Water in track...

[Antinos]

Last time I was at Cedar Point, I noticed that Mantis was missing a trim brake on the first drop. I started thinking and concluded that there must be holes where the brake was attached to the track. This made me wonder what the effects would be if water ended up inside a track segment. Would the noise be different? Would it affect the quality or the life of the track segment?

 

[IHeartArrow]

The openings for the mechanics are solid cylinders with no access to the inside of the spine.

Notice how it's not entirely hollow, just a cylinder.

 

[Antinos]

Alright. Well that still doesn't answer my question. Plus there would have to be a connection to the track. The brake can't just float there.

Once again, how would water affect a track segment if the water somehow got inside the segment?

 

[Gazza]

be a connection to the track. The brake can't just float there.

Why does the connection have to pierce the track spine though? Couldn't there be an angle bracket welded to the spine, with the brake then bolted to the hole in the bracket.....
Or any other of the large number of methods out there that would avoid piercing the track.

I think you've sort of answered your own question...Water inside the track is likely to cause corrosion, hence IHeartArrow's picture, where they go to the effort of making sure the spine is sealed.

 

[Antinos]

That's more like it. Thank you, and yes, angle brackets would work. I didn't think of that.