AstroNeedle was a gyro tower located in Houston 's Six Flags Astroworld , in the U.S. state of Texas . The ride opened in 1968 and was located in the amusement park's European Village section. The landmark closed in 1999 and was dismantled in February 2000, five years before the park closed permanently. The ride was to be relocated to Six Flags Mexico in Mexico City but never commenced. It was the tallest ride in the park when it was completed, as well as one of the tallest rides in the world when it opened in 1968.
18-471: The ride featured a double-decker cabin with 32 passengers each level, giving a 360-panoramic view of the park. The original cabin was supplied by Von Roll , then later retrofitted with an Intamin cabin in 1979. Construction for the tower started in 1967, and opened in 1968. It opened as one of the original attractions when Six Flags Astroworld opened in 1968. The ride originally opened as Skyrama , then later renamed to AstroNeedle. The ride originally had
36-851: A gold paint scheme, but then later repainted white in the late 1970s. The ride closed in 1999, then dismantled in February 2000. The ride was to be relocated to Six Flags Mexico in Mexico City , with intentions of being utilized at said park. Von Roll Holding Von Roll Holding AG is a Swiss industrial group that operates worldwide that was founded in 1803. As one of Switzerland's longest-established industrial companies, Von Roll focuses today on products and systems for electrical applications such as power generation, transmission, and storage as well as e-mobility and industrial applications. It made gondola systems, monorails, and funicular systems at attractions in various countries. Von Roll has its roots in
54-792: A lack of spare parts it ceased operation on 30 June 2013. A MkII Monorail system was also in operation during World Expo 88 held in Brisbane , Australia, with a loop around the expo site at Southbank. After Expo it was dismantled and three of the four trains were sold back to Von Roll for use at Europa-Park in Germany; the fourth train and some of the track was sold to Sea World. Cedar Point's Space Spiral, Astro World's Astro needle and Coney's Space Tower were built by Willy Bühler Space Towers Company of Berne, Switzerland, with cabins by Von Roll. In 1971 Intamin started marketing these towers and contracted these same companies to build them. Willy Bühler Space Towers
72-589: A lot of iron. Von Roll participated in the construction of the Wetterhorn Elevator in 1908. The business developed into one of the most important industrial groups in Switzerland with more than 10,000 employees in the 1970s. Like other Swiss companies, Von Roll suffered during the oil crisis of 1973. The company underwent financial restructuring after financial restructuring, seemingly without end. As recently as 2003, Von Roll had to fight for its survival. At
90-461: A unidirectional anti-clockwise single loop through seven stations located around the western half of the island. The monorail rides were initially charged at S$ 3 for adults and S$ 1.50 for children. The trip was later made free for passengers, who could ride the system as often as they wished throughout their stay on the island. Four of the stations have two platforms; for such stations, the Spanish solution
108-608: A variety of locations before the technology was sold to Adtranz (later Bombardier ), which continues to supply the parts for the monorail systems. AirTrain Newark opened in 1996 and is a Von Roll system. The AirTrain Newark system was extended to connect with Amtrak and NJ Transit in 2001. The monorail cars at Alton Towers theme park in England were built for Expo 86 in Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada. Von Roll also manufactured
126-643: The Eisenwerke der Handelsgesellschaft der Gebrüder Dürholz & Co. (Ironworks of the commercial firm of the Brothers Dürholz & Co.) which was established in 1803. This firm was then taken over in 1810 by Von Roll & Cie, newly formed by Ludwig Freiherr von Roll (1771–1839) and Jakob von Glutz. In May 1823, Ludwig von Roll founded the Gesellschaft der Ludwig von Roll'schen Eisenwerke which benefited from industrialization and railroad construction that demanded
144-715: The Gold Coast (first monorail in Australia which opened in 1986). A MkIII Monorail system in nearby Broadbeach linking Oasis Shopping Centre to Jupiter's Hotel & Casino opened in 1989, but closed on 29 January 2017 due to life-expired equipment and declining patronage. Another MkIII Monorail system, the Sydney Monorail , operated in Australia linking the City Centre to Darling Harbour , began operation on 21 July 1988 and due to
