All language subtitles for Building Giants Series 4 Part 7 Monster Roller Coaster 1080p

Narrator: Climbing nearly
165 feet into the air

Then dropping 90 degrees
straight down

At 65 miles per hour,

Valkyria is europe's
tallest dive roller coaster.

What makes this ride
so terrifying?

And what keeps its trains
locked to the rails

Throughout death-defying turns
and head-spinning inversions?

It's our mission to deliver
the most exciting

Ride experience possible.

Narrator: We unlock
the engineering secrets

That allow this ride to deliver
the biggest thrills

From the monster steel towers
anchored to bedrock

Over 80 feet in the earth

To the space-age wheels
that keep its trains

Rolling all season long
to reveal it takes

To build the ultimate
super roller coaster.

-- Captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

♪

This is liseberg amusement park
in sweden.

[ screaming ]

Approximately 3 million
visitors travel here

Every year to experience
the park's

39 one-of-a-kind rides
and attractions.

Whoo!

Competition between the hundreds
of amusement parks

Across europe is fierce.

To keep the park full,

Liseberg entices
its thrill seekers

With newer, bigger,
and scarier roller coasters.

To stay ahead of the curve,
designers built this...

Valkyria.

This ride gets its name
from the flying maidens

Of norse mythology.

According to legend,

These goddesses
swooped down from the sky

And carried slain warriors
to heaven.

This coaster gives
its passengers

Their very own
ride of the valkyries.

At 2,460 feet long,
this dive coaster features

Three head-spinning inversions
and drops riders 90 degrees

Straight down
at 65 miles per hour.

At 165 feet high, this epic ride

Is the tallest
dive coaster in europe.

Its mission -- to deliver eager
thrill seekers

A heart-stopping ride
up to 675 times a day.

[ screaming ]

To help achieve this goal,

Valkyria is built
with innovative technology

Hidden under the hood
that helps it wow the crowds.

Mighty chains pull the coaster
nearly 165 feet up into the sky

And hold it
at the top of the drop.

Tough nylon wheels keep
the train rolling to the end

Of the track, and super strong
hydraulic harnesses

Keep passengers
firmly in their seats.

All these elements combine
to make valkyria

The ultimate dive coaster.

The next 48 hours promise to
test the ride to its limits.

This weekend, liseberg
opens for the season.

An estimated 20,000 people
will head to the park

Looking for fun
and new adventures.

Valkyria must operate close
to full capacity

Nonstop for eight hours a day.

Liseberg closes between
January and late April

When temperatures
drop to their lowest.

The park mothballs its rides
to protect them

From the harsh winter weather.

Ride breakdowns
aren't acceptable at liseberg,

Especially not on
their most popular attraction.

So engineers must test
all of valkyria's components

To make sure
they're working properly

Before the spring-summer
season begins.

Today, liseberg c.E.O.
Andreas andersen

Is visiting the park to ensure
it's ready for opening day.

Andersen: We have to
disassemble the ride.

We have to do
all the annual maintenance.

We have to make sure that
the ride is in mint condition

To make sure that
it can reopen again in April.

Narrator: 7:00 a.M.,
the park opens to the public

In eight hours.

♪

Technical manager
niklas karlgren performs

A few last-minute checks
on valkyria

Before guests arrive
to the park for the season.

Niklas' first job is to inspect

Valkyria's
2,460-foot long track.

Karlgren: I'm looking at
the track-to-track connections

For loose nuts and bolts.

I check the column connections
also for loose nuts and bolts.

I looks at the track,
the screws.

I look so there's a straight --

Always a straight line
so nothing has moved

Because we want to find anything
that could become a catastrophe.

Narrator: Next, niklas tests
the track strength

Under operational conditions.

He uses 18 water dummies
to simulate the weight

Of a ride at full capacity.

And there's good reason
for the dummies

To take the first plunge.

Europe's longest dive coaster
plummets 165 feet

Into a subterranean hole.

By the time the train reaches
the bottom of the drop,

The passengers are traveling
at 65 miles per hour.

Within the space of 130 feet,
the track levels out

And curves upwards,
out of the underground tunnel.

