Baron 1898 Now Thrilling Riders at Efteling

© Efteling

A custom designed B&M dive coaster named Baron 1898 is now plunging riders downward into a dark abyss at Efteling in the Netherlands.  The highly themed roller coaster looks like it is part of a long-closed mining operation, with cars slowly being lifted to the top of the mine tower.  After a brief pause the trains, each holding 18 riders, plunge down into a dark tunnel inhabited by the "white ladies" of local folklore.

The coaster's backstory is such that the old mine was run by a greedy man who had local residents work in the mine, digging after gold that he wanted for himself.  Many of the works died in mysterious ways, and today the mine has been reopened and plenty of odd disturbances have been noted.  The story is told though elaborate theming and preshows throughout the ride's queue.
 

© Efteling

Although Baron 1898 isn't any where near the largest or fastest B&M dive coaster, it's easily one of the best looking.  The custom lift hill support structure adds tremendously to the ride's theme, and all of the 1,643 feet of track are utilized to the fullest.  After the trains come out of the fog-filled tunnel after the first drop they roll through an Immelman and zero-g roll, ending the trip with a tight upward helix and final hill.  While small in size the quality of the ride - both in theme and design - is so great that I think that most U.S. park's would be proud to have such an attraction.

Efteling has released some point of view footage of the ride, check it out below!

New Photos and Video Show Baron 1898 Testing at Efteling

Full scale testing of Baron 1898 at Efteling is now underway, as seen in these new images released by the Dutch theme park.  The elaborately themed new ride was manufactured by B&M, one of the company's dive coasters.  It features a 123 foot drop into a dark tunnel, after climbing the mining themed lift hill.

How's this for a view?  This is what riders will see as they plunge downward into the darkness.  The tunnel is a part of the coaster's theme, which includes being set in an abandoned mine that's inhabited by some unhappy spirits.

Baron 1898 has been caught on camera undergoing testing while the theme park is open - I love how there's a huge crowd of people watching!  Check out this video:


I know that the workers have the ride stopped at the top of the lift for a long time, but I'm sure that is just a part of testing.  For a small B&M dive coaster Baron 1898 really flies through that first inversion!  Looks like it's going to be a bit more forceful than we may have thought.  Can't wait for the ride to open!

Baron 1898 Just Pieces Away From Completion

© Efteling

There's not much left to complete before Baron 1898, a new B&M designed dive coaster, will be complete at Efteling.  The ride reached it's highest point a couple weeks ago, giving us the full impression of the custom lift supports that were used on the ride.  And it looks great!  The coaster is themed to an old mining operation, with the lift hill supports customized to carry out that look.  Above is the top lift track being raised into place, you can also see the bottom of the drop already installed where the ride dips into a tunnel.

© Efteling

This image perfectly fits the ghostly theme of Baron 1898, and the theme park posted it to their Facebook to show off.  If you look through the fog you can see the Immelmann inversion that the trains navigate after the post-drop tunnel.  The track heads back toward the start of the ride after this inversion, encountering a zero-g roll and an upward helix before the ride ends.

Check out this gallery of photos that include the progress of the coaster though today, where it looks like half of the final helix is installed.  That means the ride could be completed in as soon as a couple days!

Full Layout + Details of Efteling's Baron 1898 Revealed

Click for much larger image

Efteling has given the final reveal of Baron 1898's full layout, seen above.  The B&M Dive Coaster will have a short layout as expected, but with plenty packed into the track.

After the ride's holding brake and steep first drop into a mine shaft, the trains will soar up into an Immelmann inversion, changing their direction 180 degrees.  Next comes a second inversion, a large Zero-G Roll taken with the park's pathways below it.  Finally, riders will encounter a fast upward helix before a rise and turn into the brake run.

