Typically at the beginning of a roller coaster track there is a closed pulley system. Similar to a bike chain the system continuously runs through the pulleys on each end. There is one pulley at both the top and bottom of the portion of the track that climbs. During this portion the pulley is helping the coaster cars build momentum so the cars can run through the rest of the track. Because of the momentum in the coaster after the pulley systems drop there is a lot of force that needs bracing and brakes in order to stop at the end of the course so there are different versions for stopping the coaster. There are some that are designed or programmed to stop at the end of the course, but there are also ones that have clamps or breaks like on a bike tire.
https://prezi.com/m/cuiw-s7g-we_/the-engineering-behind-roller-coasters/
I thought the systems of simple machines in a roller coaster was a cool concept for simple machines because it’s simple in concept but extremely impactful for the entirety of the ride. Also I love roller coasters.
Nice find, and good explanations in the video and prezi deck.