The force the falling train
exerts on this section of track

Is equivalent to dropping
a nearly 40,000-pound weight

On the rails.

If the track is not firmly
secured to the ground,

It could crack,

Leading to potentially
dangerous consequences.

Valkyria needs a rock-solid
foundation,

So the team at liseberg work
with project leader david noren

To engineer a solution.

Noren: The force of the train
coming down to the tunnel

Is very high, so the foundations
have to be attached

To the bedrock underneath.

Narrator: But reaching solid
stone is a big challenge

In this part of sweden.

The bedrock slopes
towards a nearby river.

How can engineers
anchor valkyria

To rock that changes in depth
throughout the site?

To firmly secure valkyria's
foundations to the ground,

Engineers drill
12 75-foot long steel towers,

Called piles, into the bedrock.

Next, concrete is poured
on top of the piles.

Then engineers fit the sections
of coaster track

To the concrete foundations.

Thick bolts create super strong
joints between the metalwork.

Together, the long piles,
concrete, and bolts

Lock the track into place.

The joints make it strong enough
to withstand

The impact
of valkyria's train cars

That plummet into the tunnel
up to 675 times a day.

♪

2:00 p.M., the park opens
to the public in just one hour.

It's time for niklas
to test the track

Using 18 water dummies.

He activates the 490-foot long
lift chain

That pulls the train
to the top of the hill.

Moments later, the car
prepares for the drop.

♪

♪

The track holds firm
for the dummy test,

But before he approves
valkyria for service,

Niklas must ride
the coaster alone.

Nothing compares to feeling
every curve

And inversion firsthand.

Any unusual bumps or scrapes
will alert niklas

To potential
mechanical problems.

If he thinks they're serious,

The ride can't open
until they're fixed.

The first connection with
the lift chain felt really good.

♪

Yoo-hoo!

♪

♪

Oh.

As perfect as it could be.

Narrator: The coaster passes
the test with flying colors.

That felt really, really good,
and it sounded nice,

Felt super good,
so I'm ready to sign this off.

Narrator: 3:00 p.M.,
liseberg opens for

The spring-summer season,
and the rush begins.

Hundreds of visitors
head straight for valkyria.

But as demand increases,
so does the pressure

On europe's tallest
dive coaster.

What are the engineering secrets
that allow valkyria to suspend

And then drop hundreds
of passengers every hour?

And how does this coaster spin
and twist thrill seekers

Without coming off the rails?

♪

Narrator: In gothenburg, sweden,
liseberg amusement park

Is opening its doors
for the first time

To kick off
the spring-summer season.

Over the next 48 hours,
the record-breaking

Valkyria dive coaster
will give an estimated

20,000 visitors
the ride of their lives.

For decades, amusement parks
around the world

Have competed to build
bigger, better,

And more terrifying rides
than the one before them.

1989, the world's
tallest roller coaster

Stands 203 feet high.

16 years later,
the record doubles to 456 feet.

In 1976, three inversions,
or upside-down rolls,

Is the max.

By 2013, the record quadruples
to 14 loops.

Valkyria's most iconic feature
is its huge drop,

Inspired by the plunging
mythological norse goddesses.

It's one of the longest vertical
drop coasters in europe.

This ultimate dive coaster
was engineered here at

Clermont steel fabricators
in cincinnati, ohio,

Where a team of 80 workers
bend, twist, and weld steel

To make some of the greatest
rides in the world.

It takes 90 days for workers
to cut over 500,000 pounds

Of steel to make valkyria's
100 support columns.

They mold the coaster's
77 individual track sections,

Following a detailed blueprint.

Each track section receives
four coats of special paints.

The paints prevent the salty air
of liseberg's coastal location

From corroding the metal track.

The passengers filling
valkyria's departure hall

Are the latest in a long line
of thrill seekers

Eager to experience this
next step in coaster evolution.

Lifting the coaster's 18-seat,
13,000 pounds of train

And passengers
nearly 165 feet into the air

Is a huge engineering challenge.

The engineers who built
this super coaster

Designed an ingenious solution
to literally pull

The train up the hill
without it ever slipping back.

