Der Mammut: Tripsdrill 2008 - RCPro Update Pg. 2

[Mike T]

One of the more interesting additions to the 2008 season that often has gone overlooked is the collaborative project that is taking place at Tripsdrill Amusement Park in Germany...

Der Mammut (German for Mammoth) debuts for the 2008 season as the park's new Wooden coaster, boasting a height of 98 feet tall, sending passengers on a 2,800 foot journey at a top speed of 56 miles per hour. What makes Der Mammut such a unique attraction is not its configuration, but more or less who is behind this project. The ride was designed by Werner Stengel, and is being constructed by Cordes GmbH, the firm that created the laminated, prefabricated track for rides such as Balder, Colossos, and the ever so popular El Toro attraction at Six Flags Great Adventure. And to put an even bigger spin on things, Gerstlauer will be providing the attractions rolling stock.

With all that said, it makes for one of the most interesting and inspiring roller coaster projects to date. With the ride's twisted design, it will be interesting to see how the prefabricated track "weathers" under the extreme conditions for which the Gerstlauer trains must navigate. It has been said in the past (and noted through Son Of Beast) that Werner Stengel designs his wooden roller coasters as if they were steel, only replacing the steel component with a wooden composite material. With that ideology, will Stengel's radical design be able to live up to the restrictions that are so heavily placed on wooden coasters?

http://www.lifthill.net/berichte/mammutpreview/mammut5.jpg

[Jake]

Looking at all of the people who have a hand in this, it worries me a little. It appears the only saving grace this coaster has is that it will have pre-fab track. I'd love to get out there and ride it for myself though, it should be an interesting coaster.

[Dan]

I'm excited for this! All the companies taking part are well established and popular. Can't wait to see some construction shots of this, it looks like it will have the same look as some of the later woodies, with the traditional twister style. As far as Stengel, the man knows what he's doing. He knows how far he can push technology. He doesn't cross the line, he pushes it forward.

[Thrill Reconnoiter]

^^It won't be prefab, which I think will either make or break this coaster.

I'm really glad to see Tripsdrill getting a large installment because I believe it looks like one of most scenic parks around.

[Jake]

Sorry, I must have read Mike's post incorrectly.

This just affirms what I was thinking before, I have a baaaad feeling about this ride.

[JD71]

With the ride's twisted design, it will be interesting to see how the prefabricated track "weathers" under the extreme conditions for which the Gerstlauer trains must navigate.

So does it or does it not have prefab track?

[Mike T]

I was always under the impression that when a company like Cordes GmbH was contacted to do work, that a coaster would receive prefabricated segments. But, at the same time, there are people who claim that the ride will not have pre-fabricated track for budget reasons. So that statement is up in the air for now...

[Arez]

The layout looks like fun, but my only concern is how the performance of the Gerstlauer trains will affect the overall ride experience. Having ridden two coaster that run G-trains (Villain & Son of Beast) I can tell you that for the most part, they're okay. I think that the reason most enthusiasts complain is because there is no padding on the seats, as featured on GCII's Millennium Flyer model, or PTC's trains, which allows for an uncomfortable ride.

The G-trains perform alright throughout most of the layout, however they tend to jack hammer in the valleys, and they can shake you up quite a bit on tight transitions. Obviously with the twisting nature of Der Mammut, there will be quite a few uncomfortable spots. I just think that Gerstlauer is the wrong manufacturer to go to when it comes to major wooden coasters.

-Alex

[Mike T]

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_5997_968.jpg


Image of forum member Wrebbit (Theme Park Review)...

After doing some research, I found out that this coaster has a price tag of about $8,700,000 USD. While that may seem like a pretty hefty tag for a wooden roller coaster, take a look at this in comparison. Balder, when it opened, had an estimated price tag of $15,300,000 USD.

Ing.-Holzbau Cordes GmbH & Co. KG will not carpenter the track on site as usual with wooden coaster manufacturing, but produce it in advance. There will be no modern CNC-controlled shaping as with what was done with Colossos, Balder and El Toro. The track will be made the traditional way, but it will be laminated out of several layers of wood.

I wonder if this new method of building the laminate will entice other parks around the globe to contact this firm to build their coasters. I'm sure the track wont have as precise of a flow as the CNC'ed track does, but if this provides a similar feel to that of a Plug and Play Woodie I think you will begin to see these pop up everywhere. The appealing price, the great ride, and the low maintenance laminate are 3 great marketing aspects of this design. Lets hope this coaster is a huge success.

[Voyage100]

^ Wrebbit is actually my friend. I got talking with him a lot, since I started posting in Theme Park Review.

