KumbaK appeared at its first trade show in several years when it exhibited at the Euro Attractions Show (EAS) in Amsterdam from September 30 to October 2. There on its prominent stand were three coaster trains, each of which should keep the Dutch amusement engineers busy in the months to come.
The most intriguing was a vintage 17-seater train from the Rutschebanen (rollercoaster) ride at Bakken near Copenhagen. In common with several other Scandinavian coasters, the ride features a staff-operated brake car, but times change and now Bakken – the world’s oldest surviving amusement park – wants something fit for the 21st Century.
KumbaK’s solution is to fit the ride with a control system and magnetic braking system, with magnets underneath each of the trains rather than on the track. A total of new three trains (as pictured below) will be delivered at the start of next season, complete with new style wheels and wood-effect finish (the body is actually made from a form of fibreglass). Rutschebanen trains old and new were available for inspection on KumbaK’s stand at EAS.
Also on display was the new train completed for Sea World on the Gold Coast in Australia. KumbaK has been building a new train for the Arrow ride step-by-step since 2005, starting with the chassis, then the castors and new wheel carriers, and now new bodies and seats.
After starting life as a full service coaster design company in 2001, “engineering is now our core business,” highlights KumbaK’s Sjors Smeets. Accordingly the company has rebranded as “KumbaK – the Amusement Engineers” and recently moved into new premises in Weert near Eindhoven.
Services offered include re-engineering of existing designs, drive systems, track modification, testing and more – all with the goal of extending a ride’s life and driving down the cost of ownership.