A continuous 490-foot long
lift chain

Powered by a 230 kilowatt
electric motor

Runs the length
of the 45-degree incline.

A metal pin mounted beneath
the front of the train

Hooks into the lift chain.

If a malfunction looses
the chain,

The metal blocks
on each carriage

Lock into a toothed rail
on the track.

So the train can never roll
backwards out of control.

Yet rounding the hill summit
is just the beginning.

This extraordinary machine must
suspend the train over the edge

Just long enough to terrify
the passengers before dropping

Them straight down
into the underground tunnel.

Building a system
with the strength to hold over

13,000 pounds is
a formidable engineering feat.

Traditional car mechanical
brakes use electronically

Controlled calipers
to grip metal disks

Attached to the axle.

Stopping and suspending
the coaster's train

Plus passengers up to 675 times
a day could cause extreme

Wear and tear
on the brake disks.

There's a risk
that the brakes will fail

And valkyria's train will roll
over the edge of the drop.

Even worse, if there's
a power malfunction

While the brakes are on,
the train and passengers

Could be stuck facing downwards,
making rescue almost impossible.

A mechanical breakdown on
opening weekend

Will seriously damage
valkyria's reputation.

To prevent a potentially
catastrophic situation,

Engineers build a rugged

Two-stage system
into the machine.

Stage one --
reduce the train's speed

And bring the train
to a complete stop.

To accomplish this,

Engineers attach magnets
to its under carriage.

Then they install metal plates

At the top of the drop
that interact with the magnets.

First thing that happens here
before the drop

Is this magnetic brakes,

And they will reduce
the speed of the train.

Narrator:
At the top of the hill,

The train
disengages the lift chain.

Motorized wheels on
the track propel

The train around a curve
before the magnetic brakes

Slow it down
to 4.5 miles per hour.

Next comes stage two --
dangle the train over the edge.

Engineers equip valkyria with
a 65-foot long drop chain system

To secure the carriages
into position.

Karlgren: So here we have
the drop chain.

The train hooks up
into this chain,

And the electrical motor
will reduce the speed

And actually electrical-wise
hold it

And give it a complete stop
over this edge.

Narrator: Hooks mounted on
the train's undercarriage

Mesh with the drop chain.

The chain connects
to a 308-horse-powered motor

Mounted under the track
at the top of the ride.

The motor slowly pulls
the carriages over the edge.

When the whole train reaches
the right point,

The motor locks
the carriages in place.

Suspended in midair, the
passengers' anticipation builds.

[ screaming ]

Then the drop chain releases.

The undercarriage
pins fall free,

And the train plummets
straight down,

Reaching a top speed of
65 miles per hour.

The drop chain will loosen
if the ride's power fails,

Allowing the coaster train
to fall freely.

So it can never get stuck
on the edge

And trigger a complex and
time-consuming rescue operation.

It's two hours
into the opening weekend,

And valkyria's big drop
continues to wow the crowds,

But in order for this opening
weekend to receive high reviews,

The coaster must offer
a thrill truly unique.

What innovating engineering
allows this machine

To spin passengers 360 degrees

Without causing them
to pass out?

And what technology makes
it possible for a coaster

With no engine to roll
continuously around the track?

♪

Narrator: In sweden,
it's opening day at

Liseberg amusement park's
spring-summer season.

After being closed
during the winter months,

Eager thrill seekers line up
for its biggest, scariest rides.

At the top of their list is
europe's tallest dive coaster,

Valkyria, inspired by the flying
norse goddesses of lore.

[ screaming ]

But the passenger experience
starts long before

They step on board the ride.

In line, riders are surrounded
by swords,

Shields, and fiery cauldrons
that evoke the theme of some of

Norse mythology's
most famous characters.

Andersen:
Valkyries are these goddesses

That pick up slain soldiers
on the battlegrounds,

And they are flying through
the air,

Diving down,
picking up these soldiers,

And bringing them to valhalla,
the viking version of heaven.

Narrator: By the time passengers
climb aboard the train,

They're ready for their very own
ride of the valkyries.

