Hydraulic and pneumatic launches
Catch cars, cables, and pressure vessels — mechanical launches with a signature kick.
Hydraulic launches press fluid to move a catch car attached to the train. Release the catch car and the train surges forward until the connection detaches at target speed.
Pneumatic systems use compressed air similarly — quick, loud, and maintenance-sensitive.
These launches excel at high peak acceleration in a short track length. They are less about sustained pushing like LSM.
When a hydraulic launch feels “weaker” than you remember, weather, tuning, or train load (weight) may be factors — not just hype fading.