verticalzero Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 An interview with Werner Stengel who desgined MF, Maverick and 498 other coasters. He is making millions of people scream and screech. Many call him a guru. He is known as the first reference throughout the world for theme park owners when they are planning to have a new rollercoaster ride in their parks. Engineer WERNER STENGEL, who was born in Bochum, is planning and constructing dreams made of steel and wood in his unimposing office in Munich- Forstenried. Up to now Stengel’s engineering company has created more than 500 roller coasters. This implies that almost two-thirds of the big roller coasters on earth had their origin in Werner Stengel’s brains. http://www.freizeitpark-welt.de/index_news.php?id=1484&PHPSESSID=8f5558e584a9e76e4041902f3965f420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killwize Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Am I the only one that feels a little "t"ed about this fact? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fergusonat Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Wow, pretty impressive Maverick was the 500th coaster by Stengel. Quite the milestone! Great read...that dude is a genius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPDave Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 This implies that almost two-thirds of the big roller coasters on earth had their origin in Werner Stengel’s brains. Without his input they probably would have fallen over by now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennyweird Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 So Stengel is the guy that companies like B&M and Intamin AG work with when designing a coaster. Good read, thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolhandluke Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Interesting how his favorite coasters are the widely-acclaimed number 1 coaster and the widely-acclaimed number 1 (over)hyped coaster (w/in the enthusiast world). I feel less guilty of publicly liking Millennium Force now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahecht Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Stengel has primarily worked on coasters for Schwartzkopf, Intamin, Giovanola, B&M, Premiere, and Zierer. It's not surprising that Stengel worked for those companies. Intamin got its start as an international broker for Schwartzkopf, and Zierer's built rides for Anton Schwarzkopf after the Schwarzkopf company went bankrupt. Giovanola did steelwork for Intamin before making their own rides, the founders of B&M worked for both Intamin and Giovanola, and Premiere was founded by a former president of Intamin. It's one big happy incestuous family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ghost Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 That was pretty cool. So he works with all the major steel companies. Did he design any woodies such as the plug n play as some people consider those to be steel coasters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killwize Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Is it just me or did this guy just pop out of thin air? I mean his name JUST got added to the info on most coaster sites just recently. I mean , did everyone just suddenly realize this? It could be a conspiracy! Schwarzkopf net dose not even mention him. Or at least they did not a year ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 It's just you. Werner Stengel has been a widely acclaimed name in the coaster/amusement industry for years now, and for good reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All Clear Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Did he design any woodies such as the plug n play as some people consider those to be steel coasters.If I remember correctly, Stengel Engineering is responsible for the very concept of the the plug-n-play woodie. P.S. I'm the real Robbie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killwize Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 It's just you. Werner Stengel has been a widely acclaimed name in the coaster/amusement industry for years now, and for good reason. Really? It seems to me that his name had just been added to most websites recently. I mean he was just featured on wikipedia's main page and versus other sites. I just can't understand why I had not herd of him in such a manner until this year. I have been a coaster nut for aeons. ...I know for sure that his name was just recently added to most rcdb pages where he is credited. On a related note... How dose one man design so many coasters? I'm so jealous. That would be my dream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterguy618 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 It's just you. Werner Stengel has been a widely acclaimed name in the coaster/amusement industry for years now, and for good reason. Really? It seems to me that his name had just been added to most websites recently. I mean he was just featured on wikipedia's main page and versus other sites. I just can't understand why I had not herd of him in such a manner until this year. I have been a coaster nut for aeons. ...I know for sure that his name was just recently added to most rcdb pages where he is credited. On a related note... How dose one man design so many coasters? I'm so jealous. That would be my dream. No, it's just you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoryPa77 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 He's always been credited as the main designer of Son of Beast which was built in 2000. The first time I really heard his name was 1999 or 2000 - right around when Intamin started designing their own rides, but I know he's obviously been around much longer than that. While he designs rides, I don't think he actually comes up with the layouts. Intamin and B&M layouts are very different (as most people can see). I believe his company does more of the force calculations than the actual design or layouts. He was responsible for the plug and play wooden coasters. After SOB opened he realized that no matter what they tried, large wooden coasters weren't going to work unless