Alpengeist
- Thread starter Zachary
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k452c_X-04Y
Little clip of Alpen. If you notice, the Rhine used to continue on under Alpengeist, does anyone know why they got rid of that?
Little clip of Alpen. If you notice, the Rhine used to continue on under Alpengeist, does anyone know why they got rid of that?
Also note the mist in the building after the MCBR. Neat video, thanks for sharing!
I was looking on the internet (you gotta love it 
) and I found the old Busch Gardens Blog site. They had a pretty interesting story about Alpengeist. Here it is...
“Very deep in the Alps lies a terrifying force”
September 1, 2010
tags: Alpengeist, alps, B&M, Bolliger and Mabillard, busch gardens, German, ghost, history, park, past, ride, roller coaster, ski lift, swiss mountains, theme park, virginia, williamsburg, zero car
Harnessed 190 feet above the ground, workers complete construction on the roller coaster's lift.
Those are the words you will hear while waiting in the queue at Alpengeist. The video playing overhead tells the story of the legendary snow beast rumored to terrorize the Swiss mountains. Alpengeist, German for ‘Ghost of the Alps,’ has thrilled guests for more than 13 years, since opening on March 22, 1997.
Alpengeist is still the world’s tallest and fastest full-circuit inverted roller coaster. What does full-circuit mean exactly? The ride is one continuous track, in which the train goes up a lift, through elements, and returns to the station after passing through a series of brakes.
Alpengeist was designed by Bolliger and Mabillard, commonly referred to as B&M. B&M has designed some of the top roller coasters around the world, and they are highly respected for their remarkable design and precision when it comes to these high-speed thrill machines.
Alpengeist, themed as a run-away ski lift, was designed specifically for Busch Gardens. The lift supports at Alpengeist that resemble a ski lift, are also unique to this ride. The structure has a specific purpose other than theming. Because traditional coaster supports would not fit into the area, support beams would have been scattered throughout the village of Germany. As a result, B&M altered the plans and designed the tower-like structures that support the lift.
Sparks fly at Southern Ohio Fabricators in Batavia, Ohio as a craftsman puts the finishing touches on a section of the coaster track.
In my last blog, History of the Loch Ness Monster, I mentioned that technology has improved over the years. Engineers have upgraded from slide rules to computers, and coaster track is now cut by lasers and bolted together rather than welding. All of these elements speed up the construction process, increase the accuracy of the design, and improve the ride experience.
Engineers were off by 6 feet when the last piece of track came together at the Loch Ness Monster in 1978. Nineteen years later at Alpengeist, the difference was only 1/16th of an inch. However, engineers did have one issue during the design of Alpengeist; the train was too light to maintain speed and make it back to the station. That is why Alpengeist is one of only two coasters in the world to have a ‘zero car.’ The zero car, located at the front of the train, weighs 1500 lbs. and allows the train to maintain the speed needed to complete the ride circuit.
Here is the site. It has some pretty interesting stories.
http://buschgardensva.wordpress.com/
) and I found the old Busch Gardens Blog site. They had a pretty interesting story about Alpengeist. Here it is...“Very deep in the Alps lies a terrifying force”
September 1, 2010
tags: Alpengeist, alps, B&M, Bolliger and Mabillard, busch gardens, German, ghost, history, park, past, ride, roller coaster, ski lift, swiss mountains, theme park, virginia, williamsburg, zero car
Harnessed 190 feet above the ground, workers complete construction on the roller coaster's lift.
Those are the words you will hear while waiting in the queue at Alpengeist. The video playing overhead tells the story of the legendary snow beast rumored to terrorize the Swiss mountains. Alpengeist, German for ‘Ghost of the Alps,’ has thrilled guests for more than 13 years, since opening on March 22, 1997.
Alpengeist is still the world’s tallest and fastest full-circuit inverted roller coaster. What does full-circuit mean exactly? The ride is one continuous track, in which the train goes up a lift, through elements, and returns to the station after passing through a series of brakes.
Alpengeist was designed by Bolliger and Mabillard, commonly referred to as B&M. B&M has designed some of the top roller coasters around the world, and they are highly respected for their remarkable design and precision when it comes to these high-speed thrill machines.
Alpengeist, themed as a run-away ski lift, was designed specifically for Busch Gardens. The lift supports at Alpengeist that resemble a ski lift, are also unique to this ride. The structure has a specific purpose other than theming. Because traditional coaster supports would not fit into the area, support beams would have been scattered throughout the village of Germany. As a result, B&M altered the plans and designed the tower-like structures that support the lift.
Sparks fly at Southern Ohio Fabricators in Batavia, Ohio as a craftsman puts the finishing touches on a section of the coaster track.
In my last blog, History of the Loch Ness Monster, I mentioned that technology has improved over the years. Engineers have upgraded from slide rules to computers, and coaster track is now cut by lasers and bolted together rather than welding. All of these elements speed up the construction process, increase the accuracy of the design, and improve the ride experience.
Engineers were off by 6 feet when the last piece of track came together at the Loch Ness Monster in 1978. Nineteen years later at Alpengeist, the difference was only 1/16th of an inch. However, engineers did have one issue during the design of Alpengeist; the train was too light to maintain speed and make it back to the station. That is why Alpengeist is one of only two coasters in the world to have a ‘zero car.’ The zero car, located at the front of the train, weighs 1500 lbs. and allows the train to maintain the speed needed to complete the ride circuit.
Here is the site. It has some pretty interesting stories.
http://buschgardensva.wordpress.com/
Alright I might be getting confused about something or that guy isn't as informed as I think he is but, nearly all B&Ms have Zero cars bar the Floorless and Dive Machines. They're not for weight and momentum purposes but rather to help guide the rest of the train through the elements, and provide a smoother ride.
The zero car on Alpengeist was an experiment. It was designed to make Alpie smoother, and create less wear and tear on the trains. It didn't really have any appreciable effect, which is why you don't see them on other B&M inverteds. You will find them, however, on other types of B&Ms, such as the sit-downs, flyers, and hypers. This is mainly because of the trailered cars on the train, not for smoothness. The floorless and dive machines don't have them.
Other inverts, floorless, and dive machines front two cars are joined such that the front car is technically a zero car. The second row is attached so that there is only one rotational axis, much like Alpie's zero car.
Other inverts, floorless, and dive machines front two cars are joined such that the front car is technically a zero car. The second row is attached so that there is only one rotational axis, much like Alpie's zero car.
The zero car was for added weight for the train to travel the course at the desired speed. The layout for Alpie is so massive and spread out compared to other B&M inverts that it needed an extra kick. They also use nylon wheels instead of polyurethane.
To my knowledge, Alpengeist was the only one. I've seen pictures of others with the front row of seats removed for camera mounts and the like, but I don't know of any others with a permanent zero car.
That's not a zero car. The seats are removed for recording and for some odd reason the seats are mounted backwards...Cody said:Batman the Ride...