Some additional facts on the ride were also released, and we all love statistics, right?  Baron 1898's lift will rise almost 30 meters, or just under 100 feet into the air.  After a holding brake at the top, the first drop will send the 18 passenger (3 rows of 6) cars down 37.5 meters, or 123 feet.  The maximum speed will be 56 miles per hour and the full track length is 501 meters or 1,643 feet - a 130 second ride in all.

This layout images are from Efteling's latest construction video, which shows off a ton of goodies.  This include a POV view of the ride, other renderings, very recent construction footage and plenty more.  Check that out on the park's Baron 1898 website.  You can also see recent photos of the ride's press event (held at the bottom of the first drop tunnel!) and ride model here.

Baron 1898 Vertical Construction Now Underway

One aspect of Baron 1898 at Efteling that I love is the very unique lift supports that it will use.  The B&M dive coaster will not utilize the company's standard supports, instead it will have a highly themed structure reminiscent of something found in mining operations.  Not many B&M coasters have really unique supports like this, especially just for the sake of theming.  But that's Efteling's way, and I love it.

I admit that after the initial concept art was released (above), I wondered if the actual ride would use these unique supports, and I'm happy to say that the will indeed.  The park has just started to put the main support tower in place, and it's just as gorgeous in real life as in this art.  Check out some fresh new photos at this link.

Efteling has also released a new video in their making-of series, embedded here.  This one gives a look at the ride's construction along with the park's visit to experience Krake at Heide Park.  Of note is that the tunnel that is after Baron's first drop is a bit deeper than I expected!  I will be interested to see if they released a final drop length, since it should be significantly larger than the lift height.

It seems that the park will continue to focus on building the rest of the ride's layout - so soon we will finally know what other elements the coaster will have!

Efteling's Latest Look at Baron 1898 Construction

The custom designed Bolliger & Mabillard dive coaster at Efteling "Baron 1898" may not have much track in place, but the project is already impressive.

The video above was just released by the theme park, showing off how they researched old mining operations to get a realistic theme for the coaster.  Efteling is known for the heavy level of theming for their newer attractions, often on par or even above Disney/Universal levels. (some examples of this - especially the Flying Dutchman water/coaster ride - can be found here)  Efteling appears to be trying to one up themselves with Baron, at least if the content of this video is any indication.

Work on the new roller coaster's station has been the focus thus far, though footings for the rest of the layout are underway or already completed as well.  With such a heavy layer of detail being applied to the queue and station, I'm not surprised they're focusing on it first.  There's a few additional recent photos of the station in this thread as well.

While I'm not expecting an especially long or involved layout, I'm still looking forward to seeing the rest of the coaster go up.

Track in Place for Efteling's Baron 1898

© Efteling

It's always nice to see track for a new B&M coaster being carefully lifted into place!  Efteling has received delivery of track for their new dive roller coaster, named Baron 1898.  Seen above being moved off the delivery truck, the track is a very nice deep green with a hint of blue color, one that feels just moody enough to fit the haunted theme of the attraction.

© Efteling

The ride was just announced a few weeks ago, and that included some beautiful concept art of the station, lift, and drop of the ride.  This second photo shows track for the station being put into place - also of note is that the main structure of the station is already in place as well.

While we know there is a drop that heads into an underground tunnel, we still haven't heard anything official from the park as to the rest Baron 1898's layout.

Efteling's New "Baron 1898" B&M Dive Coaster Looks Fantastic

Efteling, located in the Netherlands, has been working on a new B&M Dive Coaster, and has just announced the ride's name and theme.

The coaster will be called Baron 1898, which is a bit of an odd name but pays homage to the ride's theme and setting.  Along with the name announcement, the park has released this concept art of the beautiful station and lift/drop.

© Efteling (click for large image)

The theme park is known for the stunning theming that they build along with their rides and attractions, which is based on fairy tale themes and other mythology.  Baron 1898 will continue this trend.

© Efteling

The ride will be one of B&M's smaller dive coasters, a bit like Krake at Heide Park.  It will feature trains that seat six across in three rows.  You can see the general train design in the zoomed in concept art above.  The ride's supports appear to be custom designed to incorporate mine theming, and give the structure strong visual appeal.