It's a really good choice
on the theme

On a roller coaster,
and the name,

Valkyria, goes really
well with it.

It raises the expectations

And the overall feeling you get
when you ride it.

Narrator: Valkyria drops
thrill seekers nearly 165 feet

Into a subterranean tunnel.

But to qualify as the ultimate
in its class,

This coaster must do more
than just drop vertically.

To make valkyria a white-knuckle
ride the whole way around,

Its designers built in
three circular loops

Called inversions.

These twists and turns

Give passengers the feeling
of turning upside down.

But history proves there's
a fine line between

Thrilling riders and causing
them serious injuries.

1895, america's first
roller coaster

With an inversion opens
at coney island.

The flip flap railway features
a small diameter circular loop.

Many passengers complain
of whiplash and other injuries

Following their ride.

The flip flap's problem is that
its loop is a perfect circle

With a tight 12-foot radius.

The train must travel more than
13 miles per hour

To make it
around the entire loop.

At this acceleration,

Passengers riding the train
are subjected to 12 gs of force.

That's equivalent to four times
the amount of force

Astronauts experience
during a rocket launch.

After seven years in use,
the flip flap is demolished.

♪

To ensure passengers don't
experience excessive g-force,

Valkyria's engineers
build into the coaster

A special loop with a twist.

This innovative design is named
after the aerial aerobatics

Of a german world war I
fighter pilot.

Max immelmann pioneers a loop
that tightens

As the plane slows,
goes up, and finishes in a roll.

The maneuver keeps the g-forces
low and helps max

Surpass his opponents.

Valkyria's rails guide
the coasters train

Along the same path to curve
upwards and simultaneously

Roll through 180 degrees.

Valkyria twists
at the top of the curve,

Sending the train
out right side up.

The mid-loop twist allows
passengers to experience

The thrill of an inversion

Without the extreme acceleration
of a full loop,

And their bodies are subjected
to a comfortable

3.5 gs of force.

♪

One loop is not enough
to qualify

Valkyria as an ultimate coaster.

To take the ride
to the next level,

Designers build in a set
of twists

To spin passengers 360 degrees

As they travel forward
at high speed.

But rotating riders quickly
without making them feel sick

Is another
huge engineering challenge.

Some extreme roller coasters
put the trains

On the outside of the track,

Twisting and turning passengers
through a large circle,

Making their heads spin.

This type of unstable motion

Can affect the delicate
mechanisms in a rider's ears,

Causing them
to feel physically sick.

This is exactly what
liseberg wants to avoid

On valkyria's opening weekend.

So her designers place the train
on the inside of the curve

To make the ride
more comfortable.

This simple switch spins
the riders slower

In a smaller circle
centered around their chests,

Reducing head spin

And protecting the rider
from feeling sick.

Valkyria's twists and spins
prove to be a big hit

With thrill seeking visitors.

You have the drop,
which obviously is awesome

On all dive coasters,
but in valkyria's case,

It continues to deliver
the whole circuit.

You get the adrenaline rush,
and then you can enjoy the ride

Riding on the adrenaline
for a few seconds more.

I love it.

Narrator: Halfway through
this opening weekend,

Valkyria has flown
thousands of riders.

And tomorrow promises to be
even busier.

What is this coaster's secret
for keeping its wheels

Rolling in any type of weather?

And what technology guarantees
that all passengers

Stay firmly in their seats?

♪

Narrator: In sweden,
thrill seekers looking for

A one-of-a-kind experience
head to liseberg amusement park

On the season's
opening spring-summer weekend.

One attraction stands out
from all the rest --

Valkyria, europe's
tallest dive coaster,

Named after the norse goddesses

That swoop down
from the heavens.

This massive roller coaster
drops passengers down

A 90-degree, 165-foot long slope
into a dark underground tunnel

Before flying through a series
of wild inversions.

Today, it must
operate continuously

For the next eight hours

To satisfy the long line
of eager thrill seekers.

It's critical the train makes it
all the way around the track

Every time it runs.

Because this is a dive coaster,

Valkyria's trains don't contain
onboard engines.

