Weird Coaster Facts

[cfc]

^Back in the good ol' days before CGI--always preferred physical effects.

[alejon]

The country with most coasters per capita is Denmark, where there is one coaster for every 148 000 inhabitant.

(Statistics from rcdb and wikipedia)

[thrillseeker4552]

Manta at SWO is the only flying coaster with a mid-course-brake-run.

[rcjp]

By the way, does anyone happen to know why alpengeist's trains have an extra set of wheels in the front with no actual car? I've been thinking about that for a while but I don't know why.

[IronWolfman]

Silverwood's Timber Terror was originally called "Grizzly" but to prevent conflict with Paramount, the ride was renamed.

[Comeagain?]

By the way, does anyone happen to know why alpengeist's trains have an extra set of wheels in the front with no actual car? I've been thinking about that for a while but I don't know why.

 

Because each row of seats only has one "set" of wheels. Each row is supported by its own wheels and the row in front of it. Because there is no row in front of the first row (duh...) there needs to be something to keep the first car level with the track..

[thrillseeker4552]

Actually, there is a special connection between the first and second cars that prevents the front car from "falling" forward. That is how every other Invert does it.

 

I believe Busch added an extra "zero" car on Alpengeist for theming purposes I guess. I believe it is the only invert with one.

[_IntaMAN_]

Manta at SWO is the only flying coaster with a mid-course-brake-run.

 

Isn't the brake run after Tatsu's helix that leads into the ending *technically* the MCBR for it? I heard that it's just used as block before entering the station though... Just asking!

[rcjp]

^^^What? Then how would you explain that every single other B&M invert has no such thing?

It could be for an aesthetic reason (probably like Manta at Seaworld) but this one doesn't seem to be the case.

Actually, there is a special connection between the first and second cars that prevents the front car from "falling" forward. That is how every other Invert does it.

 

I believe Busch added an extra "zero" car on Alpengeist for theming purposes I guess. I believe it is the only invert with one.

That does make more sense but still it doesn't do that much for theming does it?

[thrillseeker4552]

^ No, it doesn't do much for theming, but who knows. Maybe they wanted 9 cars at one point, but scrapped the idea and left the zero car?

[KingRCT3]

I heard it was a matter of forces (too strong forces in the first row) but I'm no sure.

 

Actually, there is a special connection between the first and second cars that prevents the front car from "falling" forward. That is how every other Invert does it.

That's how nearly all coaster trains work. That "special connection" is in the front on B&M, Intamin and most of them, and at the back on Arrow/Vekoma.

[thrillseeker4552]

Manta at SWO is the only flying coaster with a mid-course-brake-run.

 

Isn't the brake run after Tatsu's helix that leads into the ending *technically* the MCBR for it? I heard that it's just used as block before entering the station though... Just asking!

 

It's a brake run, but not mid-course, so I don't consider it one. Same goes for Leviathan.

[thrillseeker4552]

I heard it was a matter of forces (too strong forces in the first row) but I'm no sure.

 

Actually, there is a special connection between the first and second cars that prevents the front car from "falling" forward. That is how every other Invert does it.

That's how nearly all coaster trains work. That "special connection" is in the front on B&M, Intamin and most of them, and at the back on Arrow/Vekoma.

 

Yes, but remember that a lot of sit-down coasters have a lead car, like B&M's Sitting, Hyper, and Stand-Ups, as well as a lot of Intamin Hypers, LSMs, and Looping coasters, with the exception of the Floorless and Dive coasters, in which I assume they use that "special connection".

[Comeagain?]

Actually, there is a special connection between the first and second cars that prevents the front car from "falling" forward. That is how every other Invert does it.

 

I believe Busch added an extra "zero" car on Alpengeist for theming purposes I guess. I believe it is the only invert with one.

 

But that would mean that the first and second car would remain at the same angle relative to each other. But from the pictures they don't.

[thrillseeker4552]

Actually, there is a special connection between the first and second cars that prevents the front car from "falling" forward. That is how every other Invert does it.

 

I believe Busch added an extra "zero" car on Alpengeist for theming purposes I guess. I believe it is the only invert with one.

 

But that would mean that the first and second car would remain at the same angle relative to each other. But from the pictures they don't.

 

If you look carefully, the area between the first and second cars don't have as much flexibility as between the rest of the cars. They can still bend a little, but not as much as the others.

 

With the exception of Alpengeist, in which the zero car acts as the "special connection" with limited movement.

[KingRCT3]

But that would mean that the first and second car would remain at the same angle relative to each other. But from the pictures they don't.

 

Check again, it's pretty clear from this picture:

 

 

Yes, but remember that a lot of sit-down coasters have a lead car, like B&M's Sitting, Hyper, and Stand-Ups, as well as a lot of Intamin Hypers, LSMs, and Looping coasters, with the exception of the Floorless and Dive coasters, in which I assume they use that "special connection".

 

A "special connection" (which is basically a pivot) or a lead car is basically the same thing, except one has a row on it and the other doesn't.

[Comeagain?]

But that would mean that the first and second car would remain at the same angle relative to each other. But from the pictures they don't.

 

Check again, it's pretty clear from this picture:

 

 

On that coaster. Not in this picture though.

[thrillseeker4552]

^ Yes, because, as said before, Alpengeist has a zero car, so the limited pivot point is not between the first and second cars, it is between the zero car and the front car.

[Comeagain?]

^ Yes, because, as said before, Alpengeist has a zero car, so the limited pivot point is not between the first and second cars, it is between the zero car and the front car.

 

I think we're saying (or your saying and I'm trying I say) the same thing. On other inverts, the lead car with the "special connection" has seats. Alpengeist doesn't, and has a extra row of seats to still have 8 total rows of seats. So the question becomes "Why Alpengeist?" To which we can speculate. I don't think it necessarily is for theming. I'd say it's more likely to do with the weight of the train.

[thrillseeker4552]

^ Yes, I was just looking at it differently.

 

As for it being Alpengeist, I have no idea. I guess only Busch Gardens and Mr. Walter Bolliger have the answer.

[3Mutts]

^ If I remember correctly, the reason Alpengeist has the nose car due to it being so intense when they were testing it.

[netdvn]

From what I've been told, Alpengeist has a zero car because the park was afraid the original weight of the train without the zero car would cause it to valley in one of the hills, so a zero car was added to weigh the train down. Considering there are FAR more intense inverts out there without a zero car (Busch's own Montu being one of them - plus the Batman coasters), I don't think it has anything to do with intensity.

[rcjp]

^I guess that's a possibility. Still, even though alpengeist is not as forceful as other inverts, if flies pretty fast through the elements. In fact, it goes through the inversions more quickly than almost all inverts so I do find it a bit odd that the thought it could valley, it even has that trim on the top of the lift which didn't seem to do much when it opened (I'm saying this based on the videos I've seen) but now it trims it more than any other invert leaving the front of the train kind of "hanging" sometimes.

[azza29]

When I took the insider tour at BGW last year, I vaguely recall the guide (who seemed, at least, to know what she was talking about) saying the lead car was there to make the ride smoother.

[A.J.]

From what I've been told, Alpengeist has a zero car because the park was afraid the original weight of the train without the zero car would cause it to valley in one of the hills, so a zero car was added to weigh the train down. Considering there are FAR more intense inverts out there without a zero car (Busch's own Montu being one of them - plus the Batman coasters), I don't think it has anything to do with intensity.

The zero car is only there to add weight to the train.