![]() | |
Company type | Public ( Aktiengesellschaft ) |
---|---|
SIX: ROL | |
Industry | metal industry ![]() |
Founded | 1803 |
Headquarters | , |
Key people | |
Number of employees | 1536 (31 December 2017) |
Website | vonroll |
Von Roll Holding AG is a Swiss industrial group that operates worldwide that was founded in 1803. As one of Switzerland's longest-established industrial companies, Von Roll focuses today on products and systems for electrical applications such as power generation, transmission, and storage as well as e-mobility and industrial applications. It made gondola systems, monorails, and funicular systems at attractions in various countries.
Von Roll has its roots in the Eisenwerke der Handelsgesellschaft der Gebrüder Dürholz & Co. (Ironworks of the commercial firm of the Brothers Dürholz & Co.) which was established in 1803. This firm was then taken over in 1810 by Von Roll & Cie, newly formed by Ludwig Freiherr von Roll (1771–1839) and Jakob von Glutz. In May 1823, Ludwig von Roll founded the Gesellschaft der Ludwig von Roll'schen Eisenwerke which benefited from industrialization and railroad construction that demanded a lot of iron. [1]
Von Roll participated in the construction of the Wetterhorn Elevator in 1908. [2]
The business developed into one of the most important industrial groups in Switzerland with more than 10,000 employees in the 1970s. Like other Swiss companies, Von Roll suffered during the oil crisis of 1973. The company underwent financial restructuring after financial restructuring, seemingly without end. As recently as 2003, Von Roll had to fight for its survival. At the end of 2002, following the accumulated losses of previous years, Von Roll's equity capital had shrunk to 10.3 million. In 2004 the company initiated a new strategy to focus on the insulation business, beginning its turnaround.
The main shareholder is in early 2019 August von Finck Jr. family with above 65% of the quotes. After the conversion of some convertible bonds in December 2018 the composition of shareholders became unclear. [3] [4] [5] In 2019 the company is involved in law case for some salaries paid in euro (€). [6]
Von Roll Seilbahnen AG was the aerial tramway and cableway division that was sold to Austrian manufacturer Doppelmayr in 1996.
Perhaps Von Roll's best-known product was the type 101 sky ride or simply "VR101" that operated in many amusement parks. A total of over 100 were installed. As of 2008, only ten remained operational. On 30 December 1954 Felseneggbahn was opened. It was built by Von Roll in seven months for one million Swiss francs. It still runs, and on 31 March 2010, it carried its 10 millionth passenger. [7] The Disneyland Skyway was Von Roll's first aerial ropeway in the United States. It opened on 23 June 1956 and closed on 9 November 1994. The first Von Roll VR101 was built in Films, in 1944, and replaced in 1986.
Ride name | Opened | Park name | Location | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Krupka-Komáří Sky Ride | 1952 | Lanová Dráha Krupka | Krupka, Czech Republic | The last VR101 Sidechair lift in the world, not to be replaced for a long time. Received historical status. The oldest and longest-serving detachable monocable ropeway in history. | |
Skyride | 1962 | Cedar Point | Sandusky, Ohio | Uses former Frontier Lift cabins. | [8] |
Skyride | 1962 | Superland | Rishon LeZion, Israel | ||
Skyride | 1964 | Minnesota State Fair | Falcon Heights, Minnesota | ||
Bayside Skyride | 1967 | SeaWorld San Diego | San Diego, California | Round-trip ride. | [9] |
Skyfari | 1969 | San Diego Zoo | San Diego, California | ||
Skyride | 1974 | Busch Gardens Tampa | Tampa, Florida | [10] | |
Skyway | 1974 | Six Flags Great Adventure | Jackson Township, New Jersey | Originally built for the 1964 World's Fair in Queens. | |
Sky Lift | 1974 | Taman Safari | Bogor, Indonesia | ||
Aeronaut Skyride | 1975 | Busch Gardens Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Virginia | 3 stations, all one-way. | |
Delta Flyer / Eagle's Flight | 1976 | California's Great America | Santa Clara, California | ||
Skyride | 1980 | Washington State Fair | Puyallup, Washington | Originally built for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. | |
Cableway | 1995 | National Coffee Park | Quindío Department, Columbia | Combination ride of Bronx Zoo and Knoxville World's Fair rides. |
