Project: Battery

I hope to become a roller coaster designer when I get older, and I was thinking of a new way to set up seats on roller coaster cars. We've got sit-downs, stand-ups, inverteds, floorlesses, and lie-downs.

I was pondering the new type of coaster car while listening to Battery by Metallica. It just popped into my head.

The cars would be set up like the Vekoma Invertigo cars, so there will be people back-to-back, except the cars will be turned 90 degrees. They could be inverted or stand-up types of restraints. The riders would be facing out during the ride, so they can't see what is coming up. The cars would probably work best on B&M's

This is an over-view of the car.

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-- - - - -- - - -__|__|__
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This isn't represented very well since it's not a picture. __
__| These are the seats. The compartments in the middle would be for the wheel assemblies, etc. The passengers would have their feet dangling in this design, so it could be mounted above or below the track. Disregard these - - --. ~~~~ These act as a cross walk for non-riders, and people who are riding on the opposite site of the station entrance.

What do you think? Do you think it would work? Would it be cool?

Please post your comments and questions.



*** This post was edited by CPgenius on 2/3/2001. ***

You'd lose air time. Inversions would be different. Interesting idea

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Randy Hutchinson
You build it, I'll ride it

You don't lose airtime when you face backwards on a ride, so why would you lose airtime facing out? I think this is a very interesting idea.

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"Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious." - Brendan Gill

I'm not sure about this, but I think that some of the normal vertical G's would somewhat change into laterals, and some laterals would change into verticals.

no they would still stay laterals, but instead of being pushed side to side, you're going to be pushed either back in your seat, or into the harness, being painful.. But good idea!!!
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Shawn Bailes
Webmaster of Coasters R Us
http://coastersrus.home-page.org

Backwards and to the side are two completely different situations. I think this setup would lead to some very interesting inversions. It'd probably be better suited for an invert track. Don't you think?

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Randy Hutchinson
You build it, I'll ride it

Yeah, it seems to flow with an inverted track more. Especially since they are already cars like this.

Who cares if it's painful ? Just thinking about it is making me dizzy . This would be the one to make everyone sick !

sitting forward allows your neck to be properly supported by the headrest. by turning to the side you will no longer have that support. when you go around bends or through inverions the chances of straining your neck would be greater.

this is a good idea but it would require a different kind of thinking to insure a bearable ride.

imagine the pain when your neck snaps sidewards on a trim brake.

don't you think everyone would turn their heads to the front to avoid

Well, I never really said anything about OTSR, so there could be a restraint system similar to King Cobra's.---- 2 arm folding restraints, and a lap bar. That would minimize head banging.

The problem of neck strain through inversions and bends in the track would have to be addressed though. Perhaps some very soft foam rubber for the back of the seat, so it molds to the shape of your body, and minimize movement.

*** This post was edited by CPgenius on 1/19/2001. ***

I still think the next great design is eother a seizmic, or some sort of inverted train that you are laying down (belly down) in... nothing llike STEALTH.

what if they had a coaster where you just reached up and grabbed onto a bar and aset of harness held onto your wrists and hands so they couldn't come loose, but the rest of your body just dangle. now that would be a crazy ride. you think it would be possible to tear someones arms off?

Sure it would be possible. I just doubt they would ever try to make a coaster that extreme. It would only take a few G's to pull you arms of their socket, because all of you weight would have to put on your arms. Pulling you arms ouf you sockets would be back enough, but at 4+ G's, there would be 1000 lbs on a person's arms that weighs 250lbs.

What about a coaster that actually jumps a gap somewhere in its track. they could theme it after SPEED the movie - as a recreation of the Bus jumping segment. they could have dummies sitting in the front seats that look like Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reaves.

No, there would be too much room for error. And error in that case would result in deaths. They could make it look like the track isn't there though. In fact, I think an enclosed coaster does that.