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COASTER The 8-seat cars have been noticeably designed rich in detail
Everything that Erlebnispark Tripsdrill tackles is “... done with love.” This nice advertising slogan of the park is known by almost everybody in the branch in the meantime. But it really is so, or is quite similar at the Swabian theme park, with a proper portion of local atmosphere. There has never been just any sort of attraction “off the rack” installed at the park, but completely individual designs have been realized, which make the attractions, and with that the park
into
something
really
special. So it is not by chance
Karacho
that the very new roller coaster “Karacho” has turned out to be something really unusual.
added nephew Benjamin proudly. “A HeartlineRoll directly at the start as at Thorpe Park and Hansa-Park appeared interesting for us during internal family brainstorming”, explained Helmut Fischer, “but we didn’t want a vertical lift in the
lready shortly after the installation of the last
A
middle of the track, as in our opinion it would have
large coaster five years ago – the wooden
hampered the smooth ride sequence”. As a result
Text:
Frank Lanfer
coaster “Mammut” from Cordes Coaster – a sur-
the elements of the coaster were decided on step
Photos:
Frank Lanfer
vey showed that visitors wanted a fast looping
by step, and the feasibility checked together with
Tripsdrill
coaster. “We were happy to comply” said 27 year
manufacturer Gerstlauer and the Stengel offices.
old Benjamin Fischer, who has become a member
The end result is called “Karacho”, a coaster with
of management since the beginning of 2013, and
an incredible layout!
travels all over the world together with his father General Manager Helmut
Ronald and uncle Helmut
Fischer and his nephew
to compile ideas for their
Benjamin
own coaster. It was to be a Launch Coaster, determined right from start. “And we
50th COASTER
wanted
something
similar to ‘Oblivion’ at Alton Towers, where the
G
erstlauer Amusement
train drops into a tunnel.
Rides have realized
We’ve got that now, but
50 coasters in only 15
much
years, and “Karacho” is the
General Manager Helmut
anniversary edition of the
Fischer. And at our park
Swabian manufacturer! Our
we drop into the tunnel
heartfelt congratulations!
with a dive loop; that’s unique
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smaller”,
smiled
worldwide”,
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However, how do the world’s most popular ride
We take our places in one of the eight slightly
figures combined into one construction really ride?
heightened seats, put on the comfortable lap bars,
Remarkably well, as despite the variation of the
and we’re ready to roll. In a leisurely 180° curve
most different elements on the relatively short 700
we say goodbye to all those waiting and roll into
metre track course, the interaction can only be
darkness. But here there’s no comfortable Dark-
described as perfect. And because the eight-seat
ride sequence waiting for us, but without any
the park: not conspicuous at
cars have no shoulder restrains but laudably only
warning we shoot six metres upwards into a Heart-
any price, but integration into
lap bars, the ride fun will not produce any unplea-
line-Roll, which is followed by an also unexpected
the landscape! In the back-
sant surprises even after quite a number of years
short but intense drop that lands us on the straight
ground the castle “Raue Klin-
of operation. Additionally, the cars are equipped
acceleration section. At a flying start we catapult
ge” with water attraction and
with a completely spring mounted chassis, which
at 2,000 horse power in only 1.6 seconds to 100
“G’sengte Sau”, the first work
also has a positive effect on ride comfort.
kilometres per hour. We race in the open where a
from Gerstlauer (left) and Mich-
The general rule outside
aelsberg respectively (down)
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“Top Hat” rams us into the skies 30 metres
breather and the conclusion begins. Whilst most
vertically. Wow what a brilliant overture! In the
looping coasters only offer a helix or at the most a
lofty heights there’s hardly any time to take a
last simple twist, “Karacho” offers a sheer breath-
breath, as we race almost immediately with ab-
taking finale: after a 360° curve we twist through
undant airtime vertically towards the ground...only
an Immelmann that begins the wrong way around,
to win height subsequently once again – this time
and drop headlong into the misty tunnel, only to
in the form of a vertical loop, that is run into and
reach the open a split second later with a simple
“garage” onto the track rich in
then exited from at the side. A straight stretch
corkscrew. It’s only then – after these thrilling
experiences / if it’s too much of
leads us into an overbanked steep curve leading
moments – that the magnet brakes take a grip and
a good thing then the “Kotz-
again down towards ground level. Following a par-
we roll into the station. Phew, made it...but what an
Tonne” in the station can be
allel turn we travel into the trim brakes. A short
experience!
“Karacho” leaves the dark
used (Hofmann Figuren)
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Once again operator family Fischer has done
2014 the sophisticated outside design and the
everything right, as with the medium sized roller
theming of the station area are completed, Trips-
coaster, the Gerstlauer team has delivered a
drill has another non-typical attraction that
masterpiece, and a layout that can’t be found
radiates Swabian humour, and is up to the
anywhere else in the world. And when by spring
standard of the big ones in the branch.
■
It’s still only a building site but the model already shows a sophisticated design
FAST FACTS ■ Opening: 10th July 2013 ■ Track length: 700 m ■ Max. track difference: 30 m ■ Max. speed: 100 km/h ■ 4 inversions ■ Ride time: 1:15 min (0:15 to first drop) ■ 4 cars each for 8 pass. ■ Capacity: 960 p.p.h. ■ Theming Design: Imaginvest, Paris, France ■ Ride Design / Calculations: Stengel GmbH ■ Manufacturer: Gerstlauer Amusement Rides, Münsterhausen, Germany ■ Operator: Erlebnispark Tripsdrill, Cleebronn, Germany
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