Why are parks going for the new B&M trains?

[tigerlaw]

Given the recent Kings Island announcement, I was just curious if anyone could explain why a park would want B&M's new hyper-coaster trains which reduce capacity by half - am I missing something here?

 

thanks for the help!

[gk]

I'm missing how you think they reduce capacity by half.

[bdstrom]

I was thinking the very same thing. Not reducing the capacity but why are they choosing this design? I think 4 seat across is better looking than "triangle" design. Also I was wondering why can't they add a seat between 2 seats in the back row of a car.

 

This has been bothering me since Behemoth was introduced.

[cfc]

^From what I understand, the design has to do with giving all riders the best possible views--the rear seats in a car are slightly higher than the front seats (like stadium seating in a movie theatre). I haven't been on any coasters with the new seating arrangement, though.

 

Capacity doesn't appear to be cut in "half"--it looks to be about the same as other B&M hypers and inverteds.

[Yeti762]

From someone who has ridden Behemoth, we LOVED the new seat design!!! While we are normally "front" seat riders, we were able to ride the 2nd seat, and it gave EXACTLY the same experience as the front seat(without the long wait). Even when we hopped in a 3rd/4th seat, the open design was much more enjoyable.

 

It does not reduce capacity by half. According to RCDB, the capacity for Behemoth is 32 riders per train, while Apollo's Chariot is 36 riders per train - a reduction of 4 riders. I think this is a small price to pay for a much better ride experience overall, IMHO.

[olimonn]

Diamondback will have a capacity of 1620 pph which is only 150 pph less than Silver Star, I don't see how capacity gets cut by half?

 

1620pph is still a very good capacity by today's standards. Compare it to Intamins like Fahrenheit (850pph), Maverick (1200pph), Piraten (810pph), Gerstlauers (Mystery Mine 1000pph), Maurer Söhne (G Force 1100, Hollywood rip will reach 1850 pph only by the mean of blockzones of 23 seconds, just a tad more than those of a Wild Mouse's. ).

 

Definitely calling the B&M's new trains low capacity is clearly a misconception, it sure ain't the 3000 pph of Olympia Looping or the 2400+ pph of a Disney Coaster, but is more really needed for parks barely reaching 3million visitor each year? BTW for the moment only Cedar Fair has bought those trains, it will be interesting to see if other parks /corporations buy them...

[Canobie Coaster]

Well the new trains are new and people who have ridden it like them. I personally don't like how they look from off the ride, but while on it I'm sure they give far better views.

[CoasterFanatic]

Fahrenheit (850pph)

 

LOL

 

Maverick (1200pph)

 

LOL

[pianojohn]

I was skeptical at first, but after riding Behemoth, I love the trains. They give you so much more room and the feeling that you are riding alone, especially in the two outside seats.

 

And the crew at Behemoth was SO fast in loading and unloading. I actually think they had higher capacity than Nitro, Apollo's Chariot, or Raging Bull.

 

The trains are longer overall, but I think they are a great design. Now if we could just get one down here at Busch Gardens Africa! (Of course, I would prefer an Intamin hyper, but anything would be great!)

[KDCOASTERFAN]

What's the real difference in the rider's view? Either way you still have the rear seat of the car in front of your car restricting it.

 

I tend to think that one reason B&M have come up with this design is for ease of loading/checking trains,it must be a bit harder to check the middle two seats on the standard B&M hyper or looper train because of having to manuver between the two outside seats.

 

For an example of this just take a look at the flying dutchman trains,the ops have a heck of a time leaning over to check the middle two seats on each row.I would figure though that B&M makes the new trains optional on their rides & leaves it up to the park to decide when the ride is being manufactured.

[mcjaco]

You guys are forgetting the real reason. They're sexy.

[cfc]

^Cue the Barry White music, baby. O-o-o-o-o-oh yea-a-a-a-a-a-h!

[BeemerBoy]

You guys are forgetting the real reason. They're sexy.

 

And we all know, sex sells.

[kraken613]

lol

 

They do look really nice!

