Europa Park | Voltron | Mack Rides Stryker Coaster | 2024

[roomraider]

Just booked in for opening day... (and a day either side.)

Not actually blown away as such by anything I've seen so far, including the ugly metal lattice tower that people are drooling over because they added some disco lights, but will wait until I see it in person, photos probably don't do it justice.

Layout looks fun, just hope the turntable doesn't kill the experience... Why would they go with a turntable instead of working in a switch track like Intamin? It looks incredibly slow (the turntable that is.)

Anyway, wasn't expecting a lot from LG and ended up loving it, so fingers crossed.

I was wondering that but I came to the conclusion it's a capacity thing. The turntable has 2 tracks so as soon as the turntable rotates and the other one slots into place the preceding block is then clear

While the first train goes through any little show sequence and then does the rocking launch another train can be heading towards the turntable through the preceding track.

On the Intamin version the block before the rocking launch isn't clear until the train clears tophat and the track switch can rotate back into position.

With Voltron having 7 trains I guess having that block clear and being able to have a train in it while another runs through the launches makes quite a difference.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

I was wondering that but I came to the conclusion it's a capacity thing. The turntable has 2 tracks so as soon as the turntable rotates and the other one slots into place the preceding block is then clear

While the first train goes through any little show sequence and then does the rocking launch another train can be heading towards the turntable through the preceding track.

On the Intamin version the block before the rocking launch isn't clear until the train clears tophat and the track switch can rotate back into position.

With Voltron having 7 trains I guess having that block clear and being able to have a train in it while another runs through the launches makes quite a difference.

I haven't followed construction that closely, so I wasn't aware there'd be a show scene as part of the turntable, if that is the case it may add to the experience rather than detract from it.

Your conclusion made sense, but I wondered how many seconds were actually saved, because, in the animations at least, the turntable is extremely slow. So I only went and compared the POVs.

Toutatis takes around 25 seconds from the point of passing the switch track, to complete the swing launch and clear the top hat. If the animation is accurate, Voltron seems to take 24 seconds from the point of first hitting the brakes, to the turntable locking in after rotation.

Now let's say a margin of error of 10% on both, because I've no idea where the block sensors are exactly, and there's a difference of up to 5 or 6 seconds. (Though it could be less than 1 second.)

I guess it makes sense, seconds saved is seconds saved. And no doubt the GP will enjoy the turntable as a bit of a gimmick. It just looks like it kills the flow of the coaster to me though. Hopefully there's a good show scene, or little surprise in there.

 

[StevenX]

I believe the transfer track and storage shed is off the turntable too, perpendicular to the two main tracks, so it makes sense from a logistical point of view.

Also, to state the obvious, it turns the trains in the direction they want them to face for the second part of the layout, whereas a switch track wouldn't unless I'm missing something?

 

[Nicky Borrill]

I believe the transfer track and storage shed is off the turntable too, perpendicular to the two main tracks, so it makes sense from a logistical point of view.

Also, to state the obvious, it turns the trains in the direction they want them to face for the second part of the layout, whereas a switch track wouldn't unless I'm missing something?

No, you’d need another turn in the layout before, to bring you onto the swing launch from the other direction, hence I said ‘work in a switch track.’ But that’s surely easier to design in than a whole turntable. The turntable looks like it takes up a lot of space and requires a full brake run too.

Seems an odd place for a TT and shed too, I didn’t know it was there. But half way around the layout does not seem ideal operationally. I guess if the turntable is close to the station, staff and main op console, then it’s no different really and no issue.

 

[Ethan]

I imagine the engineers at Mack know what they're doing so I'm gonna leave it up to them to design things like this.

 

[VonRolland]

No, you’d need another turn in the layout before, to bring you onto the swing launch from the other direction, hence I said ‘work in a switch track.’ But that’s surely easier to design in than a whole turntable. The turntable looks like it takes up a lot of space and requires a full brake run too.

Seems an odd place for a TT and shed too, I didn’t know it was there. But half way around the layout does not seem ideal operationally. I guess if the turntable is close to the station, staff and main op console, then it’s no different really and no issue.

The garage is at that of the layout because that's the only place they could fit it

 

[Nicky Borrill]

I imagine the engineers at Mack know what they're doing so I'm gonna leave it up to them to design things like this.

Great take... Guess every ride in the world, designed by expert engineers, is incredible then... I'll remember never to express any concerns with any future elements / layouts ever again...

You may want to look over your own post history though, as I did, and there's a few of your own similar concerns with planned rides elsewhere in there... Or is this just a 'trust Mack' thing?

I've ridden mack coasters, with transfer tracks or turntables in the layouts, and they were annoying enough at the start of the layout. Hence my concerns for one being in the middle potentially killing the flow. But happy to be proven wrong.