The energy created from
the initial 165-foot fall

Is enough to power it
through the entire ride.

The challenge for engineers
is to ensure the energy

The coaster does produce
is channeled properly

In order to keep the train
moving forward.

Too much friction between
the wheel bearings and axles

Will slow the trains down.

♪

Every night, the ride closes
for routine safety checks.

In the coaster's
maintenance hanger,

Mechanics use thick grease

To lubricate all of
the train's moving components.

The main purpose is to lower the
friction between metal surfaces,

And because of it lowers the
friction, the wear also reduces.

Narrator:
But in this part of sweden,

The climate creates a big
problem for greased machines.

In winter, temperatures at
liseberg drop below freezing.

Yet this amusement park powers

Right through
the frigid weather.

At such low temperatures,

The grease lubricating
the wheels is thick and viscous.

This creates drag inside
each wheel and slows them down.

The train loses speed,
increasing the risk

That it won't have
enough forward momentum

To make it back to the station.

The train could
stop on the track,

Leaving the rider's stranded.

Engineers would have to
manually drag the train

Back to the station.

♪

So that's why a roller coaster
stuck somewhere on the track

Is one of my worst nightmares.

Narrator: To avoid this problem,
engineers must reduce friction

Between the train's wheels
and the rails.

Each of valkyria's six mounts
hold pairs

Of three different types
of wheels.

Road wheels bear
the train's weight.

Side wheels control
lateral movement.

Up-stop wheels positioned
under the rail prevent the train

From jumping off the track
under intense movement.

The harder the material,
the lower its friction.

Some coasters use super dense
solid steel wheels.

Their ultra low friction
keeps the train

Rolling to the end of the line.

But steel wheels
can make coasters noisy,

And their hardness
can make riders

Feel every bump on the track.

Valkyria's reputation as
an ultimate coaster

Relies on giving
every passenger a smooth ride.

Engineers must balance comfort
with the need for the train

To complete the track after
every drop all season long.

[ screaming ]

Their solution is to equip
valkyria with two different

Sets of wheels --
one soft, one hard.

♪

Engineers' first choice
for train wheels

Are made from polyurethane.

These soft wheels
give passengers

The quietest,
smoothest ride possible,

But their sponginess
increases frictions,

Fractionally slowing the train.

When thicker axle grease
increases drag in

Cold temperatures,
engineers swap

The polyurethane wheels
for a harder nylon set.

Their tougher surface results
in a noisier ride

But reduces friction,

Canceling out the drag
caused by the thick grease,

So the train completes
the track every time.

Valkyria's super wheels
keep its trains moving

And the thrills coming

For thousands
of white-knuckled riders.

As the opening weekend
comes to an end,

The demand for more chances
to ride valkyria increases.

To complete its mission,
the coaster must fly

Every passenger around
the track safely and securely.

What hidden technology
keeps every rider

Firmly in their seat?

And how does the park's
geographical location

Affect the ride?

Narrator: In sweden, eager
thrill seekers soak up

The last few hours of
liseberg amusement park's

Opening weekend.

Europe's tallest dive coaster,

Valkyria,
is the star attraction.

To qualify as record-breaking,

This ride must thrill
its passengers

And keep them safe.

Andersen: Safety is
a non-negotiable.

We never, ever compromise

When it comes
to the safety of our guests.

Narrator: The challenge for
designers of a coaster

That drops, inverts, and spins

Its riders is how to keep
everybody firmly in their seats

Throughout the entire ride.

The solution is built into
the restraints fitted to each of

Valkyria's 18 seats.

A pair of hydraulic cylinders
built into each seat

Releases liquid
through one-way valves.

The liquid locks the padded
shoulder restraints in place.

A hydroelectric valve makes sure
the liquid's pressure

Stays constant to secure
riders of different sizes.

The system adjusts
its lock position

To accommodate both adult
and teenage riders.

Once the ride is over,
the one-way valve opens

And releases
the hydraulic fluid.

♪

Each week, valkyria's
maintenance team

Tests every restraint.

They use a pneumatic gauge

To measure the movement of
each bar in the locked position.

Andersen: Roller coasters are
actually extremely safe.

