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Eurostar (roller coaster)
Encyclopedia
Eurostar is a unique portable inverted roller coaster
, permanently sited at Gorky Park
, Moscow, in Russia. From 1995 to 2008, it travelled on the fairground circuit in Germany
. It was the first and largest portable inverted roller coaster. Eurostar was the brain child of Oscar Bruch. Bruch had created and/or operated many portable coasters including, Alpina Bahn, Looping Star and Thriller
. The Inverted coaster was becoming increasingly popular in the mid ‘90s, having been introduced to the theme park market by Bolliger & Mabillard
. However, B&M were reluctant to attempt a travelling model, and so EuroStar was designed by Werner Stengel
from a rough layout designed by Bruch. Aspects of the ride were built by many companies from across Europe (hence the name), under the directorship of the Swiss ride firm Intamin AG
.
. Once at the top of the lift, riders drop towards the right reaching speeds of 50.20 MPH at the bottom of the drop. Upon exiting the drop, the train navigates a large vertical loop
that runs parallel to the lift. After the lift, riders experience a 121° overbanked left turn that leads into a zero-g roll. After the zero-g roll, riders make another left turn up into the first block brake
. After exiting the block brake, riders make another left hand turn and navigate through two back-to-back corkscrews then make a right turn up into the second block brake. After the second block brake, riders experience a tight right hand downward helix and a small hill before hitting the final brake run and returning to the station.
to design and engineer the ride from his idea. A detailed model was created and fabrication of Eurostar could begin.
Eurostar’s control system was subcontracted to Intamin AG
, who designed and produced the system. Giovanola
was subcontracted to produce the track, lift, and most of the electrical system. Mannhardt, a company located in Southern Germany, produced the supports, as well as the sole and chocks for the coaster. The company declared bankruptcy during construction. Bruch founded a “hive-off vehicle” to complete the construction phase and assure Eurostar’s completion.
Giovanola assembled the trains with components produced by an unknown Dutch company. MACK Rides
created the “cash box” area. Johann Gerstlauer, whose brother Hurbert Gerstlauer owns Gerstlauer Elektro GmbH
, produced the station and exit area. Pelz, another company located in Southern Germany, produced the ride's lighting.
On July 20, 1995, Eurostar debuted at a fair in Düsseldorf after a six-day delay.
s are required for transporting Eurostar. The trailers that house the ride during transport are customized with special mountings for each part.
The sole is the most complex part of assembling the coaster. All support points must be on the same level and the ride must be properly aligned to ensure the coaster stands straight so that the static and dynamic forces are led to the ground safely. To ensure this, sophisticated laser leveling instruments are used. Depending on the level of the ground, different sized wooden beams and planks are used to level out sections of the sole, just like for other portable rides.
Further assembly of Eurostar is purely routine. As the same with permanent coasters, each support is installed and the next track segment connected to it and fixed into position with large bolts.
The trains are transported on station track segments that hold elements of the station. These pieces are installed with the trains on track. The lift is installed similarly to the trains and station pieces. Segments of chain are left in each piece of the lift and are joined later after assembly.
In 2003, Eurostar was assembled for another refurbishment at Gerstlauer Elektro GmbH after Oktoberfest 2003 where the ride received an upgrade to its electrical system. Measurements were also taken to relate forces to track positions in order to rework rough areas to be smoother. The optimal track layout was created after intensive calculations and new track tubes where bent and installed using the existing spines.
In 2004, before being assembled for the Düsseldorf fair, Eurostar’s zero-g roll, the left turn up into the first block brake after the zero-g roll and the left hand turn after the first block brake, were replaced. The doweled joints in the vertical loop had holes drilled into them to reduce noise and oscillation. Modification of the track connections was also done. The lift had a cover installed that would slide over the saw-tooth profile of the anti-rollbacks, making the surface smooth and eliminating noise created as the anti-rollbacks jumped between teeth. The change in the safety system required a control system to ensure rides safety. The train's speed is controlled, and any variance in the speed causes the cover to be pulled aside to expose the saw-tooth, causing the anti-rollbacks to engage. Should the system fail, springs would push the cover aside to ensure the anti-rollbacks would engage in case an emergency would arise.
