Vekoma offers new restraints, no OTSR

On the recent Euro Attractions Show in Vienna Vekoma showed renderings of their new restraint system which should become their new standard on future coasters.

Non-inverting suspended coasters will have a one sided lapbar system while the SLC trains will add a rubbervest to the lapbar. This should hold passangers in place without obstructing their view AND without bashing their ears.

As I understand, this new system is not able to be retrofitted on existing trains. Hopefully this effect is at good as it looks. I guess some SLCs could really profit from a pair of new trains.

Alledgedly this system will always be built into new Vekoma sitdown trains.

You can see renderings here:

http://www.coastersandmore.de/rides/eas06/eas06_2.php

(sroll down. Article is in german.)

Oooooh, my head feels better already.

FYI, click on the English icon on the top to translate from German to English

Mike

Of course, if they could just engineer a smoother ride the head banging wouldn't be an issue to begin with....

^Thats asking a bit too much dont ya think ;)

This is good news, no OTSRs really lessen the impact of a bumpy ride (look at how popular the Premier launchers are now) hopefully some parks in the US will pony up the $ for new trains.

Some of those rides are looking sweet... even if they are concepts & drawings more-so than actual coasters being installed at parks.

The Pegasus/Chariot just looks like a nicely themed train... something we rarely get in the 'states.

As for the Vekoma new train/restraint styles... I like 'em... kind of reminds me of the ones they use for the Flying Dutchman models which were quite comfortable & didn't bang my head no matter what transition & roughness there was.

**warning: stupid thought ahead**: I wonder if Vekoma would give a discount to parks if they traded in their current train models for the upgraded models with the new restraints to curb complaints of uncomfortableness (is that a word?), and breathe new life into what really is a decent layout of a popular coaster style. (kind of like recycling).

Vekoma, in the last few years, is coming up with some great ideas.

I'd love to try an SLC with the new restraints. Despite the bangin', I already enjoy them, but they could be great rides with confy restraints.

Does this mean the Vekoma Junior Inverts will no longer be teaching the children to hate inverted coasters in general? LOL, I've gotten worse headbanging on Reptar and Swamp Thing and the like than I *ever* have on an SLC...

Of course, the Vekoma flyers are a whole other WORLD of hurt..."WTF: The Ride"? (appropriate permissions have been received for usage of that moniker).... :)

Good to see Vekoma is willing to admit past mistakes and move into the future as a smarter and better company....is Intamin in line behind them? ;)

Whenever I try to access the site in english it just takes me to the homepage & not the article itself & yet when I click on a link on the homepage it resets back to german again.

Flying dutchman launched coaster? Did i see that right they are looking at making a launced flyer?

Transated text

"Also the Flying Dutchman, Vekomas version of the couch roller coaster, is now available as Launch Coaster. The 1055 meters of rail on a surface area of 166x74 meters promise to become an extremely disorienting ball. The Launch is lying with well 100 km/h the fastest of all firing models, for technical reasons these first however only on the back is completed. At the end of the Launch TRACK the passengers are then turned in a half role around 180° in flight position. "

Can you say WOW!? *** Edited 3/23/2006 6:20:06 PM UTC by dragonoffrost***

Usually it takes a few days to translate the articles. It is not yet available.

Yes, Vekoma will offer ALL their coasters with a launched option too. This includes the Flyers and the family coasters. However, the launch on the flyers will take place in the "lying" position.

That still sounds disorienting. Getting accelerated 0-62 miles an hour while laying on your back sounds like something I would never have thought about on a coaster.

^Yes, and I wouldn´t even ask for it. It could be very unhealthy for your spine and since you dont see anything while lying on your back a huge part of the thrill is lost. *** Edited 3/23/2006 8:31:48 PM UTC by kitsch-transporter***

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kitsch-transporter said:
^Yes, and I wouldn´t even ask for it. It could be very unhealthy for your spine and since you dont see anything while lying on your back a huge part of the thrill is lost. *** Edited 3/23/2006 8:31:48 PM UTC by kitsch-transporter***

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Not true. You experience much greater g's on your spine plopping down in a chair than you would on that sort of launch. I would guess it would be comparable to an S&S Space shot. I think it'd be great, and very disorienting. I've never thought of a launch being about the view...moreso the intense experience.

Oh! Intamin ball coaster stuff on the first page. Nothing we haven't seen before though.

The new restraints for the SLC model look promising,now if only they can produce them to work with the existing train/track configuration.

From the looks of the design the restraints are very much like those found on the B&M flyers with the only exception being the lack of a set of locking pins built into the bottom of the bar...the big test of course will come when the restraint is put through it's paces in terms of comfort & durability.

If vekoma keeps going at this rate with new innovations they just might catch up to intamin or B&M in terms of comfort,the reliability factor still needs work however...can you imagine the technical problems they're bound to have with a launched flyer? they really need to fix the problems they've currently got with the existing flying dutchman design first<the trains> before even attempting a launched version.

I only glanced at the article, but something I read got my attention:

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Die nie wirklich in Betrieb gegangene Einschienenbahn in den Islands of Adventure in Orlando wird in einen klassischen Powered Coaster umgewandelt.

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My German is a bit rusty, but does that say they are converting a monorail at IOA into a powered coaster? So is this the Driving Machines, or a makeover for the Pteranodon Flyers?

I really do like the overhead lap bar arrangement shown near the bottom of the article, the one designated as being for rides without inversions. That's a very effective design, not to mention quite comfortable and more than a little frightening if done right. I DO NOT particularly like the other version with the rubber vest. I've got news for you, folks, that's still a shoulder bar. It's flexible, but it's still attached to the lap bar, it still goes over the shoulders, and if it works like the version that Intamin came up with, it will either interfere with the proper operation of the lap bar, or it might even make you wish you had the old shoulder bars back.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
(Still never met a shoulder restraint I liked...)

I don't think those restraints are for the SLC... I think they are only for the Junior inverted.

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RideMan said:
I only glanced at the article, but something I read got my attention:

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Die nie wirklich in Betrieb gegangene Einschienenbahn in den Islands of Adventure in Orlando wird in einen klassischen Powered Coaster umgewandelt.

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My German is a bit rusty, but does that say they are converting a monorail at IOA into a powered coaster? So is this the Driving Machines, or a makeover for the Pteranodon Flyers?

I really do like the overhead lap bar arrangement shown near the bottom of the article, the one designated as being for rides without inversions. That's a very effective design, not to mention quite comfortable and more than a little frightening if done right. I DO NOT particularly like the other version with the rubber vest. I've got news for you, folks, that's still a shoulder bar. It's flexible, but it's still attached to the lap bar, it still goes over the shoulders, and if it works like the version that Intamin came up with, it will either interfere with the proper operation of the lap bar, or it might even make you wish you had the old shoulder bars back.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
(Still never met a shoulder restraint I liked...)

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Its the driving Machine thingy in Cat in the Hat land.

I am hoping that IF the "Knoebel's Flying Turns" does have OTSR's as it is "rumored" that they go with something like this.

It would be better if Vekoma could come up with a retrofit IMO.

Also this would be great on the older Arrow rides if S&S is paying attention. Heck this could even work on Premier Rides if they have customers that wont convert to the new lapbar restraint.