[jarmor]

Given the recent Kings Island announcement, I was just curious if anyone could explain why a park would want B&M's new hyper-coaster trains which reduce capacity by half - am I missing something here?

 

thanks for the help!

The best way to get an accurate answer is to experience yourself. I use to wonder why the folks at KI loved the eagles sooo much but then I rode them and realized what the hype was about!

[dragsterfan420]

Given the recent Kings Island announcement, I was just curious if anyone could explain why a park would want B&M's new hyper-coaster trains which reduce capacity by half - am I missing something here?

 

thanks for the help!

The best way to get an accurate answer is to experience yourself. I use to wonder why the folks at KI loved the eagles sooo much but then I rode them and realized what the hype was about!

 

The Eagles were crazy! I've yet to go on another one that you could hit the operators booth with!!

 

Now, about the trains. I think their a very good idea. One it make the train longer/bigger giving it more potential energy 'cause of it's mass which in turn makes you go faster than a normal B&M train, the back seats allow a more personal experience to the ride which I think will be very fun, and like people have said they do look really nice.

[jmicha]

^Not only that, but potential for airtime will be higher in the front and back. The shorter the train, the smaller the range of g-forces are depending on which seat you are in. Now with a longer train, the front and back will experience more airtime than if the ride had the old B&M trains.

[taytig]

What's the real difference in the rider's view? Either way you still have the rear seat of the car in front of your car restricting it.

 

But you have to remember that the seat in front of you is a lot further ahead than a traditional train.

 

I have ridden Behemoth a number of times and I personally really like the new train design. You have a lot of room around you and you can really take in everything as you ride.

 

I found that the middle seats in the front were great, middle seats in the middle of the train still gave a great ride and the outside back seats were great. All in all, a great ride everywhere.

 

I think you`ll see more of these trains as they are new and from what I have heard from people, well received.

 

David

[All Clear]

I think the longer trains look hot.

 

I also think the outer-edge seats were amazing, giving even more of a "flying chair" feeling. I think this is why Behemoth scared the crap out of me for the first several rides.

[Rollerman87]

Maybe we'll get on of those for 2011 at SFMM (You know, to catch up on the coaster race). But, then again, will Six Flags purchase them?

 

As for the new trains, I like the design. I haven't ridden them, but they look nice, plus, it shows that B&M isn't stuck in a phase of complacency. They're still trying to enhance the experience and are doing that by working with train design (much like Intamin and Vekoma are doing). I hope more designs like this surface!

[ebl]

The seating arrangement on these new B&M trains is similar to that of the trains on the Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang (aka Deja Vu here in the U.S.).

 

Are the stations set up with 16 rows, or eight?

 

Eric

[All Clear]

16.

[Cyber.Fiber]

The station is set up in rows of 16. The rows are the exact same width across as every other row on any given ride.

 

I really enjoy the new trains. The outside back seats are insane. You pretty much get whipped over the first hill and are thrown into the clamshell until you reach the bottom of the hill.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

Maybe we'll get on of those for 2011 at SFMM (You know, to catch up on the coaster race). But, then again, will Six Flags purchase them?

 

As for the new trains, I like the design. I haven't ridden them, but they look nice, plus, it shows that B&M isn't stuck in a phase of complacency. They're still trying to enhance the experience and are doing that by working with train design (much like Intamin and Vekoma are doing). I hope more designs like this surface!

 

I wouldn't count on seeing these on Goliath seeing as how it was a G-tech design & the days of the "coaster wars" with SFMM recieving a coaster every other year are over.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

On the contrary, Magic Mountain can still add a B&M hyper, not solely on the bases of a coaster capital race. From bothe a marketing and enthusiast standpoint, it would still create a completely different ride experience than that of Goliath. IMHO Goliath emphasizes G-force while B&M's tend to emphasize airtime.

 

I tink the new trains are cool LOOKING, but I can't say that they're any better than the old ones because I have not yet ridden them. It is nice though to see that the engineers are still trying to find ways to perfect perfection in a sense.