The garage is at that of the layout because that's the only place they could fit it

So is it not part of the turntable then?

 

[VonRolland]

Great take... Guess every ride in the world, designed by expert engineers, is incredible then... I'll remember never to express any concerns with any future elements / layouts ever again...

You may want to look over your own post history though, as I did, and there's a few of your own similar concerns with planned rides elsewhere in there... Or is this just a 'trust Mack' thing?

I've ridden mack coasters, with transfer tracks or turntables in the layouts, and they were annoying enough at the start of the layout. Hence my concerns for one being in the middle potentially killing the flow. But happy to be proven wrong.


So is it not part of the turntable then?

Garage does utilise the Turntable yes

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Garage does utilise the Turntable yes

So, does it utilise it at 90 degrees to the main layout then? Or am I completely misunderstanding?

If it does, that’s pretty clever to be fair.

 

[VonRolland]

at 9 seconds the garage is on the left & the turntable on the right

 

[Trax]

You can see the tracks to the maintenance building in this shot:

 

[Nicky Borrill]

at 9 seconds the garage is on the left & the turntable on the right

You can see the tracks to the maintenance building in this shot:


View attachment 30553

So it is at 90 degrees to the main layout, that's a pretty cool way to use it to be fair.

How does a train get onto and off this section of track? Is there a transfer or switch track elsewhere? I guess there must be if, as Vonrolland suggests, it's at the end of the layout rather than the middle?

Is there a full layout blueprint anywhere? As this is really intriguing me now.

Edit: Nevermind, I think I've misunderstood @VonRolland when I thought he said it was at the end of the layout... It looks like it is accessed from the middle of the layout by simply turning the table 90 degrees instead of 180.

 

[Dar]

How does a train get onto and off this section of track? Is there a transfer or switch track elsewhere? I guess there must be if, as Vonrolland suggests, it's at the end of the layout rather than the middle?

Do you mean for storage & maintenance? Because then it's just another stop on the turntable
Or do you mean when they put the trains on to the circuit? In that case, I think there's a small piece of track they can remove to get them into the shed.

I think they've chosen that spot for how close it is to the road, to cut down on having to navigate trucks and trains into the park proper!

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Do you mean for storage & maintenance? Because then it's just another stop on the turntable
Or do you mean when they put the trains on to the circuit? In that case, I think there's a small piece of track they can remove to get them into the shed.

I think they've chosen that spot for how close it is to the road, to cut down on having to navigate trucks and trains into the park proper!

Sorry, Dar, went and edited my post while you were replying.

 

[roomraider]

So, does it utilise it at 90 degrees to the main layout then? Or am I completely misunderstanding?

If it does, that’s pretty clever to be fair.

It's clever but not even close to the ridiculous tilting 5 way switch on Eurosat. That things ingenious

https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters/comments/bd3e4d
Europa Park quickly becoming a destination park for transfer track nerds.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

It's clever but not even close to the ridiculous tilting 5 way switch on Eurosat. That things ingenious
View attachment 30554
https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters/comments/bd3e4d
Europa Park quickly becoming a destination park for transfer track nerds.

I had no idea that was even a thing, despite having ridden it several times. Never done VR though, so I guess that explains it. That is pure genius

So, I did some digging as to why, and the suggestion is that the 5 points are...

1. End of layout
2. Access To Normal Station
3. Access To 'Shed'
4. Access to VR Station
5. Return From VR Station to main layout (passing through the normal station after this switch track.)

Is that right?

 

[roomraider]

I had no idea that was even a thing, despite having ridden it several times. Never done VR though, so I guess that explains it. That is pure genius

So, I did some digging as to why, and the suggestion is that the 5 points are...

1. End of layout
2. Access To Normal Station
3. Access To 'Shed'
4. Access to VR Station
5. Return From VR Station to main layout (passing through the normal station after this switch track.)

Is that right?

As far as I know yes.

They were very effusive about it when I did a backstage tour of EP a few years ago. Although because the ride was running we couldn't go and see it

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Four combinations between the five track sections.
1. CanCan trains to continue as normal between brake run & the waiting positions towards the station.
2. VR trains exiting the station into the layout via CanCan station
3. VR trains returning from brake run into the VR waiting position towards VR station
4. Maintenance Bay to bring in or remove trains from the CanCan or VR waiting position

 

[Niles]

The seventh/final train is now on the track.

Source

this one way to get the water out of the dummies.

It does look awesome.

Source

 

[supersion]

The ride looks fantastic, and I'm sure will ride amazingly too!

I do have to say though... for going to such lengths theming the ride in most places... it feels a little odd that the turntable section essentially is housed in a tin shed that wouldn't look out of place at a Merlin park... or do we know if there's still more to be done on that?