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Kärnan: how does it work?

ThatAlexGuy

TS Member
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Nemesis
Panda and I were on Kärnan today and we've been trying to figure out how the lift hill worked.

My guess is that the chain lift takes you up and once at the top there's a lock that holds you while the chain retracts so you can drop. Then at the bottom the chain moves back into place to take you up to the top. If that makes sense?

Does anyone know how it actually works?
 
Panda and I were on Kärnan today and we've been trying to figure out how the lift hill worked.

My guess is that the chain lift takes you up and once at the top there's a lock that holds you while the chain retracts so you can drop. Then at the bottom the chain moves back into place to take you up to the top. If that makes sense?

Does anyone know how it actually works?
Jammy posted this diagram on Coastercrazy.com of how he thinks the drop works (expand quote box to show image):

Here is a quick mock-up of what I mean.

In image 1, the shorter chain-dog pushes the train up the lift. In image 2, when the chain trough indents inwards, the shorter chain-dog is too short to keep contact with the train and so train freefalls backwards. In image 3, after train is slowed by magnetic fins, a taller chain-dog further down the chain in position engages the train and pushes the train back up. In image 4, as the chain-dog is taller, it remains contact even when in the indented section, continuing to push the train up and over.

Obviously this is all speculation and is all based on how Gerstlauer make lift hills normally with the presence of chain-dogs located on the chain themselves to 'push' trains up. This may be a completely new design for Karnan but this is simply my thoughts.
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Clear, concise and well made explanation there! Indeed it might not be the way but it does seem very believable given their approach to lifts in general.

Yet to visit but always been intrigued!
 
I've never rode the Karnan, but I'm guessing that the lift hill using the same technology as the second lift hill used in the boomerang rollercoaster ride to raise the train further just before it releases the train backwards. I also imagine that there will be magnetic breaking system just like the ones they use in a drop tower which will be situated at the bottom of the lift hill to stop the train from falling all the way back into the station.
 
The only issue I see with Jammy's design is that if the larger chain-dog somehow ended up above the magnetic breaks or too far below (allowing the train to pick up speed again) it would shear off in a devastating way. There could however be a number of failsafe's to prevent such an event.
 
I think it's a bit simpler than Jammy's idea?

My idea is probably more something like:
  1. Train gets pushed up to point A, where a set of pinch brakes hold the train
  2. Chain rolls back to near the base of the lift
  3. Train is released from point A pinch brakes
  4. Train falls down to another set of pinch brakes at point B
  5. Train is held while chain moves back into position
  6. Pinch brakes release and Train pushed all the way to the top of the lift
 
1) Catch car attaches to front of train. Cable pulls train to top.
2) Goblin living at top of tower pops out and gnaws through cable.
3) Profit.
 
I'd always assumed there's a clutch between the motor and chain that disengages to allow the chain to move freely with the car still attached, in a similar design to Oblivion's drop chain.
 
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