B&M

Friday, September 3th 2010

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Manufacturers

Bolliger & Mabillard Inc.
Chemin des Dailles 31
CH-1870 Monthey
Switzerland

Tel: +41 244 721 580

http://www.bolliger-mabillard.com

Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) was started in 1988 by ex-Intamin employees Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard.

B&M's first coaster - Iron Wolf- was built in Six Flag Great America in 1990. It was of the Stand-Up type, and featured two inversions with a twisted and compact layout.

B&M also makes many other types of roller coasters.

	Flying Coaster The first B&M Flying Coaster was 'Air' at Alton Towers in 2002. The Flying Coaster concept took nearly a decade to complete, from the drawing board to actual construction. Riders are hoisted into a horizontal flying position in the station so they can experience the sensation of flight.
	Inverted Coaster The Inverted Coaster first appeared at Six Flags Great America in 1992 as 'Batman: The Ride,' and was the first coaster to hang rigidly beneath the track without a floor, and the first coaster to hang beneath the track and perform inversions. To date, 29 B&M inverted coasters have been built (many of them clones of the original Batman: The Ride), making it B&M's most successful coaster type.
	Diving Machine Diving Machines, or 'Dive Machines,' have one predominant feature - a vertical drop! They are characterized by their short, wide trains, and holding brake over their vertical drops. The first one, Oblivion, was built at Alton towers in 1998. There are only three Diving Machines in the world! The most recent Diving Machine, SheiKra at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, takes the ride type to a whole new level, adding an inversion and water splash to the fantastic vertical dive.

	Speed Coaster Also known as a 'Mega Coaster', the Speed Coaster is B&M's take on the hyper coaster. The first Speed Coaster to open was Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. B&M Hyper Coasters differ from the hypers of other companies, featuring four-across seating and B&M's unique 'clamshell' restraint, widely regarded by enthusiasts as one of the most comfortable restraints availible.

	Floorless Coaster An above-track roller coaster with trains that lack floors - hence the name. The first Floorless coaster cropped up in 1999 at Six Flags Great Adventure and went by the name of 'Medusa'. There are currently 11 of these coasters in the world, ranging from the massive 'Superman: Krypton Coaster' to the tiny 'Daemonen'.

	Stand-Up Coaster Riders experience this coaster in a standing position. There are seven B&M stand-ups in the world.
	Sitting Coaster A "typical" sit-down coaster. One of B&M's sit-down coasters, "Kumba", put B&M on the map in 1993. B&M's only launched coaster (though the launch was not made by B&M) is also a sit-down coaster - Islands of Adventure's Incredible Hulk Coaster.

B&M track is noticeable for it's large square spine (known as "box section") and two rails on either side, attached to the track by the inside as to allow for the coasters to run with their wheels on the outer parts of the rail (necessary for a smoother ride). Track for the American coasters is constructed by a B&M plant in Southern Ohio, USA, and track for European rides is constructed in Switzerland by G-Tec, formerly Giovanola.

B&M roller coasters are generally considered to give a smooth ride and offer comfortable seating.

To date, B&M have over 60 roller coasters in the world, and are considered by enthusiasts to be one of the top two coaster manufacturers in the world, with Intamin AG.

