Construction of the Bob began in 1984. The track consisted of green gutters with a snow-colored interior and was built between the trees. A soft opening was held on March 27, 1985, during a press conference with a team of European bobsleigh riders.[2] On April 4, 1985, the Bob would open to the general public.[3]
Operation
The Swiss Bob
For the 1996 season, the hard nylon wheels were replaced with rubber ones to reduce noise and run a little faster on the track. Two years later in 1998, the queue line's capacity was expanded and the entire meandering covered and equipped with televisions. Then in 2000, a brand new computer control system would be installed.[4]
The Bob received new trains during the 2005 season. Each row would have two riders rather than a single. Meanwhile, the original trains were shipped to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas, where they were being used on La Vibora.[3]
In 2012, the queue house was refurbished with a new color scheme and signs.[5] A single rider entrance was added to the Bob in 2013.[6]
During the 2017 and 2018 season, the Bob had several issues and was closed for several months in order to fix these. These included issues with trains rolling back on the lift hill and issues with the brakes. Since 2017, the Bob closed down during rain, as the brakes were unable to stop the trains when the track was wet.[citation needed]
Closure and demolition
On October 9, 2018, Efteling announced that the Bob would be closing permanently during the 2019 season. Officials planned an expansion near Vogel Rok, but this was postponed and the Bob's replacement would occur instead.[7] A farewell song called Dag Mooie Bob was released. The Bob would give its final rides on September 1, 2019, along with a closing ceremony.[8] The following day, demolition of the attraction had already started.[9] A new Mack Ridesduelingpowered coaster named Max & Moritz was built in its place the following year. The ride reuses the Bob's former station.[10]
Characteristics
"Bobbaan" had 8 trains, each with a capacity of 6 passengers. The original Bobsleds, with inline seating, were replaced with new trains that sit 2 across in order to increase the ride capacity and fight back the extreme queue times (of up to 90 minutes). The original Bobsled cars were replaced by sleds with a wooden theming that matches the station's classical Austrian Alps style.[citation needed]
It was a smooth ride, especially since the original steel wheels were replaced by softer ones in order to comply with the night- opening license. The ride meandered through the trees, and had some drops, curves and points where the ride really picked up some speed.[citation needed]
