Mindbender
| Mindbender | |
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| Data | |
| Location |
Galaxyland ( Edmonton , Canada ) |
| Type | Steel - seated |
| category | Indoor roller coaster |
| Drive type | Friction wheel lift hill |
| Manufacturer | Schwarzkopf GmbH |
| Designer | Ingenieurbüro Stengel GmbH |
| opening | 1985 |
| length | 1280 m |
| height | 44 m |
| Departure | 39 m |
| Dimensions | 98 × 34 m² |
| Max. speed | 97 km / h |
| Max. acceleration | 6.78 g , after |
| Travel time | 1:13 min |
| capacity | 430 people per hour |
| elements | 2 loops with ⌀ 14 m, 1 loop with ⌀ 12 m |
| Inversions | 3 |
Mindbender is a steel roller coaster built by Schwarzkopf GmbH in Galaxyland , an amusement park within the West Edmonton Mall ( Edmonton , Canada ).
Mindbender calamity
On June 14, 1986 one of the worst roller coaster accidents ever occurred on this track. Three people died, one was seriously injured, and two were broken. The remaining ten inmates got away with bruises and severe shock. As could be determined later, the cause of the accident was a technical error. The wheel structure of one of the train's cars came loose due to lack of maintenance. In this accident, said link hit a support pillar and dragged on the rail. This slowed the train down, failed to make the loop and rolled back, the last link hitting a concrete pillar.
Triple Five Corp., which owns the shopping center and the amusement park, wanted to hold Schwarzkopf GmbH responsible for this accident. However, the on-site evidence showed that the park had ignored, among other things, an inspection instruction from the General Safety Services Division (a kind of TÜV ) - in general, for reasons of cost (70,000 dollars), an acceptance by the German TÜV was waived. The trains were only examined externally and not, as prescribed, taken off the track for inspection. A superficial assessment while driving does not allow the screws and bolts on the wheel structures to be checked. Many such bolts were no longer in their original place during the initial period of operation. Furthermore, the operating manual was not initially translated into English. This instructs fitters to check all screws and bolts weekly. After the accident it turned out that a good quarter of all bolts on the axle construction were no longer present or damaged. A responsible person could not be found.
The railway went back into operation after technical changes and tightening of safety precautions. No incidents have been reported since then.
Propulsion, trains and construction
- Drive: friction drive
- Crew: before the accident: five trains, four-unit, for 16 people / train; after the accident for safety reasons: three trains, tripartite, for twelve people / train
- Construction: an elevator drive gear through cardan shafts connected with drive, anti-reverse and brakes
literature
- Klaus Schützmannsky: Roller Coaster . ISBN 3-933257-39-5
Web links
- Mind Bender to the parking site (English)
- Mindbender on Schwarzkopf Coaster Net by Michael Pantenburg
- Mindbender on RCDB
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 53 ° 31'25 " N , 113 ° 37'13" W.