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Originally Posted by Flash Walken
Can someone explain to me what purpose the gate serves when the run is not in use?
Why would it be deployed at all?
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Originally Posted by Nage Waza
Good answer, but it really does not explain the reason why someone would put what is essentially a wall in the middle of the track. Couldn't this be done in a way that could prevent serious injury? Not that I know much about this, but do they still make them this way, or have they abandoned this obviously terrible design?
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Thing is, it's not a terrible design. It is, in fact, a very clever design that saved a not-insignificant amount of money during it's construction. The reasons that the switch are there and why it's the way it is have been explained many times. The switch is built how it is because the switch becomes a wall of the track going the other way, and has to be sturdy enough to have bobsleds bounce off of it. It has to be there (the option was explored to not have it there) because luge sleds could get turned around in the gap, which was considered too dangerous.
I went back through this thread today to do some looking at some of the previous explanations.
There's a really good picture of the switch in action in post 101
A graphic that I believe COP made to explain how the switch works:
A graphic overhead of the gate length/in action:
Finally, a quote from the Winsport investigation (post #461) about the size of the gate:
"This barrier/gate is approximately two feet in height and 60 feet in length, with a thick metal chain and come-along bar holding the structure in place."
I also recall hearing it weighs in around 1 or 2 tons, so isn't exactly an easy move, or something easily removed from the track (which was suggested by some earlier as well)