Wiegand Develops Four New Projects In Romania

Wiegand has four new projects opened in Romania.

The assembly of an Alpine Coaster 2.0 in Varsag in Transylvania began last autumn.

This is a facility with approx. 1000 m downhill and 400 m uphill track including garage for the sledges.

The themed comfort sleds not only offer enough space for a single tobogganist or an adult with a child, but also for two adults – in winter, even with thick clothing and ski boots.

Wide, solid plastic backrests and the deeper seat shells ensure the optimal seating position for the toboggan athletes.

"Cheile Gradistei is the home for all kinds of sports", according to the advertising statement of the place not far from the county town of Brasov. Ski & snowboard, bike trails, hiking trails and via ferratas are just a few of the many options.

In addition, the place is the center of biathlon sports in Romania. Our business partner himself is a former biathlete and Olympic competitor.

“A small guest house and a tractor” is all that Ovidiu Gârbacea had at the beginning when he decided to breathe life into this spectacular region and put it on the Romanian tourist map.

Discipline and passion are among his inexhaustible sources of energy.

Today, Cheile Grădiștei Moieciu & Fundata has numerous accommodation facilities, football and tennis courts, a sports hall and a biathlon arena, and many other leisure facilities that make it a unique tourist destination and one of the largest resorts in Romania.

The offer is rounded off by the new Alpine Coaster, which opened in June. The approx. 600 m downhill run is partly elevated up to 9 m high, in addition two gyroscope constructions make the ride exciting for tobogganists.

Here, too, the operator opted for the Alpine Coaster 2.0, which uses the wear-free eddy current technology that has been in use in over 100 Wiegand systems worldwide since 2018 and guarantees the best possible quality, safety and comfort.

The next facility is a first-generation Alpine coaster, which was installed in Lacul Rosu, a paradise for outdoor activities, in the spring of this year.

Tobogganers whiz down the 670 m on 20 sleds. The Wiegand lift system transports guests uphill on their toboggans.

All three systems were successfully approved by the German TÜV at the beginning of June and released for operation.

But that's not the end of it:

The seventh year-round ride of the "Wiegand-Alpine Coaster" type in Romania is currently being built in the spa and holiday resort of Băile Homorod, known for its mineral water springs, which completes the offer in addition to the numerous year-round offers for visitors.

This system is also the second generation of the Alpine Coaster, whose braking system is based on magnetic eddy current technology and works completely wear-free and independent of the weather.

With the help of sensors, the position of the individual sledges on the downhill stretch is recorded and compared with the sledges in front and behind. If the prescribed minimum distance is not reached, the following vehicle is automatically braked with the help of the non-contact braking system and the speed is reduced until the distance to the vehicle in front is reached again.

If the passenger keeps the prescribed minimum distance, the system is not activated. The distance control also serves as a limitation brake to control the maximum speed of 40 km/h and as a track end brake. As soon as the carriage has reached the end of the track, it is slowly decelerated to walking speed over a longer distance.

The service brake, which can be actuated by the tobogganist with minimal effort using a brake lever, works like the distance control on the basis of eddy currents and is therefore also not subject to wear.

In addition, the seat belt lock and the use of front and rear lights on the sled are further components of the safety equipment.

Brand new in the Wiegand range is the rain cover for the sledge of the Alpine Coaster 2.0, which protects the tobogganists from damp weather.

Technology at the highest level for clever investors

In the meantime, more than 100 of the almost 300 operators of the Wiegand Alpine Coaster worldwide use the advantages of the "distance control" driver assistance system, which can be easily retrofitted to existing systems of the first generation, but is part of the basic equipment of the Alpine Coaster 2.0.

In addition to the plants in Romania, others are currently under construction in Sweden, France, Poland, the USA, Italy and China.