How does a Zamperla Demolition Derby work?

Can anyone here please explain how a Zamperla demolition derby ride works? From my understanding there are two turn tables which spin in opposite directions and the cars, which are free to spin in their own indepentdent circles, are transferred from one turn table to another. It's the "hand off" between tables that specifically interests me. How do they accomplish this instantaneous transfer? This ride system is used at Disney studios park in Paris as Cars Race Rally and a new twist on the design is being built at California Adventure as Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.

ZamperlaDemolition Derby - YouTube

And check out 30:09 in this video to see a picture of the turn tables exposed: RadiatorSprings Reality - Imagineering Cars Land - D23 Expo 2011 - YouTube

Last edited by Amnesiac,

Essentially demolition derby is a two-turntable cuddle up much like PTC produced for many years (and according to their website will still produce). You can still find PTC Crazy Daisys around the US (Knoebels and Reheboth Beach come to mind immediately). It was created by Berks Engineering in the late 1920's.

I'm sure someone here (Rideman) can explain the mechanics in much better detail and clarity than I ever could.

The version at DCA was built in-house by a team in Orlando. It was rebuilt due to mechanical issues more in-line with the Zamperala version last year.

The PTC version's best model in operation is at Funland, Rehoboth, Delaware. Some parks have removed one 'Dazy', leaving 5 on the table, for better run time, or less down time, however you look at it.

Seabreeze still has theirs, or has it been removed?

I believe they replaced it with a new Tea Cup ride, Bill.

Personally I love the Demolition Derby setup at Morey's. I'm surprised there aren't more of these around. Very fun ride!

AV Matt
Long live the Big Bad Wolf

They work the same way as a PTC Crazy Daisy, of course! :)

Seriously, I am not sure how the mechanism works to insure that the car will reliably transfer from one table to the other, but that's the basic concept right there: two counter-rotating tables with sockets around the perimeter for the cars; the cars are able to transfer from one table top the other as they rotate. Now let's see...if there are three sockets on each table, how many cars can there be on the ride...?

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

    /X\        _      *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
   /XXX\      /X\     /X\_      _     /X\__      _     _        _____
  /XXXXX\    /XXX\   /XXXX\_   /X\   /XXXXX\    /X\   /X\      /XXXXX
_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX

This is probably over simplifying it. But, I'm thinking that as a car latches onto the mechanism, it releases the opposing side.

884 Coasters, 34 States, 7 Countries
http://www.rollercoasterfreak.com My YouTube

Acoustic Viscosity said:
I believe they replaced it with a new Tea Cup ride, Bill.

Yeah, that's basically the same thing....*rollseyes*.

He didn't say it was

884 Coasters, 34 States, 7 Countries
http://www.rollercoasterfreak.com My YouTube

^LOL, Matt knows me... ;)

As a noted nostalgist, I'm always going to be disapppointed by a loss of an historical attraction...and a Crazy Daisy most certainly counts...

PTC is just a phone call away.

I don't remember riding one of these, but now I want to!

Billy

There is no one left at PTC that have any real knowledge of the ride. Its all 'who you know' now to get service work.

^That does make sense.

I wasn't thinking PTC would answer to just anyone, but I figured maybe they have an old schematic or something that they would be willing to share.

Billy

rollergator said:
^LOL, Matt knows me... ;)
As a noted nostalgist, I'm always going to be disapppointed by a loss of an historical attraction...and a Crazy Daisy most certainly counts...

Indeed.

At least they tried to keep the same ride experience and didn't do something stupid like replace the most popular roller coaster in the park with a Boomerang. ;)

AV Matt
Long live the Big Bad Wolf

Could it be something along the lines of bicycle gears? I found one of Dave's old pictures of a stripped down Crazy Daisy.

Acoustic Viscosity said:

At least they tried to keep the same ride experience and didn't do something stupid like replace the most popular roller coaster in the park with a Boomerang. ;)

No one would ever do THAT! Although on the plus side, WoF hasn't added a bad coaster *since* the Boomerang!

Amnesiac said:
Could it be something along the lines of bicycle gears? I found one of Dave's old pictures of a stripped down Crazy Daisy.

You know, I knew I had that somewhere! That image is almost certainly a frame grab from a DV tape, which means I might have additional views that are perhaps less obvious as to their origin, but perhaps more enlightening as to the mechanism. I'll check the collection if I can find that clip...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

    /X\        _      *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
   /XXX\      /X\     /X\_      _     /X\__      _     _        _____
  /XXXXX\    /XXX\   /XXXX\_   /X\   /XXXXX\    /X\   /X\      /XXXXX
_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX

This was discussed about five or six years ago here, I believe, and I wish I could remember what the big reveal was about how it works. I think there was a video showing a ride vehicle transferring from one turntable to the other, but without a cover, or something.

If there is an image or video of the mechanism that causes the ride vehicle to move from one to the other out there in internetland, I've seen it but can't remember it.

-Travis
www.youtube.com/TSVisits

rollergator- Believe me, the new teacups ride at SeaBreeze is **not** the same as the old one it replaced... I think it just goes in a single circle and riders can spin their individual cups as much or as little as the want. The transfer between turn tables was what made the old ride so much fun!

But then again, what do I know?

Agreed. Why the hell they didn't just replace it with a Zamperla model is silly.

AV Matt
Long live the Big Bad Wolf