they changed construction methods. Another interesting thing is I saw another interview with him years ago that said the design for Revolution originally started out for Kings Island. Kings Island wanted the first looping coaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smells_like_team_disney Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Excellent read, definitely one of the greatest visionary minds in engineering. I have to ask, what exactly is a plug-n-play woodie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killwize Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 It's just you. Werner Stengel has been a widely acclaimed name in the coaster/amusement industry for years now, and for good reason. Really? It seems to me that his name had just been added to most websites recently. I mean he was just featured on wikipedia's main page and versus other sites. I just can't understand why I had not herd of him in such a manner until this year. I have been a coaster nut for aeons. ...I know for sure that his name was just recently added to most rcdb pages where he is credited. On a related note... How dose one man design so many coasters? I'm so jealous. That would be my dream. No, it's just you. Whow, what's with the "A-hole" attitude. Are the people on this board always this snobbish? I'm guessing... "No, it's just you." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterguy618 Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 It's just you. Werner Stengel has been a widely acclaimed name in the coaster/amusement industry for years now, and for good reason. Really? It seems to me that his name had just been added to most websites recently. I mean he was just featured on wikipedia's main page and versus other sites. I just can't understand why I had not herd of him in such a manner until this year. I have been a coaster nut for aeons. ...I know for sure that his name was just recently added to most rcdb pages where he is credited. On a related note... How dose one man design so many coasters? I'm so jealous. That would be my dream. No, it's just you. Whow, what's with the "A-hole" attitude. Are the people on this board always this snobbish? I'm guessing... "No, it's just you." Sorry to go a little off topic but to be honest, last time I checked saying "No, it's just you" isn't really an "A-hole" attitude, or at least I wasn't implying that. Anyway, I praise Stengel for designing monsters like Millennium Force, Maverick and El Toro. Truly the best in the business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killwize Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 He's always been credited as the main designer of Son of Beast which was built in 2000. The first time I really heard his name was 1999 or 2000 - right around when Intamin started designing their own rides, but I know he's obviously been around much longer than that. While he designs rides, I don't think he actually comes up with the layouts. Intamin and B&M layouts are very different (as most people can see). I believe his company does more of the force calculations than the actual design or layouts. He was responsible for the plug and play wooden coasters. After SOB opened he realized that no matter what they tried, large wooden coasters weren't going to work unless they changed construction methods. Another interesting thing is I saw another interview with him years ago that said the design for Revolution originally started out for Kings Island. Kings Island wanted the first looping coaster. Oh okay. I was thinking layout wise. I was gonna say, that pretty much puts him at god status in my book... as far as steel gos. I can understand one person doing the math side of thing, but for simple layout that's quite a lot. ...I like coasters to interact with the terrain personaly, that's why I hate dislike B&M designs. No soul, cookie cutter layouts and elements. ...coasterguy618... it was the tone in your... type. LOL Sorry dude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDG Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 He designed pretty much every single Schwarzkopf layout. He was the first to design a ride with banked curves, which Schwarzkopf called a Bob(sled). He invented the modern, tear-shaped looping. He invented the heartline design as well as other, lesser known design techniques. He invented tons of elements, both inversions as well as strange curve combinations. He calculated the first corkscrew for Arrow. He invented the box track. He invented the premanufactured wooden track. etc. etc. The work of the office may include... - layouts - track calculations - support calculations - statics - dynamics - train calculations ...but that's not the case for every ride they have worked on ! Many projects only got another calculation, with some minor improvements. Or they only did the support-placement for example. For B&M however, they usually did do everything. They even gave B&M the coördinates to manufacture the box track! But as of 2002 (Air was the first non-Stengel B&M) B&M is much more independent. They started copy-pasting existing elements, but in recent years improved a lot. For example Silver Bullet, Black Mamba, Hydra are all pure B&M coasters. Fun fact, for Arrow (or was it Vekoma), they reduced the G-forces of their prototype corkscrew (back in the eighties) from 2.5G to 0.6G !! As Stengel commented "It's like the ride was moved to another planet." They also worked on Rock'n'RollerCoaster and the Paris' Big Thunder Mountain trains. Vekoma however never really worked with Stengel in the design and full-calculation department. As you probably all felt. Some more famous rides where Stengel pretty much did everything: Super 8, Wild Cat, Bobbahn, Jet Star, Marienkäferbahn (the famous 88-like layout beetle coasters), Revolution (SFMM), Shock Wave (SFOT), Looping Star, Zweifach Looping, Dreier Looping, Thriller, Olympia Looping, Mindbender (Edmonton), Euro Star, Wilde Maus (Mack mice), Monte Makaya, Stratosphere High Roller, Mister Freeze, Batman & Robin, Millennium Force, Speed, Top Thrill Dragster, Colossos, Expedition GeForce, El Toro, etc. However, what many people don't know is that doctor