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suryavl
Posts: 43 Location: Belgium	While I love B&M coasters for their smoothness, most of their rides focus too much on loops, which is something I don't care for.
Pingu on drugs
Posts: 0 Location:	I love B&M for the smoothness and comfort....yay 4 b and m!!!
SFNE003
Posts: 25 Location:	I luv B&M
brandyboy
Posts: 0 Location: In Front Of My Computer Screen.	whoop! whoop! B&M whhoop! whoop!
pelilo
Posts: 0 Location:	B&M Make the best coasters
Ddogg
Posts: 0 Location: Anywhere wit a computer LOL	B&M's Batman is awesome. I luv this company. If they're the ones who made Scorcher too, than they rock.
LGMHorus
Posts: 22 Location:	Every single B&M is incredibly smooth and exciting. Also, the restraints are very good.
nemesisnutter
Posts: 126 Location:	B&M are the kings of coasters.
blaze123
Posts: 126 Location:	they are due a new uk ride and make the best in the world. the themeing and setting is supperb (just look at nemesis-would it be so good if it was just put in a random part of the park, rather than in the big dith with the incredible setting), you can tell its b&m just by looking at that, and also by the unique 'roar' it makes as it goes around the track, or in some cases, the silence of it, when they fill the track with sand.
Lorax3000
Posts: 21 Location: Denver	and now
Lorax3000
Posts: 21 Location: Denver	I wonder what they are working on now?
coaster.freak
Posts: 21 Location: Denver	b+m rock they make glass smoooth ridesthey aae rollercoasters
Coaster666
Posts: 0 Location:	yep nice and smooth no ruff looking track!
coasteruk45
Posts: 0 Location:	The best. Full stop.
themeparkmad
Posts: 0 Location:	how old r u m3like me i am 15 and researching the manufacturers etc and would love to have a theme park when i am older full of b&m, intamin, mack and maurer sohne rides!!!
m3
Posts: 18 Location: England	MY FAVOURITE MANUFACTURER! I'm quite young and have loved roller coasters FOREVER! I'm only just getting in to researching the people who actually MAKE them, not just the ride itself.
walker1104
Posts: 410 Location:	b&M make the best ever coasters, without them the greatest coaster of all time would never have been made. The nemesis!!
scan
Posts: 414 Location: 10 miles form every CF member	without B&M the inverted coaster would have never come along and who can live without rides like nemesis, raptor, alpengiest and montu
Montreal_3_Goliath
Posts: 414 Location: 10 miles form every CF member	B&M are gods in this stuff, Intamin is similar to copiers, because they ask other companies to make their rides. I love B&M rides because their rides, (Mostly Vampire @ La Ronde) make a loud roar. Vampire is the noisiest roller coaster i've heard throughtout my life, other than Kingda Ka. Intamin is only best-known for those types of coasters. B&M, they make their rides speachless. That's all there is to it! ;D
Higgsy
Posts: 8 Location: Reading, UK	Like the description says, B&M is one of the top two coaster manufacturers in the world, along with Intamin. Without B&M we wouldn't fantastic rides such as Kumba, or Nemesis (the legend!) among others. B&M are top on my list, just ahead of Itamin because of the glass-smooth rides that their coasters give. Brilliant stuff!
Lainey1975
Posts: 4 Location: little village in cambridgeshire	oh I absolutely agree, I went on 'Air & Nemesis, but unfortunately i bottled out of 'Oblivion'. Wished I had gone on it now though.
No1Airfan
Posts: 4 Location: little village in cambridgeshire	AIR! OBLIVION! Nemesis[the legend?]! BEST EVER ROLLERCOASTER MAKERS EVER!
danielfitzgerald99
Posts: 1752 Location: Hastings	B&M undoubtedly give the most enjoyable ride experience I have ever had. My two favourite manufacturers are Intamin and Bolliger and Mallibard. I find Vekomma coasters to give painful rides. Pinfari are too bumpy. The great thing about B&M is that they offer comfortable seats with snug restraints that make you feel safe. The themeing is absolutely beautiful and compliments the ride. Also the smoothness makes its re rideability quite big. They offer intense and smooth rides. Although I have only ever ridden one B&M (Nemesis Inferno) I can say from experience that it is the best. I hope to ride many more but a lot of the parks I visit have none.
jamesgrannan
Posts: 1752 Location: Hastings	B&M, far the best
remyzerofan100
Posts: 5 Location:	B&M make the best rollercoasters that I have been on.
jakemac
Posts: 5 Location:	B&M's are always thrilling, look incredible and provide a smooth experience. My favourite coaster manufacturer.
Plowright
Posts: 5 Location:	B&M and Intamin are my favourite manufacturers. These two totally thrash Vekoma and Pinfari, and are probably the reason why Pinfari went bust!
jumboshrmp
Posts: 3 Location: South Florida	Once again, I'll toot B&M's horns. They rock! Since I live in Florida, I see a lot of these here.
synyster gates
Posts: 3 Location: South Florida	if you need employees just give me a callb&m rocks
synyster gates
Posts: 3 Location: South Florida	b@m are the overall best
eastc0aster
Posts: 3 Location: South Florida	This is my favorite manufacturer. With Bolliger & Mallibard it's more than just riding the rides,(smooth & comfortable!) they are also beautiful to look at. It's art.
coasterdee
Posts: 0 Location:	B&M make sum gr8 rides i dnt think ive rode any yet but be sure that i will!!lol hehe!!!
NeutralPineapple
Posts: 0 Location:	i love the way as soon as you look at one you instantly know it's a B&M
HAJiME
Posts: 0 Location:	I've always adored the look and smoothness of B&M coasters. The chunky, instantly regonisable track and swift, dynamic trains roar round the track and dance over the ride's elements so gracefully.
Vampire_Freak
Posts: 0 Location:	B&M is my fav company EVER. There rides are smooth and i just love the distinctive Raor they make at the bottom of the drop