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Weird, Wacky & Strange Coaster Bits

Now, I know that this is more of a ‘unique’ coaster, and that it doesn’t necessarily belong under the ‘wacky/strange parts’-category, but I still thought that it deserved a spot on here.
ea7a54a571d32e606b8d3c91a88ee557.jpg
 
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You've seen coasters with a steel structure.

You've seen coasters with a wooden structure.

You've even seen coasters with a hybrid steel and wood structure.

But have you ever seen a coaster with NO structure? With the track fastened straight to the footers, with no supports in the middle? Wonderla in Bangalore has you covered. The picture below shows the track at its highest point off the ground:
https://rcdb.com/3874.htm
Cochin_099x900.jpg

Picture from TPR.
 
Pokemaniac said:
You've seen coasters with a steel structure.

You've seen coasters with a wooden structure.

You've even seen coasters with a hybrid steel and wood structure.

But have you ever seen a coaster with NO structure? With the track fastened straight to the footers, with no supports in the middle? Wonderla in Bangalore has you covered. The picture below shows the track at its highest point off the ground:
https://rcdb.com/3874.htm
Cochin_099x900.jpg

Picture from TPR.
Click to expand...
I've been on that and didn't even notice.
 
gavin said:
I've been on that and didn't even notice.
Click to expand...
Me too! It was pretty forgettable.

Pokemaniac said:
You've seen coasters with a steel structure.

You've seen coasters with a wooden structure.

You've even seen coasters with a hybrid steel and wood structure.

But have you ever seen a coaster with NO structure? With the track fastened straight to the footers, with no supports in the middle? Wonderla in Bangalore has you covered. The picture below shows the track at its highest point off the ground:
Click to expand...

A bit closer to home (if you live in the UK), the majority of this beautiful coaster is like that:
Capture.PNG
(image from rcdb)

Actually I could list a lot of The Ultimate's features in this topic:
- No structure (except on lift hills)
- Built on sleepers
- Goes miles away from the rest of the theme park
- Sometimes thinks it's a roller coaster, sometimes thinks it's a train
- Wooden structure supported by guy wires
- This bit:
20180408_114024.jpg

I was at Lightwater Valley this weekend remembering how much I love this ride. I always think it seems to have been designed by somebody who has heard of a roller coaster but has no idea what they are supposed to look like - it has to be one of the most brilliantly weird coasters ever built.
 
Peet said:
I always think it seems to have been designed by somebody who has heard of a roller coaster but has no idea what they are supposed to look like
Click to expand...
You're not far off. Big Country Motioneering, who first built the ride, only had experience building kiddie coasters and bodged it in every way. They didn't account for the fact it would buckle under summer heat, and trains wouldn't make the full circuit. Of course at this point, Lightwater brought in a seasoned coaster manufacturer to fix all the problems. Actually, no, they brought in British Rail, who to be fair, did the job to finish the coaster ready to open again.

This reminds me that I need to ride this again.
 
A few weird and wonderful things from the fringes of the coastering world for you

This lovely coaster in Zambia which needs an additional propulsion method to reach the end
https://www.facebook.com/

A Super Loop/Ring Of Fire with what appears to be a chain lift or at least electric lift up one side. Then Coasts like a coaster for the rest of the cycle.
This one might even be a credit.

This lovely circular loop at Sharm Park in Gaza

Enjoy :p
 
I'm more worried about the whiplash that oddly shaped dip would give.

Forreal, did they manufacture the track opposite what it was supposed to be and said screw it, lets use it?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
This one is a patent from 1917 found here
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1230559A/en

Basically the aim of this was a kind of switchback railway for a water park. People board at the top station and the car runs down the track through some water elements like a shower before hitting spring loaded buffers. At which point all the occupants fly off the car into some water (Or a net?).

The car then thanks to the springs is pushed back down a return track where it engages a lift and returns to the start point sans passengers.


Wood Death.JPG

And I quote from the patent

"In use, the passengers, attired in bathing suits, extend themselves in prostrate positions between the boards J, K, on the car. The use of the head or foot rest L M on the car is now apparent. If they so desire, the occupants may grasp the hood grips or handles N, which are so shaped that when the car is suddenly stopped they cannot retain their hold of the same and thus cause themselves injury. When ready, the car is started by an attendant on its downward path. It gains increasing velocity and when the end of the track is reached, the buffer engaging part O on the car engages the buffer C, putting its springs under compression. Thus the car is brought to a stop so suddenly that the occupants are projected through the air into the water beneath."

and

"This track at its terminal part ends abruptly and is suitably provided with a strong spring buffer C to receive the impact of the cars. Beyond the end of the track is an expanse of water D such as a riveror ocean front; and as it is desirable that this water shall be reasonably deep, I prefer to provide a suitable net D to receive the occupants of the car when projected therefrom into the water."
 
Yeah there was a little bit of discussion about these on the Wild Mouse RIP thread, I love how the "Animal Coaster" has the cars painted up as animals even though they're clearly car-shaped!
 
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