Eurostar received another upgrade in 2005 to the ride technology. The refurbishment cost one million Euros.
Inverted roller coaster
An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the track, but "swings" via a pivoting bar attached to the...
, permanently sited at Gorky Park
Gorky Park (Moscow)
Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure is an amusement park in Moscow, named after Maxim Gorky.-History:...
, Moscow, in Russia. From 1995 to 2008, it travelled on the fairground circuit in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was the first and largest portable inverted roller coaster. Eurostar was the brain child of Oscar Bruch. Bruch had created and/or operated many portable coasters including, Alpina Bahn, Looping Star and Thriller
Thriller (roller coaster)
Revered as one of Anton Schwarzkopf's greatest rides, and one of the most intense roller coasters in the world, Thriller toured the German Fairs from 1986 to 1996, under the ownership of showman Oscar Bruch. Having been sold to the Six Flags corporation, Thriller arrived at AstroWorld in 1998 as...
. The Inverted coaster was becoming increasingly popular in the mid ‘90s, having been introduced to the theme park market by Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
. However, B&M were reluctant to attempt a travelling model, and so EuroStar was designed by Werner Stengel
Werner Stengel
Werner Stengel is a German roller coaster designer and engineer. Stengel is the founder of Stengel Engineering, also known as Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH ....
from a rough layout designed by Bruch. Aspects of the ride were built by many companies from across Europe (hence the name), under the directorship of the Swiss ride firm Intamin AG
Intamin AG
Intamin Worldwide is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is headed by Sandor Kernacs. The Intamin brand name is an...
.
Ride experience
After leaving the station, the 28 passenger train makes a wide “U” turn to the lift at the back of the ride. Rides ascend the 98.91 foot chain lift hillLift hill
A lift hill, or chain hill, is often the initial upward-sloping section of track on a typical roller coaster that initially transports the roller coaster train to an elevated point or peak in the roller coaster ride...
. Once at the top of the lift, riders drop towards the right reaching speeds of 50.20 MPH at the bottom of the drop. Upon exiting the drop, the train navigates a large vertical loop
Loop (roller coaster)
The generic roller coaster vertical loop is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. Specifically, the loop refers to a continuously upward-sloping section of track that eventually results in a complete 360 degree circle. At the top-most piece of the loop, riders are completely inverted.-...
that runs parallel to the lift. After the lift, riders experience a 121° overbanked left turn that leads into a zero-g roll. After the zero-g roll, riders make another left turn up into the first block brake
Brake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed...
. After exiting the block brake, riders make another left hand turn and navigate through two back-to-back corkscrews then make a right turn up into the second block brake. After the second block brake, riders experience a tight right hand downward helix and a small hill before hitting the final brake run and returning to the station.
History
The creation of Eurostar was supervised under the Bruch Engineering Office. Unlike normal coasters, the task of creating Eurostar was handed to many different subcontracted companies that specialized in roller coasters. Bruch Engineering Office coordinated each company’s interaction with the others. Bruch created a rough layout of what he wanted in the ride and went to Werner StengelWerner Stengel
Werner Stengel is a German roller coaster designer and engineer. Stengel is the founder of Stengel Engineering, also known as Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH ....
to design and engineer the ride from his idea. A detailed model was created and fabrication of Eurostar could begin.
Eurostar’s control system was subcontracted to Intamin AG
Intamin AG
Intamin Worldwide is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is headed by Sandor Kernacs. The Intamin brand name is an...
, who designed and produced the system. Giovanola
Giovanola
Giovanola Freres SA was one of the prominent thrill ride manufacturers in the world. It was well-known for thrill rides and also built electrical power stations, water storage tanks, pipelines, highway bridges, and many other steel products. The company started out as a small metal forging shop,...
was subcontracted to produce the track, lift, and most of the electrical system. Mannhardt, a company located in Southern Germany, produced the supports, as well as the sole and chocks for the coaster. The company declared bankruptcy during construction. Bruch founded a “hive-off vehicle” to complete the construction phase and assure Eurostar’s completion.
