Nigloland | Alpina Blitz | Mack "Mega Coaster"

[_koppen]

I've been curious about that for a while, it is such an obvious copy of the Intamin design I wonder how they feel about it? Maybe it's just more competition meaning they'll want/need to push the boundaries further.

But this ride does look great, both visually and from an expected riding experience stand point, and I do look forward to riding it sometime.

What I think must be worst for Intamin is that the park worked very closely with them during 2009 and 2010 to build their version, and then they just put the ride on hold, and when they do build it it's from someone else.

Good thing Piraten is still exists <33

The park said a while back that it was effectively the same design Stengel did for Intamin originally, but Mack were their preferred manufacturers for it for maintenance reasons...

While the Mack version do have some easier maintenance than the Intamin version (as clearly showed by the train storage & the chain lift) the Mack trains were what got them to chose Mack. They felt the train on Piraten were outdated.

^ Can I ask, where did you read Stengel saying that? I wouldn't mind taking a read of that.

They did not, the design is 100% Intamin, the Stengel firm only calculated the design, like so many other rides that have his name.

 

[ECG]

The park posted this cool time lapse construction video on their YouTube channel:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck3KR3j97g8[/youtube]

 

[Gazza]

If a Chinese company had done this, we'd be ripping them to bits. A European company does it, and we love them. Has there been an agreement between the two companies, because if I worked at Intamin, I'd be peeved.

Hasn't there historically been a lot of inbreeding between manufacturers with layouts, track and trains?

I think what sets this apart from a typical chinese knockoff is this is actually executed well, and mack do make really good trains.

 

[andrus]

It's just a shame they couldn't have used some sort of imagination other than just, copying exactly.

To be fair Mack made their own layout with Storm. But Nigloland asked for a design similar to a mega lite, so that's what they got.

Personally I hope this trigger Intamin to make their restraints more comfortable, since they're crap in many cases and that's also the reason why Nigloland went with Mack instead.

 

[ECG]

The park and coaster opens to the public tomorrow. :--D

 

[peep]

For CoasterForce I had a chance to chat to the project manager at the park. I will be uploading the interview with him at some point in the near future. I asked him why they chose Mack over Intamin and he said it was purely because they already have a close relationship with Mack (over 20 rides in their park are Mack) and they prefer their train design due to the ease of loading the train compared to Intamin's design. Not in the interview but he also pointed out he prefers Mack's tri-track design, it also meant less supports are needed which reduced the cost by a couple of million.

 

[Jordanovichy]

It also meant less supports are needed which reduced the cost by a couple of million.

Well, if you can't scrimp and save on ride supports, where else can you?

 

[peep]

Interview with Rodolphe is now on the CoasterForce Youtube channel...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEPmy2A4xMQ[/youtube]


Thanks Jerry for uploading it

 

[Pokemaniac]

Re: the "knockoff/copy" debate on last page...

Is it possible that there simply has been two contractors on this coaster? Intamin design, hardware by Mack? Could Mack simply have bought the rights to the layout from Intamin, or at least bought the rights to use it this one time? I mean, in construction business, there's usually one company doing the architecture and technical drawings, and some completely different company actually constructing the building. Why can't the same be the case in coaster manufacturing? I can't see two great, renowned manufacturers so cheaply knocking each other off. There must have been some negotiation at work here, at least.

 

[_koppen]

Interview with Rodolphe is now on the CoasterForce Youtube channel...

What an AWESOME video! I have heard that this guy is really nice, and a big enthusiast himself.

Also great to here that they own the mountain, imagine a terrain coaster and a tower ride up there in the future, that would be very cool.

I really hope this ride does to them what Piraten did to Djurs Sommerland (boosted the attendance big time, and led to big investments in bigger rides). I have heard earlier that they had a water coaster planned, and I would love to see one built. Skatteøen, Poseidon and Atlantica Supersplash have been insanely popular on all of my visits to their parks. I really hope they go with that instead of the more common raft rides, if they now can boost the attendance this year (I'm sure they will!).

I planned earlier to take a weekend trip down there this summer and visit, but unfortunately it will be too expensive from where I will work this summer. Oh well, next year. (but it would have been great to have helped them boost the attendance this year!!).

Is it possible that there simply has been two contractors on this coaster? Intamin design, hardware by Mack? Could Mack simply have bought the rights to the layout from Intamin, or at least bought the rights to use it this one time? I mean, in construction business, there's usually one company doing the architecture and technical drawings, and some completely different company actually constructing the building. Why can't the same be the case in coaster manufacturing? I can't see two great, renowned manufacturers so cheaply knocking each other off. There must have been some negotiation at work here, at least.

It could be possible, but I don't see it. Coaster layouts can't be patented, and I don't see the manufacturers going through a process like that unless they had to, especially since they nowadays are very big competitors about clients like Nigloland.

 

[davidm]

OK mega-bump, but seemed a good place for this....

Some more (very) impressive drone work here;

https://twitter.com/x/status/1291315874817871872

EDIT: actually its probably not that recent of a shoot going by this

as you were.

 

[Hixee]

This is the sort of necropost I can get on board with.

 

[davidm]

It was either here or in the "small news" I thought.... ?

...if only we had a thread for "awesome drone shots"?