NEW TRAIN DESIGN WITH ELEVATED SEATS ON A LSM MULTI LAUNCH COASTER
TARON holds a total of 4 World Records. Besides being the fastest Multi Launch Coaster in the world, having the most powerful LSM launch drive in the world, it is also the longest multi launch of its kind in the world and the number of intersections is breaking any record – the track crosses an unbelievable 116 times.
The most important factor of TARON’s success is Intamin’s new -open- train design. Besides the track quality and obviously also the layout, it is the trains which have a very strong impact on the ride experience and whether the ride is enjoyable and will have many repeat riders or not.
One of the client’s request was that the train had to perfectly match the ride. While the high dynamic layout with its figures and changes of direction together with the quality of the track form the basis for the ride enjoyment, the train is to some extent the bridge to the passenger. Its design brings out the way the track is laid out to build up the drama of the ride experience – and can only at its best increase it.
The very open design was intended to create a particularly free, literally unrestrained ride feeling – creating the special extra kick on the fast-paced ride through Klugheim.
The ride and consequently guest experience was the center point during the train development, looking for the highest passenger comfort, the feeling of flying, an enjoyable ride experience and at all times complying with the most stringent safety standards. At first sight a contradiction.
Safety, comfort, thematic embedding and spectacular ride enjoyment are merged into the train
TARON’S TRAINS:
THE RIDE EXPERIENCE
- The reduced train weight (for details please refer to “TARON’s trains – technical advantages” outlined below) results in the most power efficient LSM drive system in the market. Alternatively, it is now also possible to use the higher power efficiency to launch stronger, more powerful than with any other available LSM launch system.
- The seat height and especially the raised seat position where the feet do not touch the floor, allow for an experience and feeling of “flying through the air”, even for taller people.
It guarantees a more thrilling ride experience, because it combines the advantages from a sit down and a suspended roller coaster (easy and fast load / unload, no obstructed view by track above the rider, feeling of suspended riding). - Flat floor at entire vehicle. The flat floor of each train vehicle is at same height as the station floor. This barrier-free passage between the seats significantly speeds up the load/unload process and allows for a low dispatch time.
In addition the subjective ride feeling is very “open” because no side walls, steps, etc. are obstructing the seating position. - The new ergonomically formed seat with over-the-shoulder lap bars, is seating kids from 130cm as well as “big boys” up to 135kg most safely and at the same time highly comfortable in this ‘all in one’ seat. There is no need to equip the train with special dedicated “big boy seats” negatively affecting operations, the hourly capacity of the ride and the personal feelings of some guests.
- The seat design allows highly comfortable seating while keeping the upper body in position even at extreme lateral accelerations without obstruction of the view (compared to competitors).
- The restraint padding offers soft, big contact areas to upper legs guaranteeing high comfort seating even during extreme uplifting g-forces.
- The lap bar system enhances the ride experience on Taron without rigid fastening of the guest into a restraint system.
- The seat design and consequently arrangement results in a larger than usual distance between the seat rows, which further increases the feeling of comfort and enhances the ride experience.
TARON’S TRAINS:
THE TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES
- All main chassis elements are made from machined material without any welded components. With the exception of the seat brackets there are no welds, since all the other parts of the train are made from solid/forged components.
- By using the latest machinery technology the chassis weight was significantly reduced, it weighs less than its welded counterpart and the chassis tolerances are much smaller and more precise which is crucial on LSM driven trains, as this makes it easy to maintain uniform air gaps with the track-mounted stators throughout the trains.
- The new chassis generation has no weld seams at all, so the maintenance efforts are significantly minimized. E.g., the NDT tests are minimized to surface NDT checks at heavily loaded spots only. In the past chassis were welded, resulting yearly / bi-yearly in extensive NDT checks depending on train cycles. These checks are very time and cost intensive.
- Latest “state of the art” maintenance friendly bogie system, using aluminum as light weight material instead of “heavy” steel.