Apart from screaming guests left right and centre, the sounds experienced within a theme
park are often dominated by one type of ride.
Whether it’s the clank of the visitors climbing up to a great height, or the roar of a train
as it navigates the track, roller coasters are known for being loud.
Interestingly, each attraction has a different characteristic sound depending on the twists,
launches or lift hills the ride has.
Therefore, in this video, we’ll explore the various sounds you might hear from a roller
coaster, including how the noise is made and why it actually occurs.
Ultimately the screams of guests on rides dominate the airwaves throughout a park.
Somehow the sound of riders shouting manages to travel across the vast expanses of the
midway, to your ears, giving a good indication of the scariest and most thrilling rides on
park.
You’ll find that when the screams of guests aren’t there, roller coasters and the theme
park as a whole seem eerily quiet.
But when considering roller coasters specifically, one sound often stands out against the rest
- the roar of the train.
The sound a car makes as it winds through the course actually differs heavily from attraction
to attraction.
This all has to do with the design of the track itself.
Like many things, roller coasters are created and constructed by a range of companies, each
of which have a unique style.
This causes different coasters to have distinct track designs.
For example, the roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger and Mabillard are famous for their
box-shaped track, which features two individual rails, joined by cross ties to a thick rectangular spine.
The box itself is hollow, allowing for vibrations caused by the train navigating the circuit
to bounce inside of it's walls.
This causes a specific sound to be made, unique to this style of track.
Other companies, such as Intamin, MACK Rides and Gerstlauer utilise track characterised
by a triangular lattice.
Within this design, the two rails are connected via angled cross ties to a circular spine.
As a result, this shape causes a different roar to occur as the trains complete the circuit.
Furthermore, the exact shape and length of each track section will change how the roller
coaster sounds drastically, resulting in two similar track designs creating a different
noise altogether.
Apart from varying track styles, roller coasters can be constructed out of different materials altogether.
The wooden roller coaster predates it’s more modern steel counterpart by many decades,
but can still be found in abundance today.
Naturally, the sound it produces differs heavily to the roar of a steel ride.
As wood isn’t as strong as steel, wooden roller coasters require a large mesh of wooden
grids to support the track.
This expansive structure acts as a resonator, allowing vibrations caused by the train to
travel through a larger surface area.
As a result, the sound is amplified.
The actual noise itself is very distinct too.
As the train hurtles around the track a shaking noise, almost like a rattle,
can be hear due to the wheels bouncing between the walls of the track.
Quite often however, theme parks are required to ensure their rides aren’t too loud so
they don’t disturb neighbouring areas.
To reduce the noise generated by roller coasters, companies will often fill the steel rails
with sand which absorb the vibrations created by the train, dampening the roar it makes.
On wooden roller coasters, tunnels are often used to encase and trap the rattle of the
train, while sound-proof foam can also be placed beneath the track, helping to absorb
the remaining noise.
Aside from what you might hear surrounding a roller coaster, there are many sounds that
can be heard onride too.
A very common and almost universal sound when discussing these rides is the sound of the lift hill,
the extremely recognisable almost clicking noise as you climb to the attractions highest point.
Interestingly enough, the clicking sound signifies that a safety feature is working correctly.
Next to the moving chain can be found a column of metal teeth, known as the anti-rollback device.
As the individual cars ascend the hill, a piece of metal which protrudes from underneath
each car, moves up and over the teeth.
This movement is what causes the iconic “clicking” sound.
If the chain were to stop moving forwards, the trains would roll back onto the flat side
of the teeth, causing guests to come to a complete stop.
Not all roller coasters use this specific feature, so don’t panic if you can’t hear
the clicking noise on your next ride.
On top of this, not all roller coasters feature your classic lift hill.
Many modern day rides now utilise thrilling launches which propel riders along the track
at high speeds.
Naturally, various roller coaster manufacturers employ different methods of launching the
trains, each of which produce a unique sound.
For example, Intamin pioneered the hydraulic launch system, which uses a hydraulic motor
to accelerate guests.
Prior to launching, a metal catch-car attaches to the underside of the train.
This, in turn, is connected via a cable to a large which drum.
Once launched, the drum winds the cable in, causing the train to be pulled along the launch
straight.
Because of this system, you’ll often hear a whirring noise
as the long cable propels the train forwards.
Other roller coaster manufacturers have opted to use magnets to launch the trains of their
rides.
For example, LSMs, Linear Synchronous Motors, are commonplace on many newer attractions.
These combine magnets on both the track and trains to accelerate guests.
By adjusting the current travelling through the electromagnets on the track, different
permanent magnets on the train can simultaneously be both attracted and repelled.
This causes some parts of the train to be pulled towards the end of the launch, and
other parts to be pushed away from the start.
As a result, guests are sent hurtling down the track at an ever increasing speed.
As this occurs a high pitched magnetic humm can be heard,
generated from the interactions between the combination of magnets.
On some attractions, this is often accompanied by a rumbling roar
as the train flies through the launch.
No matter the roller coaster, brakes can always be found at the end of the ride.
As guests enter the brake run they slow down to a halt, marking the end of their experience.
Often fin brakes, known as friction brakes, are used to achieve this.
As the trains hurtle through the brakes a distinguishable clank can be heard, followed
by a slow almost rubbing noise.
This occurs as a fin below the train is gripped by the brake, which is essentially a clamp,
causing it to slow down.
The initial clank signals the fin entering the individual brake, while the rubbing noise
occurs due to the contact between the two elements.
All of these are just some of the sounds you’ll hear produced by roller coasters.
Next time you visit a theme park, take notice of the various noises produced by these thrilling
rides, from the clicking of the lift hill, to the hum of magnetic brakes.
Be sure to state what roller coaster you think sounds the best in the comments down below.
Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you all next time.
Sound can also be used to influence and improve our theme park experiences.
Ride or themed area soundtracks help to create a sense of immersion, pulling us out of reality.
To learn more about how this type of music is made and how it affects us,
check out our video titled “The Creation of Theme Park Audio”.