Ride Name | Opened | Closed | Park Name | Location | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alpine Swiss Skyride | 1963 | 1994 | Aquarena Springs | San Marcos, Texas | Closed in 1994, removed in 2013. | |
Jennerbahn | 1953 | 2017 | Berchtesgaden National Park | Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany | Replaced by a modern 10-passenger gondola. The second-to-last VR101 in Europe. Original chairs replaced in the 1970s - 1980's with gondola cabins. | |
Astrolift | 1967 | 1981 | Six Flags Over Georgia | Austell, Georgia | Cabins used for Sky Buckets. | [11] |
Astrolift | 1961 | 1981 | Six Flags Over Texas | Arlington, Texas | Removed over safety concerns. | |
Astroway | 1968 | 2005 | Six Flags AstroWorld | Houston, Texas | Demolished along with the park. | |
Brussels World's Fair Skyride | 1960 | 1976 | Lakeland | Memphis, Tennessee | ||
Delta Flyer / Eagle's Flight | 1976 | 1984 | Six Flags Great America | Gurnee, Illinois | Cabins moved to Six Flags Great Adventure. | |
Frontier Lift | 1968 | 1985 | Cedar Point | Sandusky, Ohio | Cabins used on Skyride, removed for Iron Dragon. | |
Gondola Skyride | 1982 | ???? | World's Fair 1982 | Knoxville, Tennessee | Relocated to Parque Nacional del Café. | |
Lake Louise Gondola | 1959 | 2019 | Lake Louise | Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada | Built in 1959. | |
New England Sky Way | 1973 | 2014 | Six Flags New England | Agawam, Massachusetts | Built in 1963 at Coney Island (Brooklyn, NY); removed to build Wicked Cyclone. | |
Ocean Skyway | 1958 | 1967 | Pacific Ocean Park | Santa Monica, California | Relocated to Legend City (Phoenix, AZ) as Sky Ride. | [12] |
Tucson Mining Company Ore Buckets | 1960 | 1964 | Freedomland USA | Bronx, New York | Towers are used at Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ; believed that the buckets were from the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. | |
Satellite | 1968 | 1983 | Legend City | Phoenix, Arizona | ||
Sky Buckets | 1968 | 2020 | Six Flags Over Georgia | Austell, Georgia | Cabins moved to Six Flags Great Adventure. | [13] |
Skyfari | 1972 | 2009 | Bronx Zoo | Bronx, New York | Relocated to Parque Nacional del Café. | |
Skyride | 1964 | 1999 | Brackenridge Park | San Antonio, Texas | Closed in 1999, removed in 2002 due to maintenance costs. | |
Skyride | 1965 | 1971 | Coney Island | Cincinnati, Ohio | Relocated to Kings Island. | |
Skyride | 1968 | ???? | Hemisfair '68 | San Antonio, Texas | Continued operation after fair closure. | |
Skyride | 1972 | 1979 | Kings Island | Mason, Ohio | Relocated from Coney Island (Cincinnati, OH). | |
Skyride | 1967 | 1996 | La Ronde | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Built for 1967 World's Fair, demolished; only boarding-station platform remains. | |
Skyride | 1972 | 1997 | Opryland | Nashville, Tennessee | Parts moved to Six Flags New England. | |
Skyride | 1966 | 1975 | Pirates World | Dania, Florida | ||
Skyride | 1965 | 2023 | Tulsa State Fairgrounds | Tulsa, Oklahoma | The Tulsa Skyride ran from 1971 to 2006 at Bell's Amusement Park. After Bell's closed, it was then run by the county during state fairs until 2019. In 2023 it was dismantled and sold to GT Amusement Service, an Iraq based company who states they plan to refurbish and re-open it in the United Arab Emirates | [14] [15] |
Skyway | 1956 | 1994 | Disneyland | Anaheim, California | Removed due to stress cracks in Matterhorn battery. | |
Skyway | 1971 | 1999 | Magic Kingdom | Lake Buena Vista, Florida | ||
Skyway | 1983 | 1998 | Tokyo Disneyland | Urayasu, Chiba, Japan | ||
Sky-Way | 1971 | 1981 | Six Flags St. Louis | Eureka, Missouri | Accident on 26 July 1978 killed 3 and seriously injured 1. Cabins moved to Six Flags AstroWorld. | |
Southern Cross | 1977 | 1983 | Six Flags Great America | Gurnee, Illinois | Cabins moved to Six Flags Great Adventure. | |
Space Ride | 1963 | 1967 | Riverview Park | Chicago, Illinois | ||
Swiss Skyride | 1964 | 1979 | Fair Park/State Fair of Texas | Dallas, Texas | Removed after accident, 1 killed. | |
Union 76 Skyride | 1962 | 1980 | Century 21 Exposition | Seattle, Washington | Ran at Seattle Center, relocated to Washington State Fair. | |
Sky Hi | 1973 | 1987 | Worlds of Fun | Kansas City, Missouri |
The Mk II and Mk III monorail automated people mover (APM) systems were installed in a variety of locations before the technology was sold to Adtranz (later Bombardier), [16] which continues to supply the parts for the monorail systems.
