For only the second time in the company’s history, Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) will provide trains for a coaster that they did not build. Steel Dragon 2000 at Japan’s Nagashima Spa Land will open this year sporting two new, sleek B&M trains.
The trains seat 28 riders. Riders will sit two-abreast like some of the newer B&M mega coaster trains, but do not feature the “v” shape of trains on coasters such as Behemoth or Diamondback.
Steel Dragon 2000, a Morgan coaster, opened only months after Cedar Point’s Millennium Force, taking the “world’s tallest coaster” title. However, the coaster did not operate from 2003 to 2006 due to a sheered axle that caused one of the train’s cars to lose a wheel.
© Vertical Horizons
Vertical Horizons managed to capture a photo of the new trains. Those are B&M trains, no doubt.
So which non-B&M coaster was the first to receive B&M trains? It was Psyclone, the Dinn Corporation wooden coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. It was torn down in 2006. Hopefully Steel Dragon 2000 will fare better.
Could this be a new business venture for Bolliger & Mabillard? Which coaster would you like to see receive B&M trains? Share your ideas in the comments section below.
Well, my favorite trains are actually the Intamin trains on Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster.
Part of why the SFMM Psyclone failed was because it was ruined by the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, from what I read, it was good before the earthquake and garbage afterwords due to major work in getting it safe again when they rally should have torn it down and built anew, and with Steel Dragon costing $50mil USD, and most of that going into earthquake protection, and the fact that unlike Psyclone, this is a steel coaster, something that they are no stranger to, unlike wooden coasters. but who knows what they can do if (and when), we may see rides like the Morgan hypers in Cedar Fair parks running these new trains.
But overall, this is a GREAT move for B&M and with the praise that their hyper trains get on their own coasters, it may very well make coasters like Steel Dragon 2000 and whatever other rides get blessed with these new trains into better rides, and who knows, we may see them expand to make trains for other loopers.
From a business perspective I think this is a great move for B&M. Personally, I think the Beemer hyper coaster trains are one of the most comfortable coaster trains out there.
If Six Flags Magic Mountain is to refurbish Schwarzkopf-manufactured Revolution, I could see it possibly receiving B&M trains with lap restraints and safety belts, and the shoulder restraints phased out. This given Six Flags’ strained relationship with Gerstlauer amid Texas Giant incident. Unless the Six Flags-Gerstlauer relationship can be mended, or if Six Flags opts for Premier Rides, which manufactured SFNE Goliath/Deja-Vu train. Not sure of the chances that other Schwarzkopf coasters (SFOG Mind Bender, SFOT Shockwave, and SFGAM Whizzer) could receive updated trains.