PKI next generation B & M Dive Machine

[CoolCoasterMan]

After reading a rumor on screamscape, about Busch Gardens Tampa might be adding a next generation B & M vertical drop coaster( on screamscape there is even a link to a website, BGT Guide, that contains an interview with the parks GM, who confirms that they are going get to that ride for 2005) , I started wondering whether Paramount Kings Island would add something like that. Paramount Kings Island getting A B & M vertical drop coaster does not sound that unreasonable if you analyize the situation.

Paramount Parks, and in particual Paramount Kings Island, typically builds new innovative rides that no park around the area has anything like it. Looking back at some of their major attractions over the years, this theory that the park typically adds innovative first of kind or largest of its king rides can clearly be shown. The Beast in 1979 was definately an innovative and groundbreaking ride. It broke all the records for height, speed, and length, and to this day is still the longest wooden coaster in the world (also just recently it was voted the best wooden coaster on coasterbuzz's 2004 poll). The Bat built in 1981 (was eventually removed after a couple years and Vortex took its place) was one of the first suspended coasters and although it had its problems, it was still an innovative first of its kind attractions. Son of Beast built in 2000, was an innovative coaster that broke the records for height and speed for a wooden roller coaster, and was the first modern looping wooden roller coaster.

So the park definately has a history of adding innovative attractions (some of course more successful than others). There are two vertical drop coasters designed by B & M, but both are not in the United States. Also this version would be more than just a large vertical drop, and quite possibly contain more elements suchs as large drops, tight turns, and possibly inversions. Although Busch Gardens Tampa might be adding the same type of coaster the same year, Paramounts Kings Island version could be very different. Perhaps Busch Gardens Tampa could use a Linear Induction Motor launch (LIM) and have inversion while Paramount Kings Island could be more of a hyper coaster with large drops and a much longer track length.

Also this type of ride could easily be themed and this appears to be the parks over the last couple of years. They seem to be in the direction of creatomg themed rides that have a hollywood type feel. Also if you remember back to a survey the Paramount Parks conducted about theming and possible new attractions, there were two possible attractions that they featured. One was the Addams Family attaction, which If I remember correctly, did mention something about a vertical drop. This is not to say that the next big ride is going to be a B & M vertical drop coaster themed to the Addams family but it does show the parks interest in having a coaster with a vertical drop. The next big coaster of course does not have to be this theme. The survey also asked what movies that you have watched and what movie theme would you like to see a ride based on.

I just thought this was very interesting, and although I am not sure if a ride like this will be built in 2005, or 2006, or at all, I am definatley excited to see what the park is going to be adding. The parks last additions, In my opinion have been very good. Attactions such as: Delerium, Tomb Raider, The Action Zone with Face Off, Drop Zone, and Son of Beast, have been great addtions. I hope the future additions can live up to the precedent the park has set over the last couple of years.

[teenageninja]

Is there any proof that there is a 2nd Generation Dive Machine, how is it any different. It could have inversions, yes, but they would definitely need to do some work with the trains.

[PKI Homey]

I was under the impression that the vertical drop coaster cannot do loops due to the design of the trains. So, I would like to know as well what is different about the second generation dive machines.

[CoolCoasterMan]

I am not sure if anybody at this time except for Boliger and Mabilard and any park interested in the attraction would know exactly how it works. Right now it is just speculation and just a rumor. However I am sure back a couple years, people were not sure if a wooden coaster could have a vertical loop and be built over 200 feet Perhaps the first generation trains for the B & M dive coaster are not suited for inversions. However the first B & M vertical drop coaster, Oblivion, was built in 1998. At this time there were no flying coasters, a looping wooden coaster would of seem like a unlikely possibliity and the tallest coaster and fastest coaster at that time is probably at least 100 ft shorter and 30 mph slower than todays fastest and tallest coaster, Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. There have been great strides in new technology and new rides in the industry. At least in my opinion this type of ride does sound like a possibility. I also decided to post the link to Busch Gardens Tampa's rumored new attraction for 2005

BGT Guide

[0-120]

Well Son of Beast isn't a true wood coaster. Sure the supports are wood, but in my opinion a wood coaster doesn't have wheels below the track.

[Scooby_Doo]

I hate to ask this i feel like a dweeb asking but can someone tell me about or show me a picture of a vertical drop coaster?I love the Idea of the Addams Family Coaster of course I like the Addams Family Period.

[derbeast]

Well Son of Beast isn't a true wood coaster. Sure the supports are wood, but in my opinion a wood coaster doesn't have wheels below the track.

Every wood coaster at least at PKI has wheels under the track (upstop wheels). Think about it, the train would come off the track on Racer's bunny hills, and the trains on Beast would flip with all those high speed turns.

[adbort]

Well Son of Beast isn't a true wood coaster. Sure the supports are wood, but in my opinion a wood coaster doesn't have wheels below the track.

Every wood coaster at least at PKI has wheels under the track (upstop wheels). Think about it, the train would come off the track on Racer's bunny hills, and the trains on Beast would flip with all those high speed turns.

Thank you. All wooden coasters have wheels under the track (up-stop wheels). If it was not for them, the train would fly off the track.

[coasterrz]

Yes, every wooden coaster that has been built in the last half century has upstop wheels. Only older rides feature trains without uptops, and then the design negotiated that the hills not be curved enough to cause the car to come off the track. In short, without upstop wheels, there would be no airtime on wooden roller coasters.

[0-120]

Ok sorry, I guess I was misinformed about that...

[SOB_TOM]

Just so you know, the upstop wheel (or concept) was invented in the 1920's. I forget the guys name, but its been around awhile. All coasters have that.

Thats the second time in 24 hrs. someone has said that.

[fryler87]

This rumor about a B&M Dive Machine going in at Busch Gardens Tampa does raise my eyebrow. With the way that the online Paramount survey worded it, a B&M Dive Machine would CERTAINLY make sense for the Addams Family Coaster. As people have pointed out for years, stand-up coasters have gone through cycles every so often--Mantis, Chang and another were built in the mid-late 90s and they were all record breakers (I believe). Maybe the B&M Dive Machine is following the same path?

As for the innovation thing and having a "new version" of the "old" B&M Dive Machine, I think it's pretty much anyone's guess as to what the coaster company could do. If it were the 1980s, would anyone have thought that 2 "seat" per row stand-up cars would soon be a thing of the past, taking way to new 4 "seat" per row cars? I doubt many people thought that.

I have yet to take a good physics course, but common sense would tell me that with the way dive machine trains are designed (only two rows deep and many seats wide), there would be tremendous force going into a loop and coming out of it, unless the inversion looked like an even thinner tear-drop. Could a heartline roll work? Sure! Corkscrew? Maybe.

Either way, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Island got a B&M Dive Machine with bells and whistles never seen before on the two previous installations. After all, isn't innovation the thing that keeps people coming back to amusement parks each year?