Why have travelling coasters progressed so little, and will we ever see large-scale, custom travelling coasters built again?

[Matt N]

Hi guys. The recent news of Mellors seemingly having purchased a travelling Sky Rocket II for Riyadh Winter Wonderland in Saudi Arabia recently got me thinking about travelling coasters. And it got me thinking; the world of travelling coasters is arguably somewhat stuck in the past compared to the rest of the coaster industry. Permanent coasters have progressed so much in even the last decade, but the travelling coaster scene still has a lot of the same heavyweights making it up as it did 30 years ago, with very little progression. Olympia Looping is still the largest travelling coaster in terms of size (it’s tall, fast and long), and it was also custom. However, that was built all the way back in 1989. A lot of the travelling rides around now seem to be variations on Wild Mouse coasters or aging Schwarzkopfs and Pinfaris. The Riyadh Sky Rocket (I feel like it does have a name, but I can’t remember it at the moment) is arguably the most promising development for travelling coasters in some time, in my opinion (it’s a huge ride at 150ft, and it’s also pretty fast at 62mph), but that is still a clone, and it’s also less than 1,000ft long, so not the longest of rides. So my question to you today is; why is it that travelling coasters have progressed so slowly compared to the rest of the coaster industry, and do you think we will ever see large-scale, custom travelling coasters built again in the same way they were in the 80s?

As for my opinion; I’m unsure on why the travelling coaster scene hasn’t progressed much compared to the permanent coaster scene. However, in terms of large-scale custom travelling coasters being built again; never say never. I’d argue that making compact, quick-to-build thrills is easier than ever before, and some modern coaster types are offered on a base frame. For instance, I know that much of Gerstlauer’s portfolio is available on a base frame; I’m unsure on Infinity Coasters, but I know that Euro-Fighters and many of the smaller ride types definitely are.

But what are your thoughts?

 

[Rollercoaster David]

There was an ECC interview with Alan Shilke where we had the chance to ask questions, and I asked about the possibility of a traveling raptor (given that the thicker track might need fewer supports and be easier to transport). Alan seemed quite open to the idea and it being possible, I think he said the main limiting factor was the number of lorries needed to transport a ride or something like that, but it's not what anyone has asked for so hasn't been really considered.

 

[CrashCoaster]

The Riyadh Sky Rocket (I feel like it does have a name, but I can’t remember it at the moment)

It's called Sky Loop (even though it's not a Maurer Sky Loop).

 

[Christian]

The days of large scale traveling coasters are simply over. Most large population centers already have a park nearby with coasters that are usually better than the travelling ones. With the high labour costs of today and not incredibly high demand it really makes little sense to invest millions into new large scale travelling coasters. Some travelling coasters that already exist will continue touring as they have already paid themselves off, while some will find permanent homes. Showmen have also figured out that fairgoers don't really need large scale coasters to entertain themselves at fairs. When being at a fair with friends a simple wild mouse will bring almost as much entertainment as Olympia looping but at a much lower cost to the showman. As long as there is no other large scale travelling coaster (highly unlikely) around to compete with the showman then he will get all the traffic at the wild mouse.

 

[Hixee]

It's also worth remembering just how much of a logistical headache large travelling coasters are.

I've never actually seen the stats (or a picture, for that matter) for something like Olympia Looping in "travel" mode, but realistically you're probably looking at dozens of trucks' worth of stuff to move. This brings so, so, so many headaches. There's the cost for fuel, drivers, technicians, insurance, etc. There's all of the paperwork. There's the logistics of where do you park those trucks at night? Can the ground at the local park even support the weight? What about if one of the trucks breaks down and can't make it to the event on time? I can't really even wrap my head around how they pull it off already - or why they bother - let alone thinking about going bigger and bigger.

As @ChristianPalsson says, why bother when something smaller does the job (from the crowd's perspective) without so much logistical headache and when the static stuff is (unquestionably) better these days?

EDIT: Also to add why 'static' coasters with base frames aren't uncommon - it's easier! For something fairly compact, you just cast a big concrete slab, or a regular grid of footers, and let the base frame on top of it. From Gerstlauer's perspective (for example), they then only have to worry about making sure all of "their" stuff is the right size/tolerance/etc, and don't have to start interfacing as precisely with a civil works contractor. To be honest, I'm surprised more coasters don't follow this strategy. Perhaps it's because Gerstlauer don't generally have the production quality...

 

[Steely Dan]

Wasn't this always a pretty niche category, even at its height? I mean, how many large-scale custom portable coasters are/were there that regularly travel(ed) the European fairs in the first place?


Olympia looping - the big mamma-jamma, still travelling

Alpina Bahn - still travelling

Teststrecke - began life as a "park" coaster, now travelling

Colossus - Teststrecke's cousin that used to travel ages ago, but has settled down as a "park" coaster for decades in Utah

Drier looping - settled down to being a "park" coaster decades ago, many relocations around the globe, hopefully reopening soon in Indiana

Euro-star - settled down to being a "park coaster in russia

Thriller - settled down to being a "park" coaster, currently in storage in Mexico, likely gone forever


not being European, I'm undoubtedly missing others, but those are the big ones of note that stand out in my mind. Not exactly a large group.

 

[Trax]

As already mentioned, the logistics for such a coaster are now just a nightmare. Tolls, high fuel prices, more competition from theme parks and higher prices for the pitches are just the main issues for maintaining a large scale travelling ride.
There is only one way to compensate for those costs - higher prices per ride. Olympia Looping is usually 10€ at best, usually more. For 3 times as much, you can often get a ticket for a full scale theme park, with more, better themed and more diverse attractions. And on top of that, you are usually able to ride more than just 3 times for that money.

You want more reasons? Planning and manufacturing has only gotten more expensive, so the initial investment for a new ride is way larger than it was in the 80s or 90s. New restrictions regarding safety standards will also increase the purchasing costs for a new major ride.

 

[Dar]

I wonder how much extra work it takes to work out the logistics of making something moveable? With a regular coaster you just stack track pieces in a container as they're made/needed, but a travelling ride has to stack the right pieces on the right container. Did Schwarzkopf design the trailers for Olympia looping, or did Barth take the plans and get them made elsewhere?