Speaking of the ride's theme, it is based on Gustave Hooghmoed, who arrived in the area in 1890 and discovered and system of under ground tunnels.  He went in the tunnels to start a mining operation in search of gold and was confronted by Witte Wieven (White Woman from European mythology), who protect the ground and all that is contained in it.  The Witte Wieven quickly scared away the mine workers, leaving no one willing to continue the Baron's quest for gold.  The coaster will invite guests to check out Gustave's mines, shuttered since the workers left.

© Efteling

You can see those mysterious guardians of the mines reaching up toward the dropping train in the concept art - and while only art Efetling is so known for their theming that I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they are featured in the finished product.

As far as the coaster aspect goes, we really only know that the drop will be 123 feet, and the rest of the ride's layout is still a mystery.  I don't expect anything too big based off that drop height, but I'm sure there will be more than just a drop and brakes!

The park has started a video series about the development of the ride, seen below with subtitles in English.  Can't wait to see more about this attraction as it is released.

Weekly Rewind 7.9.11

Premier Rides has opened a new LIM launched shuttle ride at Trans Studio theme park in Indonesia.  The ride sends trains across the track at 62 mph into a mini Mr. Freeze layout.

I know we've covered Michigan's Adventure's new Beach Party interactive water fun house here before, but this article has some nice photos and video of the attraction that are worth checking out.  That geyser must be a ton of fun on a really windy day!

County Commissioners have removed spectator fees for Westchester residents visiting Playland Park.  Previous, residents had to pay a $5 fee to enter the park, which was started to help the park's finances.

Fuji-Q Highland has opened Takabisha, which is now the world's steepest coaster.  The 141 ft. drop on the ride curves inward at 121 degrees.  This story has amazing photographs, just ignore the one where they call Fujiyama Takabisha!

Knott's Berry Farm will attempt to break the world record for the most people husking corn at one time on July 14th.  No really, they are!

A new theme park is being planned to open outside Beijing, called the Monkey Kingdom.  The Funland Blog has a look at the concept art, which makes the park look quite pretty.

I'm a sucker for fountain shows, and Efteling is adding a huge one next year named Aquanura.  WET Design is behind the addition, famous for the Bellagio Dubai fountains.  Should be spectacular.

Disney California Adventure had some behind-the-walls photos shared of Cars Land construction.  It's amazing how massive the project is - this is going to be one fantastic ride when it opens next year.

Joey Chestnut once again won the hot dog eating contest held yearly at Coney Island, this year eating 62 dogs and buns in 10 minutes.  Ohhhh my stomach turns at the thought....

Joris En De Draak POV Video

We just posted a video of Efteling's new Joris en de Draak earlier this week, but Theme Park Review sent us a link to their fun video of the coasters which includes POV of each side. GCI racing goodness!

George & The Dragon Now Open At Efteling

Efteling has opened their new racing wooden coasters, named Joris en de Draak. There's a lot of videos out there of this new Great Coasters Int. ride, but I thought this one was especially good:


Efteling always does a great job with theming their rides, and this new coaster is no exception to that rule. How cool is that massive fire breathing dragon!?

Joris En De Draak Update from Efteling

Efteling released this photo of their new dueling wooden coasters, Joris En De Draak (George and the Dragon) earlier this month after the rides reached their highest point.

The Great Coasters International designed rides now stand 72 ft. tall, and replace the park's former wooden ride, Pegasus.

For more recent photos of construction, as well as a video, check out this thread. The new attraction is scheduled to open this summer at Efteling.

Weekly Rewind 11.7.09

Welcome to NewsPlusNotes' first Weekly Rewind - think of it as our Daily Spin's new little brother, who happens to appear only on Saturday or Sunday. During the week, we here at NPN have found that there's often stories that don't necessitate a full post, but we don't want to skip over them either. With that in mind the Weekly Rewind has been born. Enough chatter, on with the news bits!

