Autumn of last year saw work on installing an Alpine Coaster 2.0 in Varsag, Transylvania, begin.
This facility has a track that is approximately 1000 metres downhill and 400 metres uphill, along with toboggan storage.
Themed comfort toboggans provide ample room for two people, wearing heavy winter equipment and ski boots, in addition to a single tobogganist or an adult with a child.
The deeper seat shells and wide, sturdy plastic backrests provide the rider's ideal seating position.
The place near the district town of Brasov is called Cheile Gradistei, and its slogan is "Cheile Gradistei is the home of all sports." There are several options, including via ferratas, ski and snowboard slopes, bike trails, and hiking trails.
The town is also the hub of Romanian biathlon competitions. Our business partner was a biathlete and Olympic competitor in the past.
Ovidiu Gârbacea started out with nothing more than "a small guesthouse and a tractor" when he made the decision to revitalise this breathtaking area and promote it as a tourist destination in Romania.
His endless reserves of energy include desire and discipline.
The Cheile Grădiștei Moieciu & Fundata is one of Romania's biggest resorts nowadays thanks to its various hotels, tennis and football courts, sports hall, biathlon arena, and a variety of other recreational amenities.
The new Alpine Coaster, which debuted in June (see images on the right and at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOJlnQInjEg), completes the package. The roughly 600-metre downhill track is partially elevated to a height of 9 metres, and two gyro structures add to the thrill factor for the toboggan riders.
The operator has chosen the Alpine Coaster 2.0 in this instance as well. This ride features wear-free eddy current technology, which has been used since 2018 on more than 100 Wiegand installations globally and ensures the highest levels of quality, safety, and comfort.
The next system is a first-generation Alpine Coaster that was constructed this spring in the outdoor recreation haven of Lacul Rosu.
The tobogganers zoom down the 670 m downhill on 20 toboggans. The visitors are transported up the mountain on their toboggans by the Wiegand lift system.
At the beginning of June, the German TÜV successfully approved all three plants and gave them the go-ahead to start operating.
However, even this is not the end of the story:
The seventh all-season Wiegand Alpine Coaster in Romania is now being constructed in Băile Homorod, a spa town and vacation destination famous for its mineral water springs. This will round off the variety of year-round offerings for tourists.
This coaster is also a second-generation Alpine Coaster, with a weather-independent, entirely wear-free braking system based on magnetic eddy current technology.
Sensors are used to capture each toboggan's position during the downhill section and compare it to the vehicless in front of and behind it. If the gap narrows to less than the required minimum, the speed of the vehicle in front is automatically decreased and the following vehicle automatically brakes with the assistance of the non-contact braking system.
The mechanism is deactivated if the rider maintains the recommended minimum distance. The distance control works as both a track end brake and a speed-limiting brake to limit the top speed of 40 km/h. The vehicle is slowed to walking speed over a further distance as soon as it reaches the end of the track.
The service brake, which the tobogganist may easily use with the help of a brake lever, functions similarly to the distance control on an eddy current basis and is therefore also resistant to wear.
The usage of front and rear lights on the toboggan, as well as the belt lock, are additional safety equipment elements.
The rain cover for the Alpine Coaster 2.0 toboggan, which protects the riders from inclement weather, is a brand-new innovation in the Wiegand product line.
Highest level of technology for astute investors
In the interim, more than 100 of the roughly 300 Wiegand Alpine Coaster operators worldwide use the "distance control" rider assistance system, which is standard on the Alpine Coaster 2.0 but is easily retrofittable to existing first-generation installations.
Other installations are currently being built in Sweden, France, Poland, the USA, Italy, and China in addition to the ones in Romania.
