If you’ve ever ridden a roller coaster and felt the train suddenly slow down in the middle of the ride, you may have experienced trim brakes. But why are they there, and are they actually necessary?
What Are Trim Brakes?
Trim brakes are a safety mechanism designed to slow down or stop a roller coaster train.
When a coaster is moving particularly quickly, trim brakes can slow the train down as it travels through the course. This can help make the ride smoother and, importantly, provides an additional safety precaution if there is another train farther ahead on the track.
In other words, trim brakes aren't necessarily there because something has gone wrong. They're part of the way a roller coaster is designed and operated.
Think of them as a way for the ride to control the train's speed at a specific point on the track.
Why Does The Voyage Have Trim Brakes?
That brings us to one of the most interesting examples: The Voyage roller coaster at Holiday World.
During the park's annual event Hollywood Nights, as well as other events throughout the year, coaster enthusiasts have the opportunity to ride The Voyage without its trim brakes operating on the mid-course brake run. That means instead of the train slowing down at that point, it continues through the course at full speed.
And if you've ridden The Voyage, you know that this is already an extremely aggressive and fast roller coaster.
Without the trim brakes, the train simply keeps flying through the course, which is EXACTLY why coaster enthusiasts get so excited about the experience.
Is Riding Without Trim Brakes Safe?
Naturally, that raises a pretty important question: Is The Voyage safe without the trim brakes?
Simply stated, yes.
At Holiday World, the trim brakes are used not only for safety and operational purposes, but also to help preserve the roller coaster.
The Voyage used to operate with three trains. The trim brakes helped make it possible to operate with more capacity by controlling the trains within the ride's block zones.
But after the third train was removed, the trim brakes weren't needed in the same way for those block zones.
So why keep using them?
Because The Voyage is such an aggressive and fast ride, slowing the train down can help reduce the wear on the second half of the coaster.
Trim Brakes Can Help Preserve a Roller Coaster
This is one of my favorite things about learning how roller coasters work: sometimes something that feels like it's taking away from the ride experience is actually helping keep the ride around for the long term.
In the case of The Voyage, the trim brakes help slow the train down before it continues through the latter part of the course.
That helps with preserving the roller coaster, so the track doesn't have to be retracked or rebuilt every single season.
And when the trim brakes are turned off, riders get to experience The Voyage in a way that's different from its normal operation.
For coaster enthusiasts, that's a pretty special opportunity.
Why Do Coaster Fans Love Riding Without Trim Brakes?
There's something uniquely exciting about experiencing a roller coaster at full speed.
A trim brake changes the way a train moves through a ride. When the trim isn't operating, the train can maintain more of its speed as it continues through the course.
On The Voyage, that means riders get to experience the coaster flying through the second half without that mid-course slowdown.
It's a perfect example of why coaster enthusiasts pay attention to details that casual riders might not even notice.
The next time you're on a roller coaster and suddenly feel the train slow down, you might find yourself thinking: Was that a trim brake?
And now you'll know what you're feeling!
Would YOU Ride The Voyage Trimless?
For coaster enthusiasts, getting the opportunity to experience a major wooden roller coaster like The Voyage at full speed - particularly at night - is a pretty unique experience.
And if you've ever wondered about another roller coaster term or piece of coaster technology, let me know. Those are exactly the kinds of questions I love answering through Coaster FUNdamentals.
Watch the full Coaster FUNdamentals reel featuring Airtime Myke from El Toro Ryan and learn about trim brakes straight from a coaster enthusiast who knows his stuff!
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Because there's always more to learn when you look beyond the ride!