AirTrain Newark opened in 1996 and is a Von Roll system. The AirTrain Newark system was extended to connect with Amtrak and NJ Transit in 2001.
The monorail cars at Alton Towers theme park in England were built for Expo 86 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Von Roll also manufactured the old Sentosa Monorail in Sentosa Island, Singapore, in 1982, which closed down in March 2005.
The Jurong Bird Park Panorail in Jurong Bird Park, Singapore is a four-car straddle-beam monorail that began operation in 1991 and ceased operations in 2012.
Australia has had a total of four Von Roll Monorail systems, currently one is still in operation. A Von Roll MkII system is in operation at Sea World theme park on the Gold Coast (first monorail in Australia which opened in 1986). A MkIII Monorail system in nearby Broadbeach linking Oasis Shopping Centre to Jupiter's Hotel & Casino opened in 1989, but closed on 29 January 2017 due to life-expired equipment and declining patronage. [17] [18] Another MkIII Monorail system, the Sydney Monorail, operated in Australia linking the City Centre to Darling Harbour, began operation on 21 July 1988 and due to a lack of spare parts it ceased operation on 30 June 2013. [19] [20] A MkII Monorail system was also in operation during World Expo 88 held in Brisbane, Australia, with a loop around the expo site at Southbank. After Expo it was dismantled and three of the four trains were sold back to Von Roll for use at Europa-Park in Germany; the fourth train and some of the track was sold to Sea World. [21]
Cedar Point's Space Spiral, Astro World's Astro needle and Coney's Space Tower were built by Willy Bühler Space Towers Company of Berne, Switzerland, with cabins by Von Roll. In 1971 Intamin started marketing these towers and contracted these same companies to build them. Willy Bühler Space Towers was eventually acquired by Von Roll.
A people mover or automated people mover (APM) is a type of small scale automated guideway transit system. The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks.
World Expo 88, also known as Expo 88, was a specialised Expo held in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia, during a six-month period between Saturday, 30 April 1988 and Sunday, 30 October 1988, inclusive. The theme of the Expo was "Leisure in the Age of Technology", and the mascot for the Expo was an Australian platypus named Expo Oz.
AirTrain Newark is a 3-mile (4.8 km) monorail people mover system connecting the terminals & various parking facilities at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and trains at Newark Liberty International Airport Station on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), where transfers are possible to Amtrak and NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor Line and North Jersey Coast Line. The monorail opened in 1996, and is planned to be replaced by the mid-to-late 2020s.
Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein, best-known for designing and constructing thrill rides and roller coasters at dozens of international theme parks, amusement parks and other establishments. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement installations". The company has corporate offices across the world, including three in Europe, three in Asia, and two in the United States.
The Disneyland Monorail is an attraction and transportation line at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It was the first daily operating monorail in the world.
Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, with headquarters in Berlin, Germany. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Bombardier Transportation had many regional offices, production and development facilities worldwide. It produced a wide range of products including passenger rail vehicles, locomotives, bogies, propulsion and controls. In February 2020, the company had 36,000 employees, and 63 manufacturing and engineering locations around the world. Formerly a division of Bombardier Inc., the company was acquired by French manufacturer Alstom on 29 January 2021.
Skyline Luge Sentosa is a luge and skyride system located in Sentosa, Singapore. The attraction opened on 26 August 2005. The luge, situated on the Imbiah Lookout cluster opposite the Tiger Sky Tower, has four tracks. The tracks are called the Jungle Trail, the Dragon Trail, the Kupu Kupu Trail and the Expedition Trail (658 meters. The Jungle Trail is the oldest, followed by the Dragon Trail and the Kupu Kupu and Expedition trails. The luge is a self-driving car system in which riders control the speed by pushing a pair of handlebars back and forth. The luge ride goes downhill, relying on gravitational pull to move. After the ride, the 315 meter long Skyride, using chairlifts, brings riders, luge carts, and the helmets back to the starting point. The Skyride is similar to a ski lift. There are two Skyride systems available for use.
