Looping the loop for Europe

Among Europeʼs numerous crane companies, however, there are certain firms that specialise in niche markets. Ride Construction Service Worldwide GmbH (RCS) is one of them. Its five Liebherr mobile and truck-mounted telescopic cranes are highly specialised machines that are used to assemble roller coasters in theme parks. Or to put it more nostalgically: big dippers! And all over Europe and sometimes even further afield. In recent months, one such exciting and adrenaline-pumping construction project was completed near the FrancoGerman border.

Located right on the border with France, Europa-Park, the large adventure and leisure complex in Rust, southern Germany, recently built its first new roller coaster in many years. The parkʼs new themed area, “Croatia”, is under construction at the edge of the huge site. The main attraction there will be a new roller coaster that will wind its way through this area via numerous curves and loops. For four months, two mobile cranes owned by our customer RCS have been on site to assemble the steel superstructure and rails of this 1,385 metre long attraction. The components of the roller coaster were manufactured by “MACK Rides GmbH & Co KG” in nearby Waldkirch. For over 100 years, the remarkable 240-year-old Mack family business, which also operates Europa-Park, has been constructing roller coasters and amusement rides for fairs and theme parks all over the world.

The RCS company near Hamburg can also look back on a long family dynasty. Company boss Max Eberhard, an eighthgeneration showman, started building roller coasters and rides in 1999. For this purpose, his assembly team regularly travels throughout Europe with Liebherr cranes. The company operates five telescopic cranes, including three LTF truck-mounted cranes. An almost 30-year-old LTM 1070/1 mobile crane has been in service with the company for a long time. The old machine, which doesnʼt look its age, also helped build the roller coaster at Europa-Park. “We will certainly continue to use this crane on future projects. Itʼs very reliable and, if necessary, I can get spare parts for it after one or two days – not bad for a crane built in 1996,” says Eberhard. “This is where Liebherr differs from all the other manufacturers, you canʼt beat that kind of service. Thatʼs only available from Liebherr. Thatʼs why I only have Liebherr machines.”

RCS recently upgraded its fleet and purchased a new LTM 1090-4.2. “Itʼs by far the best crane in this league,” enthuses Eberhard. “A 60 metre boom on the most compact machine in this load class.” Thanks to various technical innovations, such as VarioBallast® and the VarioBase® variable support program, the crane is ideal for assembly work on sites with limited space. Space at the project site in Rust was also often in short supply – the buildings for the future theme area were already being built at the same time as the growing roller coaster, and in its immediate vicinity. As a result, it was often necessary to work using the individual crane outriggers on the 90 tonne machine.

Four months of construction and more than 1,000 hoists were needed to build the adrenaline-pumping ride. The heaviest components, which were assembled at a height of over 30 metres, had a unit weight of around five tonnes.

However, it will be a while before the first visitors get to scream their way along the roller coasterʼs curves and loops at top speed: the ride is scheduled to open next year. By then, however, the two Liebherr cranes will have long been in another part of Europe, continuing to build the winding world of roller coasters.

This article was published in the UpLoad magazine 02 | 2023.