Brake Run

The brake run is the section of track following the main ride circuit where the train decelerates from full ride speed to a safe station-approach speed. Modern brake runs use eddy-current (magnetic) brakes — rows of permanent magnetic fins that interact with metal fins on the train's underside, generating resistance through electromagnetic induction with no physical contact, no friction, and no wear. Older coasters used pneumatic caliper brakes that squeezed the track directly.

A mid-course brake run (MCBR) placed partway through the layout functions as a block section for multi-train operation: if the station is occupied, the train holds at the MCBR until it clears. The final brake run before the station can deliberately use lighter braking to preserve speed for a more dynamic station entry — an approach that also gets the train into the station faster and improves overall throughput.