Nürburgring launched coaster

[Hilltopper39]

It's a shame that this thing may never open, it always seemed like one of the most unique concepts around. Maybe they'll figure it out, it's a pretty expensive lawn ornament.

[SharkTums]

Thanks for the pictures George, didn't realize it had that large of an indoor part.

 

I agree it seems odd to completely give up on the project, you'd think they could do something to salvage it. I suppose though stranger things have happened!

[gisco]

It's a bummer that this may never run. I'm wondering too why they just don't reduce the speed of the launch so that they would at least have a running coaster.

[Kooky]

one real big boomer is, that this one seems to be ready to ride... they often said that the coaster is now save, tested and works fine... but it seem`s that they didn`t get a permission from the public authorities,maybe because it has had so many incidents before.

[deathbydinn]

It's a bummer that this may never run. I'm wondering too why they just don't reduce the speed of the launch so that they would at least have a running coaster.

 

Looking back at older posts in the thread, the early tests had it running at 130km/hr, and then when it was set to open in June of this year, it would run at 160km/hr, and then work its way up to the 217 km/hr in 2012, so they might have been having troubles with it at slower launch speeds as well. I don't know if running it slower than 130 km/hr is possible without it roll-backing though.

[DougMJr]

I would love to see them spend the money to make this coaster "right," but I know sometimes it's just more worthwhile to cut losses and abandon a project. It just seems like a waste because the coaster looks like it is very much integrated with the building, looked like an awesome experience.

[Kooky]

what i want to mention is that this news never said, that the ride will never open.... it just said the mangagement doesn`t count with the ring racer to open at the moment, because of the missing permission. But maybe it will get the permission sometimes and then this ride will be opened.

[O-Town77]

It's a bummer that this may never run. I'm wondering too why they just don't reduce the speed of the launch so that they would at least have a running coaster.

 

Looking back at older posts in the thread, the early tests had it running at 130km/hr, and then when it was set to open in June of this year, it would run at 160km/hr, and then work its way up to the 217 km/hr in 2012, so they might have been having troubles with it at slower launch speeds as well. I don't know if running it slower than 130 km/hr is possible without it roll-backing though.

 

That would be my guess, too.

The lower speed probably wasn't enough to get over some of the hills. Its a shame they don't retrack the elements that don't work instead of completely scrapping it... Maybe they feel that their thunder was stolen by Ferrari World?

[AnonymousReed]

I say they turn off the launch and install a giant rubber band..that would probably cost more though..

[Kooky]

like i said before... they were just not rely on the opening of the coaster next year, because they need the permission...

BUT IT IS NOT OVER...the ring racer is still alive

 

the newest info of a german newspaper from last week http://www.rhein-zeitung.de/regionales_artikel,-Nuerburgring-Chefs-%E2%80%9EWir-koennen-die-Pacht-bezahlen%E2%80%9C-_arid,351739.html#articletop:

Startet Achterbahn doch?

 

Mit der von Pannen begleiteten Achterbahn Ring-Racer, die eigentlich schon im Juli 2009 als die schnellste der Welt an den Start gehen sollte, rechnen die Ring-Betreiber inzwischen nicht mehr. Aber der Geschäftsführer der Nürburgring GmbH, Gerd Weisel, geht weiter fest davon aus. Er rechnet damit, dass die Bahn in der nächsten Saison doch noch mit 180 oder sogar 241 Sachen auf Touren kommt, wenn die Kreisverwaltung Ahrweiler zustimmt, die letzte Feinabstimmung perfekt und das Personal geschult ist. Technisch sieht Weisel die größten Probleme gelöst, wie er unserer Zeitung sagte.

Die Auflagen der Kreisverwaltung Ahrweiler

 

Doch die Kreisverwaltung stellt hohe Auflagen. So soll ein medizinisches Gutachten belegen, dass jeder Besucher das hohe Tempo verträgt. Es ist aber fraglich, ob ein Mediziner dies testiert. Weisel fragt sich, ob nicht auch Warntafeln genügen, die bestimmte Personengruppen zur Frage drängen, ob sie sich den Nervenkitzel zumuten können. Die Kreisverwaltung will jetzt auch noch Nachweise dafür, ob die Rettung auch dann funktioniert, wenn ein Achterbahnschlitten auf dem höchsten Punkt des Loopings stehen bleibt. dpa/us

 

Rough and shortened translation:

Will the Coaster be opened yet?