Stengel also "worked" on hundreds of other rides: - caroussels (90 types, 600 built, over 50 improved: Bayernkurve, Calypso, Monster, Zeppelin, Wave Swinger, Walzerfahrt, Round-Up, Ski-Lift, Buggy Swing, Twister, Apollo, All-Round, Alpenblitz, Raupe, Enterprise, Hollywood-Star, Katapult, Helios, Musikexpress, Wikingerschiff, Kettenflieger, Shuttle-Boat, Condor, Galaxy, Zugspitzbahn, Polyp, Taumler, Doppel-Tagada, Horse Caroussel, Water Caroussel, Spinne, Moonraker, Magic Carpet, Tokaido, Dschunke, Columbia, Fliegende Untertasse, Canyon Trip, Matterhorn, Joker, Mistral, Doppeldecker, Metroliner, Drachenflug, Super Flip, Super Wellenflier, Krinoline, etc.) - bumper cars (6 types, over 30 built) - ghost trains (14 types built, 2 improved) - ferris wheels (22 types, 33 built, 15 improved) - water rides (8 types, 9 built, 6 improved) - monorails (7 types, 7 built, 7 additional designs) I know for sure that his name was just recently added to most rcdb pages where he is credited. That's véry wrong. In fact, the Stengel bureau is one of the few companies of which pretty much every single ride is in the database. They even provided many lists, statistics, dates, etc. themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killwize Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 "He designed pretty much every single Schwarzkopf layout." How do you know this? "They even provided many lists, statistics, dates, etc. themselves." Was that just in the last 2 years? ...lol, next you'll be telling me he also did the calculation for every RCT coaster made... Maybe he even invented hot dogs... I'm not disputing you here, I'm simply tiring to make the argument that his designs had not been properly credited until recently. ...or... It's a big conspiracy... (You know I don't think his name is even mentioned in the coaster book I have under the Schwarzkopf section. The big blue one that every coaster buff has.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDG Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 How do you know this? Trust me, I know. Was that just in the last 2 years? No. Most of them were added in 2004 I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thom25 Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Killwise, I'm glad you and coasterguy got on the same page regarding his type. With all do respect, I know you've been a coaster fan for "eons", but you're only 23 years old. I don't know where you did your research in your younger years, you probably focused on the pictures instead of the pictures. I know it must be shocking to hear Werner was involved in so many rides, but look at the bright side. Now you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon8899 Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 While watching the recent Helix interview on Youtube found the following clip in the right hand pane: Announcer (A) - Werner Stengel (WS) A: Three minutes of thrill, screaming and speed madness: The roller coaster - one of the major attractions at Oktoberfest. And here is the man who makes people screaming: Werner Stengel, called the "Rollercoaster Guru". The engineer has designed over 500 rollercoaster worldwide. WS: Riding a coaster is an event and daring. A rider will have an experience inside a coaster that he will not have in everyday life. This what makes a ride thrilling. Everday life is likely boring and a coaster ride is never boring. But one thing is certain: Even if I am afraid I will sure and safely return to the station and it was an experience. A: The Wiesn is his empire. All coasters here were desgined by him plus many of the other rides here. At the beginning there was a masterpiece: Germany's first steel rollercoaster. WS: I got myself papers from NASA on what forces Astronauts have to take, I looked at pilots what forces they have to withstand and then said to myself I have to reduce these forces as on a coaster the whole population ages 10-80 rides. And slowly I got there, learned by myself. A: The rollercoaster's origin is believed to be in Russia were manmade snowhills were used to slide down. In the US the gravity driven cars in a mine are also a predecessor. In the mid-19th century the commercial coasters open. Not seldem rides end with broken bones and spin-traumata. Security check on his Olympia-Looping. That no one needs to get hospitalized is also thanks to Werner Stengel. He revolutionized security standards for coasters worldwide. WS: We bent the steel better, the whole ride much smoother. We did the OTSR to keep the rider in the correct position. In the past loops were built circular and no normal person can withstand that, you get injured. The invention was to build the loop like a spiral thus beeing healthy for everyone. A: This first "new Loop" can be found on the coaster "Revolution" in California. No matter on what continent riders board a coaster it is more than likely it was planned by Werner Stengel and his company. All ideas are developed here: At Werner Stengel's engineering office in Munich. Since five years he is retired but is still considered the creative supervisor. Currently coasters are developed here for Asian markets. WS: The coaster must be so interesting that riders will say: "I want to ride it again!". If the return the next year: "There you have to go!". There are rides were costumers after ride say: "Old stuff, not worth it!" Thats also our job: Making coasters attractive. A: And the coasters are still the most popular attractions on the Oktoberfest. But he is still thinking about to increase the thrill and "scream-level" for future coasters. WS: I dream about to design an interactive coaster which is not moving so fast but having laser-guns to shot targets or other trains. Poeple want to have interactive fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCjunkie Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Thanks for sharing this verticalzero, definitely a good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcjp Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Good to know he is still riding coasters, despite his age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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