An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of a fluid mold material (18, 100b) from an injection molding machine to a mold cavity, the apparatus comprising: a manifold receiving the injected fluid mold material, the manifold having a delivery channel (44, 46) that delivers the fluid mold material to a gate (34, 36) to the mold cavity; an actuator interconnected to a valve pin (1041, 1042) having a tip end (1142, 1155), the actuator moving the valve pin continuously upstream along a path of travel (RP, RP2, RP3) between a downstream gate closed position and an intermediate upstream gate open position (COP, COP2, COP3), the downstream gate closed position being a position wherein the tip end (1142, 1155) of the valve pin obstructs the gate (34, 36) to prevent fluid material (18, 100b) from flowing into the mold cavity, the intermediate upstream gate open position (COP, COP2, COP3) being a predetermined position between the downstream gate closed position and a fully open, end of stroke position upstream of the intermediate upstream gate open position (COP, COP2, COP3) at which the fluid mold material flows at a maximum rate through the gate; a controller interconnected to the actuator that controls movement of the actuator at least in part according to instructions that instruct the actuator to move the valve pin (1041, 1042) continuously upstream at one or more selected intermediate velocities over the course of travel (RP, RP2, RP3) of the valve pin from the downstream gate closed position to the intermediate upstream gate open position (COP, COP2, COP3) characterized in that the apparatus further comprises a sensor (951, 952, 132, 100) that generates one or more signals indicative of the position of the valve pin (1041, 1042), the controller carrying out instructions to cause the valve pin to move continuously upstream at the one or more selected intermediate velocities and to adjust upstream velocity of the valve pin based on one or more of the signals generated by the sensor, wherein the instructions cause velocity of the valve pin to be adjusted to a selected higher velocity in response to a signal generated by the sensor having detected and indicating the valve pin has reached the intermediate upstream gate open position and that the controller further controls movement of the actuator continuously upstream from the intermediate upstream gate open position (COP, COP2, COP3) to the fully open, end of stroke position at one or more velocities that are higher than the one or more selected intermediate velocities. a manifold receiving the injected fluid mold material, the manifold having a delivery channel (44, 46) that delivers the fluid mold material to a gate (34, 36) to the mold cavity; an actuator interconnected to a valve pin (1041, 1042) having a tip end (1142, 1155), the actuator moving the valve pin continuously upstream along a path of travel (RP, RP2, RP3) between a downstream gate closed position and an intermediate upstream gate open position (COP, COP2, COP3), the downstream gate closed position being a position wherein the tip end (1142, 1155) of the valve pin obstructs the gate (34, 36) to prevent fluid material (18, 100b) from flowing into the mold cavity, the intermediate upstream gate open position (COP, COP2, COP3) being a predetermined position between the downstream gate closed position and a fully open, end of stroke position upstream of the intermediate upstream gate open position (COP, COP2, COP3) at which the fluid mold material flows at a maximum rate through the gate; a controller interconnected to the actuator that controls movement of the actuator at least in part according to instructions that instruct the actuator to move the valve pin (1041, 1042) continuously upstream at one or more selected intermediate velocities over the course of travel (RP, RP2, RP3) of the valve pin from the downstream gate closed position to the intermediate upstream gate open position (COP, COP2, COP3) characterized in that the apparatus further comprises a sensor (951, 952, 132, 100) that generates one or more signals indicative of the position of the valve pin (1041, 1042), the controller carrying out instructions to cause the valve pin to move continuously upstream at the one or more selected intermediate velocities and to adjust upstream velocity of the valve pin based on one or more of the signals generated by the sensor, wherein the instructions cause velocity of the valve pin to be adjusted to a selected higher velocity in response to a signal generated by the sensor having detected and indicating the valve pin has reached the intermediate upstream gate open position and that the controller further controls movement of the actuator continuously upstream from the intermediate upstream gate open position (COP, COP2, COP3) to the fully open, end of stroke position at one or more velocities that are higher than the one or more selected intermediate velocities.