Excited about Shanghai Disneyland? We are too. And so is everyone over at MiceChat, who just launched a new discussion board for the now 'greenlighted' Chinese theme park. Plenty of talk already going on!

The Lost Island water park, located in Iowa, continues work on their new Proslide Hydromagnetic Rocket water coaster. The Water Slide Services blog has been keeping the updates coming on the project. Check that out here.

The Big Dipper at the former Geauga Lake amusement park has been honored as an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark. The ride, which closed after the 2007 season, has been SBNO at the site of the park since. ACE awards rides of "historical significance" with the Landmark status.

Earnings news have come out for both Cedar Fair and Six Flags for the third quarter 2009, and neither had very good news to share. Cedar Fair is stopping their quarterly distribution, and Six Flags had to report lower revenues and attendance as well.

Construction of Holiday World's 2010 attraction, Wildebeest, will be the focus of an hour long episode of National Geographic's "World's Toughest Fixes" when it airs next June. The show will send it's host, Sean Riley, to document the construction of the massive water coaster during this winter. Sounds like a great watch!

What are Kieran Burke and Gary Story, formerly top executives at Six Flags during a not so pretty era of the parks, up to these days? Buying a water park, that's what! An investment group, led by the pair, have purchased Nashville Shores, a water park and entertainment center in Tennessee. They say there are no plans for a theme park at the property. Good.

Another coaster for Six Flags Magic Mountain? Yes. As expected, a family coaster will be added to the park next year, around the corner from this year's addition, Terminator Salvation. Get more details from the Funland Blog.

During Cedar Fair's 3rd quarter earnings conference call it was mentioned that three additional parks would receive a Starlight Experience type attraction like that which debuted at Cedar Point in 2009. What parks? A mystery for now...

This is a pretty cool read - the Disney and More blog published photos of the plans for a never built Michael Jackson theme park. Themed to Peter Pan's Neverland, full plans for the park were drawn up by Landmark Entertainment Group. Would have been pretty cool!

Every time Coasters and More publishes a new article on a ride I'm amazed by their stunning photography. Their latest effort, covering Der Fliegende Hollander at Efteling Park in the Netherlands, is no different. Check it out.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure's construction has kicked into high gear in the past couple months. Orlando United has done a great job of keeping up with photos of the developments. Recently, the Hogwarts Express arrived on site.

New Wooden Coasters for Efteling in 2010

Efteling Theme Park, in the Netherlands, has announced that they will add a new pair of racing/dueling wooden roller coasters for the 2010 season. The coasters are said to be 25 meters high (82 ft.) and 1,400 meters (4,593) long, although that sounds like it may be for both tracks combined. No manufacturer is listed yet, although I'm sure we all can agree that that's one of the most important factors!

The ride will be George and the Dragon and will replace the recently closed Pegasus, a wooden roller coaster that opened in 1991 and recently closed for good.

Dreamflight @ Efteling Video

This ride always intrigued me. I think I remember reading about it in Inside Track (any of you remember that magazine? Yeah, they got my money, too) and thinking that the ride looks Disney caliber and that alone caught my attention.

Oh wait, the details! The ride is at Efteling, which is in the Netherlands. It was built in 1993 and according to the ride's Wiki page, "In Dreamflight, the visitors fly through a dream world of forests, castles, fairies, trolls and other fairy-tale-like creatures and scenes. The visitors are seated in small open cabins hanging from the ceiling. The ride takes them past five different scenes in about six minutes: the Castle Realm, the Wondrous Forest, the Fairy Garden, Heavenly Strongholds and the Squelch Forest."

Basically, it's a total fairy tale ride that's unique and didn't rely on an already existing set of characters. Plus, it's really visually beautiful, even if trolls, fairies, and that sort of thing doesn't interest you.

Turn down the lights and go for a ride...