Vertigo, a Really Strange Coaster opens in Belgium

[[jonrev]]

Vertigo has finally opened after months of delay. Definitely a freaky looking ride (the actual ride experience is really tame from what I've heard). It uses an elevator lift, then rides on a single rail that's suspended from a few huge towers. Some of the riders have described it as similar to Disney's Soarin' only without a screen underneath.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq9v9pSq ... ed&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX7Q9VCPuF4

RCDB photos:
http://rcdb.com/ig3457.htm

[FParker185]

it's actually a year and a few months late, was last years new ride.

Does look awesome, though it's not much more than a fancy skyride, the reason why it opened late and how the ride works really freaks me out though, not 100% sure I trust it

there are actually no brakes on the track, the brakes are on the car itself and they are controlled via a wireless system, and that system controls the blocking and final brakes, etc, I guess the issue was getting that system to work right. I'm sure it's perfectly safe and all the bugs are worked out, but if I rode it that would definately be in the back of my mind during the whole ride

[zjohn1988]

Yeah that looks weird..I'd think the same thing

[Do I Know You]

That honestly doesn't look like much. It looks unnecessarily innovative. Is there any advantage to having the braking/blocking system controlled by the car itself rather than just having the brakes on the track? And the elevator lift's nothing new either. Didn't Intamin do just that with their first-gen freefalls in like, 1983? Pretty tame, too.

I'd still ride it.

[Sedir]

Too bad it doesn't have that drop shown in the first photo on rcdb.

[FParker185]

with such a minimal structure I don't think there's room for brakes on the track, also with braking controlled by each car you don't have to worry about block brakes, you could put 10 cars on the track and have them be programmed to keep a certain distance between each other.

The elevator lift is the same as was on the Caripro coasters or Lost Coaster, where the car rolls onto a short piece of track and it's lifted vertically to the start of the ride.

[cowboy1192]

It looks like it could crash or break exrtremely easily...

[cycamps]

I thought the same thing. There aren't many supports and that rail is pretty flimsy looking.

[FParker185]

the rail is actually supported via a Wire Rope so support wise it's really not that much different from your average Sky Ride. Any point on the ride where there may be any real force (the helicies) have a more traditional though funky/futuristic looking structure.

As for car to car collisions, I guess the only way to know is sit and wait and time will tell. Safety standards are much higher in Europe than in the US and if there was much of a danger I'm sure it would not be allowed to operate.

[FParker185]

http://www.lifthill.net/berichte/vertigo_eng.php

there is a ride review and some explanation on how the ride works, and it's in english. Also some really neat pics.