center of rail to center of rail), or inside edge
to inside edge, which would make it 48" on center?

In any case, it is interesting, given the fact that B&M trains are so
large...the Arrow Corkscrew advertisement reprinted in "The Incredible Scream
Machine" notes that those are 5" pipe rails mounted on 48" centers (I
believe the spine pipe is 8").

I also recall reading someplace that the Summers/Dinn (and presumably the
CCI) track gauge is 42", but I think that is edge to edge.

Interesting. Four foot seems to be a standard for roller coaster track.
I expected that B&M track would be a foot wider at minimum.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
--
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[Shane]

In article <74s9ir$d...@login.freenet.columbus.oh.us>,
dal...@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Dave Althoff) wrote:

> Shane (n...@bhy.org) wrote:
> : I went and measured the track today. The rails are 6 inches in diameter.
> : And in between the rails it is 42 inches. *v* Hope this helps who
> : ever wanted it.
> : Shane
>
> You mean 42" on center (center of rail to center of rail), or inside edge
> to inside edge, which would make it 48" on center?
>
> In any case, it is interesting, given the fact that B&M trains are so
> large...the Arrow Corkscrew advertisement reprinted in "The Incredible Scream
> Machine" notes that those are 5" pipe rails mounted on 48" centers (I
> believe the spine pipe is 8").
>
> I also recall reading someplace that the Summers/Dinn (and presumably the
> CCI) track gauge is 42", but I think that is edge to edge.
>
> Interesting. Four foot seems to be a standard for roller coaster track.
> I expected that B&M track would be a foot wider at minimum.
>
> --Dave Althoff, Jr.

Inside edge to inside edge. When you stand next to them they dont seem
that big. :) The peices I measured were for the lift hill. I remeber
during the approval process of raging bull SF said that it would have a
new kind of anti roll back. But they still have the teeth going up the
hill. Who knows??

[Christian Lucht]

I thought it would be wider than Arrow track too. It sure looks like
it's wider, but it could be an optical illusion caused by the different
style ties they use.

Chris.

Dave Althoff wrote:
>
> You mean 42" on center (center of rail to center of rail), or inside edge
> to inside edge, which would make it 48" on center?
>
> In any case, it is interesting, given the fact that B&M trains are so
> large...the Arrow Corkscrew advertisement reprinted in "The Incredible Scream
> Machine" notes that those are 5" pipe rails mounted on 48" centers (I
> believe the spine pipe is 8").
>
> I also recall reading someplace that the Summers/Dinn (and presumably the
> CCI) track gauge is 42", but I think that is edge to edge.
>
> Interesting. Four foot seems to be a standard for roller coaster track.
> I expected that B&M track would be a foot wider at minimum.
>
> --Dave Althoff, Jr.

> --
> /^\ _ _ _*** Closed for the season ***
> /XXX\ /X\ /X\_ _ /X\__ _ _ _____
> /XXXXX\ /XXX\ _/XXXX\_ /X\ /XXXXX\ /X\ /X\ /XXXXX
> _/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX

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[Dave Althoff]

Shane (n...@bhy.org) wrote:

(in response to my question about measurement method)

: Inside edge to inside edge. When you stand next to them they dont seem

: that big. :) The peices I measured were for the lift hill. I remeber
: during the approval process of raging bull SF said that it would have a
: new kind of anti roll back. But they still have the teeth going up the
: hill. Who knows??

Well, this is just a guess...

...But is there perchance a flat surface next to the sawtooth? I seem to
recall reading a Mack patent some years ago (and I never saw the patent
itself; this was an abstract I found someplace) that described attaching
the safety pawl to an axle connected to the road wheel or to another wheel
running on the track such that when the train moves forward, the safety
pawl is held up away from the sawtooth. But if that wheel should either
stop rotating or rotate backwards, the pawl will fall back down into the
sawtooth and catch. The result is, theoretically, a silent or nearly-silent
anti-rollback mechanism. I suspect that Drachen Fire's anti-rollback
employs something like this. There is no reason for B&M not to use
something like that on Raging Bull. I do know that Raptor has the
second-noisiest lift hill at Cedar Point, after Magnum XL-200, so I can
see why B&M might want to try and come up with something quieter... 8-)

I guess we'll find out in the Spring, eh?

[Thomas Marshall]

I always thought B&M was consderably bigger too... it's probably an
illusion caused by the fact the arrow (corkscrew) trains sit between
the rails, where as the B&M trains extend outwards beoynd the rails
themselves, and "sit" or "hang" above/below the track, rather than
between the rails

>I thought it would be wider than Arrow track too. It sure looks like
>it's wider, but it could be an optical illusion caused by the different
>style ties they use.
>
>Chris.
>
>Dave Althoff wrote:
>>
>> You mean 42" on center (center of rail to center of rail), or inside edge
>> to inside edge, which would make it 48" on center?
>>
>> In any case, it is interesting, given the fact that B&M trains are so
>> large...the Arrow Corkscrew advertisement reprinted in "The Incredible Scream
>> Machine" notes that those are 5" pipe rails mounted on 48" centers (I
>> believe the spine pipe is 8").
>>
>> I also recall reading someplace that the Summers/Dinn (and presumably the
>> CCI) track gauge is 42", but I think that is edge to edge.
>>
>> Interesting. Four foot seems to be a standard for roller coaster track.
>> I expected that B&M track would be a foot wider at minimum.
>>

[Michael A. Graham]

Thanks a bunch!

--
- Michael A. Graham
M.A.G.num Model Coasters [http://members.tripod.com/~magraha]
U of Akron SAE Aero Design [http://www.ecgf.uakron.edu/~plane]

[Shane]

No problem. When you use this information for what ever purpose you do I
would like to know the final outcome.
Thanks
Shane