Swiss Bob

Swiss Bob
The entrance to Swiss Bob in 2018
Efteling
Location	Efteling
Park section	Anderrijk
Coordinates	51°38′53″N5°02′51″E / 51.64805°N 5.047392°E / 51.64805; 5.047392
Status	Removed
Soft opening date	27 March 1985
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)
Single rider line available
Swiss Bob at RCDB

Swiss Bob (or "Bobbaan" in Dutch) was a Bobsled roller coaster in the Efteling amusement park in the Netherlands.

History

Construction and opening

Construction of the Bob began in 1984. The track consisted of green gutters with a snow-colored interior and was built between the trees. A soft opening was held on 27 March 1985, during a press conference with a team of European bobsleigh riders. ^[2] On 4 April 1985 the Bob opened to the general public. ^[3]

Operation

The Swiss Bob

For the 1996 season, the hard nylon wheels were replaced with rubber ones to reduce noise and run a little faster on the track. Two years later in 1998, the queue line's capacity was expanded and the entire meandering covered and equipped with televisions. Then in 2000, a brand new computer control system would be installed. ^[4]

The Bob received new trains during the 2005 season. Each row would have two riders rather than a single. Meanwhile, the original trains were shipped to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas, where they were being used on La Vibora. ^[3]

In 2012, the queue house was refurbished with a new color scheme and signs. ^[5] A single rider entrance was added to the Bob in 2013. ^[6]

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.^{[ citation needed ]}

Closure and demolition

On 9 October 2018 Efteling announced that the Bob would be closing permanently during the 2019 season. Officials planned an expansion near Vogel Rok, but this was postponed and the Bob's replacement would occur instead. ^[7] A farewell song called Dag Mooie Bob was released. The Bob would give its final rides on 1 September 2019, along with a closing ceremony. ^[8] The following day, demolition of the attraction had already started. ^[9] A new Mack Rides dueling powered coaster named Max & Moritz was built in its place the following year. The ride reuses the Bob's former station. ^[10]

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.^{[ citation needed ]}

The original trains were sold to Six Flags Over Texas for their La Vibora bobsled roller coaster.^{[ citation needed ]}

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 meandered through the trees, and had some drops, curves and points where the ride really picked up some speed.^{[ citation needed ]}

The music in the station was traditional Austrian music.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. "Zo neemt de Efteling op 1 september afscheid van de Bob". Looopings (in Dutch). 13 August 2019. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
2. "De Magische Klok: De Bob". Efteling (in Dutch). 25 September 2019. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
3. Marden, Duane. "Bob  (Efteling)". Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved 30 March 2021.
4. "Over de Bobbaan".^{[ permanent dead link ]}
5. "Een terugblik op de Bob". Efteling (in Dutch). 1 September 2019. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
6. "Single riders-wachtrij". Eftepedia (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
7. "Max & Moritz replaces Bob at Efteling". The Coaster Kings. 10 October 2018. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
8. "'Dag mooie Bob': Efteling-fans nemen na 34 jaar afscheid van Bobslee". NOS (in Dutch). 1 September 2019. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
9. "Foto's: Efteling onmiddellijk gestart met sloopwerkzaamheden bij Bob". Looopings (in Dutch). 2 September 2019. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
10. Stevenson, John (10 March 2020). "Max & Moritz Family Coaster Nears Completion at Efteling". Coaster101. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2021.