Swiss Bob
Swiss Bob (or "Bobbaan" in Dutch) was a Bobsled roller coaster in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands.
| Swiss Bob | |
|---|---|
 The entrance to Swiss Bob in 2018 | |
| Efteling | |
| Location | Efteling |
| Park section | Anderrijk |
| Coordinates | 51°38′53″N 5°02′51″E |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | 4 April 1985 |
| Closing date | 1 September 2019[1] |
| Replaced by | Max & Moritz |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Bobsled |
| Manufacturer | Intamin |
| Designer | Giovanola |
| Model | Swiss Bob |
| Track layout | Bobsled |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift |
| Height | 65.62 ft (20.00 m) |
| Length | 1,778.22 ft (542.00 m) |
| Speed | 37.28 mph (60.00 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2.10 minutes |
| Max vertical angle | 80° |
| Capacity | 750 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 47.3 in (120 cm) |
| Swiss Bob at RCDB Pictures of Swiss Bob at RCDB | |
History
During the 2017 and 2018 season, the Bob had several issues and was closed for several months in order to fix these. These included issues with trains rolling back on the lift hill and issues with the brakes. Since 2017, the Bob closed down during rain, as the brakes were unable to stop the trains when the track was wet.
In October 2018, the Bob reopened and it was announced that it was going to close down permanently on 1 September 2019 to make place for the powered coaster Max & Moritz, based on the German tale of the same name.
Characteristics
"Bobbaan" had 8 trains, each with a capacity of 6 passengers. The original Bobsleds, with inline seating, were replaced with new trains that sit 2 across in order to increase the ride capacity and fight back the extreme queue times (of up to 90 minutes). The original Bobsled cars were replaced by sleds with a wooden theming that matches the station's classical Austrian Alps style.
The original trains were sold to Six Flags Over Texas for their La Vibora bobsled roller coaster.
It was a smooth ride, especially since the original steel wheels were replaced by softer ones in order to comply with the night- opening license. The ride meanders through the trees, and has some drops, curves and points where the ride really picks up some speed.
The music in the station is traditional Austrian music.
References
- "Zo neemt de Efteling op 1 september afscheid van de Bob". Loopings. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.