Your body thinks it's in danger,
but it really isn't.

Engineering marvels,
the constructions are designed

Not just around thrill
but designed around safety.

Narrator: Valkyria's engineers
can rely on the super strong

Restraint system to keep
riders in their seats,

But liseberg's
geography presents

Another big safety challenge.

The amusement park is located
in a river valley.

It rains here for an average of
14 days every month

During the eight months
liseberg is open.

This is bad news for one section
of valkyria's track.

♪

Valkyria's nearly 10-foot deep
underground tunnel

Sits just below
the area's water table.

After heavy rainfall,
water seeps through the bedrock

And gradually builds up
inside the tunnel

To the point that it could
lap over valkyria's track.

If that were to happen,

When a train
passes through the tunnel,

The water could drag on
the wheels,

Slowing down the carriage.

There's a chance the train

Wouldn't complete
the rise out of the tunnel

And would roll backwards into
the dark, wet subterranean hole.

To make sure this never happens,

Engineers equip
the ride with sensors.

These monitor the water level
inside the tunnel.

If the sensors detect
pooling water,

The amusement park maintenance
team is immediately alerted.

They use pumps to remove water
from the tunnel to make sure

Its level doesn't pose
a risk to the ride's operation.

[ screaming ]

♪

Just hours remain until
the season-opening

Weekend rush is over.

This weekend alone, valkyria has
provided thousands of people

With the ride
and time of their lives.

Andersen: A good ride is
actually almost like

A good film.

It has a beginning.

It has a build up.

It has a climax,
and then it sort of fades out,

And I think that
valkyria does just that.

Narrator: So what technology
promises to be the next

Leap forward
in roller coaster design?

♪

♪

Narrator: In sweden,
liseberg amusement park's

Busy opening spring-summer
season weekend is almost over.

Ultimate dive coaster valkyria
is the latest in a long line of

Revolutionary coasters
pushing the limits of speed

And exhilaration.

In a fiercely
competitive industry,

The challenge for
coaster engineers

Is how to make
their rides stand out.

To accomplish this task,

Liseberg's cutting edge
engineers

Build a virtual reality
simulator that passengers can

Experience before they
climb aboard the actual ride.

The simulator immerses riders
in the norse myth

And legend that inspired
valkyria.

The park enlists
the help of designer

Simon jimmefors to develop
this unique experience.

His expert team uses
3-d modeling to build around

Valkyria's track,
a mythological world

Of heroes and fantasy creatures.

This type of technology
immerses riders

Into the world's
sights and sounds.

A motor driven chair replicates
the sensation of riding

The real valkyria.

The virtual ride
went live in 2017.

It's unique mythology-inspired
theme wowed thrill seekers.

It's possible the next evolution
will allow passengers to

Experience the virtual world

At the same time
as riding a real coaster.

♪

6:00 p.M.,
only a couple hours remain

Until liseberg's busy
opening weekend

Will draw to a close.

For every guest walking through
the gate, we want to create,

You know, the best day
of the year.

Narrator: Liseberg's busy
opening weekend

Ends on a big high.

Over the past 48 hours,
the park's star ride

Completes its mission,
taking thousands of

Eager thrill seekers
on the ride of a lifetime

And cementing
the park's reputation

As one of the top amusement
attractions in europe.

Andersen: We really like
the dive coaster concept,

But we wanted to
take it further.

We really wanted to build
the ultimate compact

Dive coaster for
the european market,

And I think we succeeded.

Narrator: It's all thanks to
a series of engineering

Innovations built into
the twisting body

Of this machine that helps make
it one of the world's

Ultimate roller coaster rides.

Deep, superstrong piles

Secure precision engineered
tracks to the bedrock.

A mighty drop chain holds
the coaster on the edge.

Near frictionless wheels
keep the coaster train

Rolling right around the track.

Head-spinning inversions
and corkscrew twists

Exhilarate passengers,
and hydraulic harnesses

Keep everyone
firmly in their seats.

This is europe's
tallest dive coaster.

One of the most thrilling
rides in the world.

Valkyria was built to be
the ultimate in its class.