The Sentosa Monorail was a monorail system which served as the main means of transportation on the island of Sentosa in Singapore, and has been replaced by the new monorail system, the Sentosa Express. The system was constructed at a cost of S$14 million by Von Roll of Switzerland, who also built the Singapore Cable Car.
Skyride is a transportation attraction at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. It carries passengers from the Edge of Africa section of the park to the Stanleyville section or vice versa. During this experience, passengers get a bird's-eye view of several attractions at the park.
A slope car is a small automated monorail, or a fusion between monorail, people mover, inclined elevator and rack railway. It is a brand name of Kaho Manufacturing. Since this mode of transportation is relatively unknown, it lacks widely accepted generic name, other than the simple "monorail". The system is different from normal modern monorails in many ways. It is a development from industrial monorails used in 1960s orchards. Slope cars are installed in more than 80 places in Japan and South Korea.
Skyride is one of the few remaining dual gondola lifts in the world located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. The Skyride carries passengers on a 1/3 mile, four-minute trip between the Fantasy Forest and the Frontier Adventures sections of the park. It is one of the few rides to allow park guests under 42 inches (1,100 mm) in height to ride and may ride accompanied by a responsible adult. The Skyride is one of only four rides in the park that allows cameras to be taken and used on the ride. As of 2024 the Ride is currently closed and not shown on park maps. There is no word if the ride will re-open in near future.
The California State Fair (CSF) is the annual state fair for the state of California. The fair is held at Cal Expo in Sacramento, California. The Fair is a 17-day event showcasing California's industries, agriculture, and diversity of people. The CSF features blue-ribbon animal displays, culinary delights and competitions, live music concerts, a carnival, fireworks, and other family fun. In 2018, officials reported daily attendance drew between 20,000 and 60,000 people per day and about $8.5 million of food and beverage expenditures. The fair is policed by the California Exposition and State Fair Police.
The Sea World Monorail System was a 2-kilometre (6,600 ft) monorail circuit around the Sea World theme park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It was Australia's only remaining monorail system, after the closure of the Sydney Monorail and the other system at Broadbeach, linking the Oasis Shopping Centre with The Star Gold Coast.
The Minirail was an automated monorail system on Saint Helen's and Notre Dame islands in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The network was built for the 1967 World's Fair, and continued to operate for Man and his World. The system consisted of three independent circuits operated by two different types of trains: the larger "Blue" that ran mostly on Notre Dame Island, and the smaller "Yellow" which ran on the north and south ends Saint Helen's Island.
The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Bern, Switzerland.
Southwest Territory is a Wild West themed land at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. The roughly eleven-acre area opened in 1996 for the park's 20th anniversary, and was the largest expansion since its opening in 1976. Originally set to be built as "The Great Southwest" in 1979 under Marriott's operation, the area never came to fruition and the area was stalled.
Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) is a Swiss company specialising in energy from waste (EfW).
The Wetterhorn Elevator was an aerial tramway in the valley of Grindelwald. It connected the base of the Upper Grindelwald Glacier to a higher location in the Wetterhorn massif. The tramway was inaugurated in 1908, making it the first of its kind in Switzerland. It closed only a few years later in 1915.
The Sky Ride was designed and built by the Von Roll Iron Works in Berne, Switzerland. Early next month Von Roll engineers will be at Cedar Point to supervise installation of the 1,300-foot-long ride over the midway.
The Sea World sky ride is being built by Von Roll, Ltd., of Berne, Switzerland, and will extend over water 1,410 feet each way between the Atlantis and Sea World. When completed in early May, the sky ride will represent an investment of $350,000.
Known as the Sky Ride, the ocean "ski-lift" will be one of the 50 major "ocean wonderland" attractions at Pacific Ocean Park...The Sky Ride's plastic bubbles are being built by Skycraft Industries, of Santa Monica, and all other parts of the lift are being constructed by Von Roll Iron Works of Berne, Switzerland.
In 1994, Von Roll sold their technology to Adtranz, now a part of Bombardier.