Everyone knows my personal stance on this so I’m not even going to address it.
From a ride experience standpoint, I give the edge to RMC. They’re very different approaches to designing a quality ride. B&M takes a more balanced approach, taking into account things such as comfort and capacity in their trains, which require layouts to accommodate such. RMC on the other hand wants to go all out in the layout, and their trains are designed to be as versatile as possible. Not to be comfortable to sit in, not to chew through a massive cattlepen in two seconds, not to be easy for the ride ops to work with, it’s a train designed to handle the most twisted, absurd layout Alan can come up with. Some who consider exactly how you’re seated and restrained a key part of the experience would probably prefer B&M, those like me who are more about the layout itself would probably be more for RMC.
Mechanically, this is actually a toss up. In terms of track fabrication, RMC hands down. What they’ve come up with is brilliant and works like magic, I never thought I’d live to see the day a coaster could be that glass smooth. B&Ms on the other hand get rattly pretty easily, which might be a train issue, but knowing how older B&Ms have aged and how their track design has kind of stayed the same since day one, I’d bet serious money we see even some of these newer B&Ms pick up a few rough spots through the years. That track has a ton of intricate welding in it, that’s a lot of weaker spots, it’s complex and invites a lot of opportunities for distortion both out the gate and over time. Not to mention the infamous B&M rattle train problem that I saw literally in Banshee’s first month of operation that comes and goes. However, in terms of actual hardware, B&M. I know RMC outsources some of that (brakes, LRod’s launch) but it’s obvious that not all of it works. To me that’s just part of the price of innovation. B&M’s reputation is partially based on reliability, their rides are known for hardly breaking down. Not sure if they do their own hardware or get it somewhere else but whatever they do, it works.
Financially, RMC hands down. Almost every part of a B&M has to be custom fabricated and transported. RMC’s rails are the only things that need custom made for them and they’re pretty simple in comparison to B&M track. The rest of an RMC can either be picked up at Menard’s or mass produced in their shop. It’s easier to put a B&M together but RMC seems way more efficient to produce.
And finally, innovation. Back in the 90s, B&M was definitely up there. The inverted coaster, idea of shortening trains (ironically an RMC practice as well), several elements, and the dive coaster concept can certainly be credited to them. But today, the last time they really did something and I really thought it was brilliant was Thunderbird’s launch flywheel system. Meanwhile RMC is building innovative rides over outdated skeletons, twisting wood into successful inversions, track made with surgical precision, elements that make no sense, track that you can fit through a household doorway, this isn’t even a discussion. RMC is easily the more innovative company.
Should probably mention flaws too. I think RMC’s biggest flaw right now is their reliability as well as a bit of a stall in layout uniqueness. They also need a somewhat wider range of ride systems, possibly with nontraditional seating arrangements. B&M’s biggest flaws are how expensive their rides are, complexity of the track, and playing it too safely with new technology.
So we know I’m an RMC nerd but that’s my perspective of why partially. Both are great, I love both Steel Vengeance and Fury, but in terms of what I see that makes a good or bad manufacturer, I definitely give RMC a clear edge. B&M is still my #5 manufacturer though and they both have coasters out there that I can have a hell of a time on.