Back to topic, thanks for adding this pic. This is really going to be something great. Tons of airtime hill and twisty elements will come. =)

[IntaminFan007]

That actually looks great so far! Cannot wait for more progress.

Thanks, Mike for showing that.

[Steve K]

I should be able to get an update either tomorrow morning or on Tuesday if all goes well as I will be driving somewhere near Tripsdrill. Can't guarantee anything, but I shall do my best. :)

[Maxamillious]

It’s interesting to see how tooth pick like the wooden structure looks at this point in construction. :)

Will the tunnel on the construction site be a featured in the layout?

[rcwhiz]

^Yeah I think that tunnel will be featured in the layout because if you look at the design of the roller coaster there seems to be a tunnel in that area.

Do the spots where the rails are supposed to go look really close to each other more so then other wooden coasters or is the picture giving me that illusion? Looks like it will be a good coaster for those people on a budget but want a nice good coaster.

[IntaminFan007]

Yeah I think that there is no illusion (because it is so far away). At least I think it looks normal.

[Jman]

Will the tunnel on the construction site be a featured in the layout?

If you look in the middle of the photograph, right hand side, you can see the exposed tube where the ride will travel through. When complete, it should feel like a tunnel, but its really just a giant drainage pipe buried in the ground.
A completely different, and more economical approach to we're used to seeing Gravity Group doing on their underground endeavors...

[Steve K]

RCPro Update - 12/26/2007 - Der Mammut @ Erlebnispark Tripsdrill

http://www.rollercoasterpro.com/updates/tripsdrill12.26.07/01f.jpg (http://www.rollercoasterpro.com/updates/tripsdrill12.26.07/)

Enjoy! :)

[Mike T]

Excellent update Steve.

I noticed that the Prefabricated slabs of track are different, and not completely assembled, which explains the involvement of Cordes in the project. I definately can't wait to see more from this coaster and it looks like they are making excellent progress for it being December...

[Jake]

Awesome update, Steve.

I'm really curious to see what kind of reviews this ride gets, once it opens.

[The Storm Runner]

Thanks for the update Steve! It looks like a really fun ride. :) It will definitely put Tripsdrill on the map. :) If only that fog goes away...

[Thrill Reconnoiter]

Is it just me or is there something very eerie about the fog that makes the ride so much more intimidating?

Great update!

[Dan]

Thanks for the update...I agree Ryan, the fog makes it seem much more fun and scary than it would normally look. I have no comment as to how smooth I think it'll run, but it does look like an awesome layout, and the turns look spectacular so far.

[p0tat0]

wow, look at that drop!

http://www.rollercoasterpro.com/updates/tripsdrill12.26.07/01k.jpg (http://www.rollercoasterpro.com/community/../updates/tripsdrill12.26.07/01k.shtml)


Wow, nice tight drop. The ride does not look forceless at all.

[Mike T]

Yeah that drop does seem to swing left pretty hard. The more I look at this, the more this thought of "Competition to GCII" screams in my mind. Jeff Pike told me that people love their twister style rides, and thats all they ask for. But with this second wheel coming into play, could Intamin start deferring business from GCII?

God I love it when there are only 3 firms in the wooden market. It makes things very exciting. Its almost like an Oligopoly, where anything can happen with a shift in the wind. :D

[Dan]

Yeah that drop does seem to swing left pretty hard. The more I look at this, the more this thought of "Competition to GCII" screams in my mind. Jeff Pike told me that people love their twister style rides, and thats all they ask for. But with this second wheel coming into play, could Intamin start deferring business from GCII?I say wait for some reviews to come in about this thing...that'll be the make or break. I believe Intamin is more expensive than GCI though, which can sway parks that want a new wooden coaster. So really there are more factors going into this than I originally thought.

There are many companies working on this project, more than usual, so it's unfair to give all the credit to Intamin. What I'd like to know is where the which company is providing the bulk of the ride's cost.

[Mike T]

Well if Intamin is selling this roller coaster for $8,700,000 USD and Troy cost $9,560,500 USD, I think they are pretty neutral when it comes to the prices of their rides.

[Dan]

Well if Intamin is selling this roller coaster for $8,700,000 USD and Troy cost $9,560,543 USD, I think they are pretty neutral when it comes to the prices of their rides.Nevermind my comment about that then. Cost has never been a strong point in my coaster knowledge, I should probably work on that.

[Mike T]

Nah its perfectly fine. Cost is one of the hardest things to figure out about a roller coaster. I had to look up both of those costs myself, because other than rides like Maverick where they shove 21 million down your throat, companies like to keep how much they spend to themselves for some reason.

[Dan]

Upon some further investigation, both prices are on RCDB :p