can someone explain to me how the claw starts? i'm not too famillar with rides, and the fences for this look real close. does the gondola rise up the central shaft? does the central "shaft" move up or is there plenty of room for it to just swing freely?

The floor tilts downward, similar in concept to that on Lethal Weapon. You can see in the final picture on this gallery page the floor in the lowered positon and how it allows room for riders' feet.

ok i see now. thanks for that - i'm kinda new to this sort of thing. i love rides, (spewing i missed going to wonderland last year when i was in sydney) and i'm really keen to expand my knowlege

If you are kken to expand your knowledge on all sorts of amusment ride related things, you cant go past www.coasterforce.com it has heaps of info and it is pitched at coaster newbies.

Although I still reckon their info is still interesting anyway, I liked the old layout better...