Get back(wards) to where you once belonged
Get back(wards) to where you once belonged
Novel coaster has passengers coming and going
As Sir Isaac Newton and Blood, Sweat & Tears made abundantly clear, what goes up must come down. It’s a basic principle of physics and gravity that makes most roller coasters possible. But what goes forward doesn’t necessarily go backwards–especially not in the way in which the highly unique FirleFranz coaster that recently opened at Bayern-Park in Germany behaves.
With a height of 53 feet and a top speed of 29 mph, the Gerstlauer family coaster isn’t going to make thrill junkies swoon. But coaster boys and girls (like you?) would likely be intrigued by the unconventional and innovative layout and concept of the ride.
Going backwards on coasters is nothing new. Vekoma Boomerangs, for example, climb a dead-end lift hill heading backwards, release into a forward-facing ride that ends with a second dead-end lift hill at the end of the course, and are then released to retrace the path going backwards. Through the use of relatively recent developments like switch tracks and magnetic launch technology, rides such as Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg are able to incorporate some backwards motion into otherwise full-circuit, mostly forward-heading coasters.
FirleFranz, however, is apparently the first full-circuit coaster to send its passengers on two complete passes through its course, first heading forwards and then racing backwards. Let’s break it down.
The ride begins with a backwards, tire-propelled launch which sends the train partially up a hill where it stalls, falls forward back into the station, and gets a boost from the same tire-propelled launch system, this time going forwards. The train then careens through the modest layout, which includes a mid-course, second tire-propelled boost. That gives the train enough oomph to coast back into the station. But instead of stopping, the station’s launch tires kick in yet again and nudge the train forward.
This time, thanks to a switch track, the train veers to the right and up a short, dead-end spike. It stalls and rolls backwards into the station where it engages with the rolling tires there for the fourth time. That catapults the train through the entire course, this time heading backwards. It finally returns to the station and rolls to a stop to end the ride.
Despite making two laps, the whole experience is over in little more than one minute on the short course. With all of the forward and backwards motion, obviously FirleFranz is a one-train operation. As with one-train rides such as Superman Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (and other Premier Sky Rockets), I’d imagine the line can get pretty long for the Bayern-Park coaster.
What do you make of this one-of-a-kind ride? Would you want to see this concept used on a larger, more extreme coaster?
Wait a sec. At first, the train veers to the left when it leaves the station. It veers to the right on the second pass which sends it up the dead-end spike. But when the backwards-facing train returns to the station it comes in from the right. Isn't that where the dead-end spike is? How is that possible?