Why did Universal decide to go with B&M to build the hulk?

It still amazes me to this day that it will be 16 years between launched B&M coasters (1999 to 2015)! I don't know if Thunderbird will start a trend or not, but I'm excited to see what happens. Hulk is an amazing coaster, in my opinion, and it surprises me that parks didn't see its success in the early 2000s and seek to replicate it somewhere along the line.

Well, I don't think B&M was advertising launch coasters until this year but would do them if you requested one and found another company to do the launch.

Halon, that is a real aerial image from am unknown source. Might be Flyin Phil but I can't be sure.

It's really cool looking!

Hulk to this day is still one of the most striking coasters to look at, aside from the launch it just has a unique look to it that none of the other B&Ms have.

It's very loud too! But the it has a very original and awesome layout! My favorite ride at universal by far!

^ Please stop multi-posting so many times in the same thread! You can quote multiple people in one post!

Thank you.

Here are the pics of the blueprints I've got for those interested! I actually obtained them from a forum member here on TPR who was opting to sell them way back in 2007 so I've had them in my possession for about 7 or so years now. Enjoy!

Hulk Coaster Blueprints

Hulk Coaster Information Block in the bottom corner of the blueprint.

Dueling Dragons Blueprint

Dueling Dragons info block in the bottom corner of the sheet

Full color blueprints of IOA in its entirety

Full color blueprints depicting Port of Entry, Marvel Island, and Seuss Landing

Full color blueprints depicting Toon Lagoon and Jurassic Park

Full Color Blueprint depicting The Lost Continent. Note Dueling Dragons massive outdoor queue section before Flying Unicorn was installed.

^ Please stop multi-posting so many times in the same thread! You can quote multiple people in one post!

 

Thank you.

Sorry. I just joined recently and I'm using my phone and not sure how to reply to someone without doing that.

I still wondered if B&M designed the piece of track the pitch wheels sit on of if that had to be done by another company as well.

I don't know about that. But now that you mentioned the drive tire launch I remembered (even though it might be a coincidence) it was just after that that B&M started using pairs of drive tires from their rides in a horizontal position instead of the vertical ones that intamin (for example) still uses. Not that it's very important, more of a curiosity.

I still wondered if B&M designed the piece of track the pitch wheels sit on of if that had to be done by another company as well.

I don't know about that. But now that you mentioned the drive tire launch I remembered (even though it might be a coincidence) it was just after that that B&M started using pairs of drive tires from their rides in a horizontal position instead of the vertical ones that intamin (for example) still uses. Not that it's very important, more of a curiosity.

The drive tires are from another company. I remember someone saying that should that company ever go out of business, The Hulk would be in trouble...but since they buy the tires so frequently, theyre keeping them in steady business and its a moot point.

But just, why did they go with B&M to build it if they can't do launch coasters? Why couldn't they have gone with another company like Intamin or Premier Rides that can do launches, rather than have the hassle of finding another company to do the launch? Wouldn't that have made things easier?

This may not be a widely known fact, but both Premier and Intamin buy their launch mechanics from Intrasys to this day. In fact, B&M's Thunderbird is being launched using Intrasys technology: http://www.intrasys-gmbh.com/

 

So like B&M, Intamin and Premier also had to find another company to do their launch systems.

 

Most people assume that when a park buys a ride from someone like Intamin, B&M, Premier, etc, that the company does EVERYTHING on the ride, which is not the case. To simplify things, the ride manufacturers design and produce the ride, but many components come from several different vendors. There could be as many as 100 different vendors involved with supplying parts to a ride or a ride project, and it's the responsibility of a company like Intamin, B&M, and Premier to manage that process and make it all come together.

 

Sometimes they work closely with the project managers at the park, sometimes they do it turn key. While a lot of companies DO manufacture their own track, trains, parts, etc, it's most certainly a misconception that ride companies do *everything* themselves, like designing or building launch systems.

 

I think the answer to the question (this is my assumption) is that at the time, B&M was a much smaller company, already had a great reputation and product line-up WITHOUT having to add an additional vendor and project management to do a launch into their plans, so if a park wanted to do a launched coaster with them, the park would have to contract with that vendor themselves. IMO, there isn't any reason why a B&M couldn't be launched all these years, but maybe it just was that no other park wanted to take on the additional work of having to project manage the launch system, and it wasn't until recently that became an option that B&M offered in order to expand their product line?

 

--Robb "I hope I've explained that somewhat correctly!" Alvey

Wow that's very cool to know about Intradys, thanks for the info

I still wondered if B&M designed the piece of track the pitch wheels sit on of if that had to be done by another company as well.

I don't know about that. But now that you mentioned the drive tire launch I remembered (even though it might be a coincidence) it was just after that that B&M started using pairs of drive tires from their rides in a horizontal position instead of the vertical ones that intamin (for example) still uses. Not that it's very important, more of a curiosity.

 

The drive tires are from another company. I remember someone saying that should that company ever go out of business, The Hulk would be in trouble...but since they buy the tires so frequently, theyre keeping them in steady business and its a moot point.

But just, why did they go with B&M to build it if they can't do launch coasters? Why couldn't they have gone with another company like Intamin or Premier Rides that can do launches, rather than have the hassle of finding another company to do the launch? Wouldn't that have made things easier?

This may not be a widely known fact, but both Premier and Intamin buy their launch mechanics from Intrasys to this day. In fact, B&M's Thunderbird is being launched using Intrasys technology: http://www.intrasys-gmbh.com/

 

So like B&M, Intamin and Premier also had to find another company to do their launch systems.

 

Most people assume that when a park buys a ride from someone like Intamin, B&M, Premier, etc, that the company does EVERYTHING on the ride, which is not the case. To simplify things, the ride manufacturers design and produce the ride, but many components come from several different vendors. There could be as many as 100 different vendors involved with supplying parts to a ride or a ride project, and it's the responsibility of a company like Intamin, B&M, and Premier to manage that process and make it all come together.

 

Sometimes they work closely with the project managers at the park, sometimes they do it turn key. While a lot of companies DO manufacture their own track, trains, parts, etc, it's most certainly a misconception that ride companies do *everything* themselves, like designing or building launch systems.

 

I think the answer to the question (this is my assumption) is that at the time, B&M was a much smaller company, already had a great reputation and product line-up WITHOUT having to add an additional vendor and project management to do a launch into their plans, so if a park wanted to do a launched coaster with them, the park would have to contract with that vendor themselves. IMO, there isn't any reason why a B&M couldn't be launched all these years, but maybe it just was that no other park wanted to take on the additional work of having to project manage the launch system, and it wasn't until recently that became an option that B&M offered in order to expand their product line?

 

--Robb "I hope I've explained that somewhat correctly!" Alvey

Wow that's very cool to know about Intradys, thanks for the info

^ Exactly. I only mentioned those three companies since those were the ones brought up in this thread. But pretty much anyone that launches a coaster using LIMs or LSMs buys the system from them. It was proven technology (at least after Intamin and Premier helped them prototype it for roller coasters) and now it's pretty much the industry standard.

My point was that I think most people thought all those companies were responsible for their own launch system, but really they all buy it from the same company!

^ That's very True, everyone pretty much owes Intamin, Premier, and InTraSys a debt of gratitude. Manufacturers pretty much wrangle up a group of suppliers to make a project happen.

^^I assumed that coaster companies didn't do the launches exactly themselves but I didn't know they all came from the same place. It's interesting to know that as several of those launches make different noises.

I would literally give my first born for those blueprints....

PS...I dont have children. lol