The CEO of the park hopes that they get the permission from the local authorities for opening the coaster in the next season. He is calculating to run the coaster at least at 180 km/h or maybe even with 241 km/h. The main technical issues seems to be solved and they just need to train the personnel and to do some final configurations.

 

But the Local-Authorities set hard requirements. They asked for a medical approval certificate that every visitor of the coaster has no risk for his health because of the high velocity. That one german doctor will give such a certificate is very questionable. The Parkowner want to put signs there, that will inform the people instead.

And the authorities want a proof that the coaster could be evacuated, even if it came to a stop on highest point of the curve.

 

Never heard that a coaster before had to get certificate for guarantee that the velocitly is harmless... people drive with cars on the street with 241 km/H... never heard that some one just gets hurt because of the speed as long as you didn`t crash into something.

Edited December 20, 2011 by Kooky

[robinschroder]

^ Ha ha! So the RingRacer lives on... The local authorities are maybe being extra careful about the ride given all that has happened. I wonder if it will open some day!

[coasterlover420]

I also don't see how a.)the coaster could stop at the top of the curve and b.)how it could possibly be evacuated from there. I mean if a Top Thrill Dragster scenario ever occurs, just do the same thing...push it.

[Ace Of Spades]

I gotta say, the track probably has a better safety record than the ride at this point, so I see some of the reasoning behind getting this thing checked extensively by authorities before it could ever reopen.

 

Still, I'm hoping it will, it's always a shame to see a (somewhat) good ride go out for the count.

[Kooky]

^^ that is what i was thinking, why they didn´t just push it. i mean if it comes to a complete stop, then it would be the easiest way to let roll it down to the station... But maybe german authorities wouldn`t allow this, because it´s to unsafe for the guy who pushes the train. But on the other side, i think it's really dangerous to evacuate it in this height... they have to stabelize the train and they need to get people out of the train, one by one. But i am really hoping that they will get this coaster finally to work

[coasterlover420]

^Also, it is banked over 90 degrees, and if they evacuate, one person would unbalance the train and it would roll down anyway.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Could the health signs be more related to the G's the coaster pulls from the launch and not the speed? I know these air powered launches really can knock the wind out of you. Dodonpa at Fuji-Q in Japan feels like a truck hits you in the chest when it launches.

[gisco]

I also don't see how a.)the coaster could stop at the top of the curve and b.)how it could possibly be evacuated from there. I mean if a Top Thrill Dragster scenario ever occurs, just do the same thing...push it.

 

What if the train comes apart like Expedition GeForce?

[simon8899]

In retrospect its the general opinion in press and public that it was a very bad idea to hire S&S Power to built the coaster - who at the time had no experience doing launched coasters. Intamin already had the Xcelerator working at the time as is considered to have been the far better choice.

 

Next to that the whole Nürnburgring project is deep in a swamp of bribes, corruption and politics so I think this will never be a success - they should tear it down to finally stop the endless spendings off taxmoney on it and make it a simple racetrack again.

[_koppen]

In retrospect its the general opinion in press and public that it was a very bad idea to hire S&S Power to built the coaster - who at the time had no experience doing launched coasters.

 

You gotta be joking, right?

[simon8899]

Of course you're always smarter after sinking aproject.

 

But this is a pure ongoing waste of taxpayers money and I hope they stop it sooner that later.

[jmicha]

^I'm almost positive he's asking you that because of your claim of them never having done a launched coaster before this one. You may want to check out RCDB and look up S&S's coaster history.

[coasterlover420]

In retrospect its the general opinion in press and public that it was a very bad idea to hire S&S Power to built the coaster - who at the time had no experience doing launched coasters. Intamin already had the Xcelerator working at the time as is considered to have been the far better choice.

I'm pretty sure S&S began with pneumatic launch technology. Coasters and launch towers.

Also, Intamin hydraulic launch coasters are far from reliable.

[coastercrazy 9]

Hypersonic xlc was in 2001, so they had done launches. Whether or not they were good launches, I think I speak for all of us when I say Hypersonic was not the best...

[Jew]

^Dodonpa is ridiculous though.

[coasterfreak101]

Hypersonic itself wasn't the best but that launch was nearly unbeatable.