162-446: The company is involved in law case for some salaries paid in euro (€). Von Roll Seilbahnen AG was the aerial tramway and cableway division that was sold to Austrian manufacturer Doppelmayr in 1996. Perhaps Von Roll's best-known product was the type 101 sky ride or simply "VR101" that operated in many amusement parks. A total of over 100 were installed. As of 2008, only ten remained operational. On 30 December 1954 Felseneggbahn
180-505: The end of 2002, following the accumulated losses of previous years, Von Roll's equity capital had shrunk to 10.3 million. In 2004 the company initiated a new strategy to focus on the insulation business, beginning its turnaround. The main shareholder is in early 2019 August von Finck Jr. family with above 65% of the quotes. After the conversion of some convertible bonds in December 2018 the composition of shareholders became unclear. In 2019
198-630: The line initially opened with only five stations, running in a clockwise loop. In 1987, the Ferry Terminal Monorail Station began operations when the Sentosa Ferry Terminal opened that year. In 1991, the line changed to an anti-clockwise direction after the Underwater World Monorail Station commenced operations, when Underwater World opened that year. It operated several 16-car, non-air conditioned trains in
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#1732869428941216-413: The new four-station Sentosa Express monorail. Much of the track and all of the rolling stock were sold as scrap for S$ 350,000. A subsequent assessment showed that some of the butt welds did not match the specification of British Standards . Parts of the track and some of the monorail stations were repurposed for other uses, such as the "Surrender Chamber" at Fort Siloso, a restaurant being developed at
234-598: The old Sentosa Monorail in Sentosa Island, Singapore, in 1982, which closed down in March 2005. The Jurong Bird Park Panorail in Jurong Bird Park , Singapore is a four-car straddle-beam monorail that began operation in 1991 and ceased operations in 2012. Australia has had a total of four Von Roll Monorail systems, currently one is still in operation. A Von Roll MkII system is in operation at Sea World theme park on
252-507: The opening of several other attractions, the number of visitors to Sentosa also shot up, increasing to 1,067,192 visitors from 567,567 visitors over the same period in the previous year. Due to the rapid modernisation of the island, maintenance problems, increasing costs, and declining popularity as visitors started complaining that the ride was slow and uncomfortable, the Sentosa Monorail ceased operations on 16 March 2005 to make way for
270-425: Was completed two months before schedule at a cost of S$ 16 million, and opened on 23 February 1982. Four intermediate stations along the line at several locations around the island were opened on 1 December the same year. This resulted in the bus service to these locations being terminated, and the monorail thus became the main mode of transport around the island. As a result of the monorail's opening, as well as
288-622: Was eventually acquired by Von Roll. Sentosa Monorail The Sentosa Monorail was a monorail system which served as the main means of transportation on the island of Sentosa in Singapore, and has been replaced by the new monorail system, the Sentosa Express . The system was constructed at a cost of S$ 14 million by Von Roll of Switzerland, who also built the Singapore Cable Car . Commencing operations on 23 February 1982,
306-561: Was implemented, where passengers alight at one platform and board at the opposite platform. Plans for the monorail were first announced in 1979, and it was planned to serve as a mode of transportation around Sentosa as well as to make the island more attractive to visitors. At that point in time, transport around the island was provided by a fleet of double-decker buses. Site surveys commenced in March 1980, and construction began six months later. Initially expected to be completed in April 1982, it
324-573: Was opened. It was built by Von Roll in seven months for one million Swiss francs. It still runs, and on 31 March 2010, it carried its 10 millionth passenger. The Disneyland Skyway was Von Roll's first aerial ropeway in the United States. It opened on 23 June 1956 and closed on 9 November 1994. The first Von Roll VR101 was built in Films, in 1944, and replaced in 1986. The Mk II and Mk III monorail automated people mover (APM) systems were installed in
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