Brake (roller coaster)

A brake on a roller coaster is a device used to slow or stop a train. There are various types of braking methods employed on roller coasters, including friction or fin brakes, skid brakes, magnetic brakes, brakemen, and, uncommonly, anti-rollback devices. Some companies use drive tires to brake a train. The most common is the friction brake, which utilizes a series of hydraulic-powered clamps that close and squeeze metal fins attached to the underside of a train. Roller coasters may incorporate multiple brake runs (sections of tracks with brakes) throughout their layouts to adjust a train's speed or bring it to a halt at any given time.

The different types of brake runs are classified into two main categories: trim brakes and block brakes. A trim brake refers to a braking section that can only slow a train, while a block brake has the ability to stop a train completely in addition to slowing it down. Block brakes are important to roller coasters that operate more than one train simultaneously, as in the event that one train stalls on a portion of the track, any trains traversing portions of the track behind this section can be stopped in a block brake. While all modern roller coasters have at least one computer-controlled brake run, older coasters such as The Great Scenic Railway at Luna Park Melbourne may have brakes onboard the train and rely on a brakeman to apply them as needed.