Giovanola assembled the trains with components produced by an unknown Dutch company. MACK Rides
MACK Rides
Mack Rides is a German company that designs and constructs roller coasters. The family that owns the company also owns Europa Park.-History:The creation of the Mack company goes back to 1780, by Paul Mack, when he started building carriages. The Mack company started to design roller coasters in 1920....
created the “cash box” area. Johann Gerstlauer, whose brother Hurbert Gerstlauer owns Gerstlauer Elektro GmbH
Gerstlauer
Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH is a German manufacturer of stationary and transportable amusement rides and roller coasters, located in Münsterhausen, Germany.-History:...
, produced the station and exit area. Pelz, another company located in Southern Germany, produced the ride's lighting.
On July 20, 1995, Eurostar debuted at a fair in Düsseldorf after a six-day delay.
Moving from fair to fair
The transporting of Eurostar has been accomplished by Siegfried Scholten and his team more than 60 times since the coaster debuted in 1995. Disassembling, transporting and reassembling Eurostar requires a minimum of eight days (a rare exception). It requires four cranes and 20 workers working around the clock in order to meet the assembly deadline on time at the next fair.Disassembly
Disassembly of Eurostar usually takes about 10 days. When each piece is removed it is placed on a specific trailer created for that piece or pieces.Transport
18 semi-trailer truckSemi-trailer truck
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or articulated truck or articulated lorry, is an articulated vehicle consisting of a towing engine , and a semi-trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) articulated truck...
s are required for transporting Eurostar. The trailers that house the ride during transport are customized with special mountings for each part.
Assembly
Assembly of Eurostar takes about 14 days to complete. Since Eurostar does not have a second sole, the whole ride must arrive on site at the next fair before assembly can begin.The sole is the most complex part of assembling the coaster. All support points must be on the same level and the ride must be properly aligned to ensure the coaster stands straight so that the static and dynamic forces are led to the ground safely. To ensure this, sophisticated laser leveling instruments are used. Depending on the level of the ground, different sized wooden beams and planks are used to level out sections of the sole, just like for other portable rides.
Further assembly of Eurostar is purely routine. As the same with permanent coasters, each support is installed and the next track segment connected to it and fixed into position with large bolts.
The trains are transported on station track segments that hold elements of the station. These pieces are installed with the trains on track. The lift is installed similarly to the trains and station pieces. Segments of chain are left in each piece of the lift and are joined later after assembly.
Refurbishments
In time, the frequent assembly and disassembly of Eurostar cause the ride to become rough and unpleasant. The small footprint of the ride and tight layout amplified these discomforts. In 1995, the ride’s first year, a brief refurbishment consisted of stiffening track pieces with doweled joints between the spine of the track and the rails.In 2003, Eurostar was assembled for another refurbishment at Gerstlauer Elektro GmbH after Oktoberfest 2003 where the ride received an upgrade to its electrical system. Measurements were also taken to relate forces to track positions in order to rework rough areas to be smoother. The optimal track layout was created after intensive calculations and new track tubes where bent and installed using the existing spines.
In 2004, before being assembled for the Düsseldorf fair, Eurostar’s zero-g roll, the left turn up into the first block brake after the zero-g roll and the left hand turn after the first block brake, were replaced. The doweled joints in the vertical loop had holes drilled into them to reduce noise and oscillation. Modification of the track connections was also done. The lift had a cover installed that would slide over the saw-tooth profile of the anti-rollbacks, making the surface smooth and eliminating noise created as the anti-rollbacks jumped between teeth. The change in the safety system required a control system to ensure rides safety. The train's speed is controlled, and any variance in the speed causes the cover to be pulled aside to expose the saw-tooth, causing the anti-rollbacks to engage. Should the system fail, springs would push the cover aside to ensure the anti-rollbacks would engage in case an emergency would arise.
Eurostar received another upgrade in 2005 to the ride technology. The refurbishment cost one million Euros.