Steel roller coaster

A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world. Incorporating tubular steel track and polyurethane-coated wheels, the steel roller coasters can provide a taller, smoother, and faster ride with more inversions than a traditional wooden roller coaster.

Dragon Challenge was the world's only dueling steel-inverted roller coaster until it was demolished in 2017. It was located at Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida.

Arrow Dynamics first introduced the steel roller coaster to feature tubular track to the thrill industry with their creations of the Matterhorn Bobsleds (Disneyland) in 1959 and the Runaway Mine Train (Six Flags Over Texas) in 1966.

As of 2006, the oldest operating steel roller coaster in North America is Little Dipper at Memphis Kiddie Park in Brooklyn, Ohio and has been operating since April 1952. The oldest operating steel rollercoaster in the world is Montaña Suiza at Parque de Atracciones Monte Igueldo (Spain). It has been operating since 1928.

Characteristics

A close-up of the tubular steel tracks. (Galactica at Alton Towers)

• Steel coasters have a generally smoother ride than their wooden counterparts and due to their strength rides can have more complex and faster turns and twists without injuring riders. However, some coaster enthusiasts prefer wooden coasters due to the jolting ride feeling more dangerous and giving a larger adrenaline rush.
• Almost all world records for tallest, fastest, and longest coasters are currently held by steel roller coasters.[1]
• The fact that fewer supports are needed means steel roller coasters have made a large variety of features possible, such as loops, barrel rolls, corkscrews, zero-G rolls and beyond 90° drops.

There are different types of steel coasters, such as flying, inverted, floorless, and suspended.

Notable steel roller coasters

Blue Fire, an inverting launched roller coaster, at Europa-Park, Germany.

Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom's Steel Force and Thunderhawk roller coasters, just outside Allentown. Steel Force opened in 1997 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster on the East Coast of the United States, with a first drop of 205 feet (62 m) and a top speed of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).[2]

The Smiler a Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster holding the inversion record at Alton Towers.

• Alpengeist at Busch Gardens Williamsburg – world's tallest full-circuit inverted coaster[3][4]
• Banshee at King's Island – world's longest inverted coaster[5]
• Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America - first inverted roller coaster[6]
• GateKeeper at Cedar Point – world's tallest and fastest wing coaster, featured the highest inversion in the world when it opened
• Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure – world's tallest roller coaster at 456 feet (139 m) and second fastest at 128 mph (206 km/h)[7][8]
• Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland – first tubular steel roller coaster[9]
• Millennium Force at Cedar Point – first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed 300 feet (91 m) in height[7][10]
• Mindbender at West Edmonton Mall's Galaxyland - world's largest indoor steel roller coaster
• Ninja at Six Flags Magic Mountain – world's fastest suspended roller coaster[11]
• Riddler's Revenge at Six Flags Magic Mountain – world's tallest, fastest, and longest stand-up roller coaster[12][13][14]
• Runaway Mine Train at Six Flags Over Texas – first mine train roller coaster, built in 1969.[15]
• Superman: Escape from Krypton at Six Flags Magic Mountain - first roller coaster to exceed 400 feet (120 m) in height[7]
• The Smiler at Alton Towers - holds the world record for most inversions at 14[16]
• Takabisha at Fuji-Q Highland theme park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan - world's steepest roller coaster with a beyond-vertical drop of 121°[17][18][19]> opened in 2011[20]
• Tatsu at Six Flags Magic Mountain – world's tallest, fastest, and longest flying roller coaster[21][22][23]
• Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point - world's first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed 400 feet (120 m) in height[7][24]
• Tower of Terror II at Dreamworld – first roller coaster to reach 100 mph (160 km/h) in speed and 300 feet (91 m) in height[7][8]
• Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas – world's first steel monorail roller coaster.[25]
• X² at Six Flags Magic Mountain – world's first 4th Dimension roller coaster[26]
• Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm - world's first roller coaster to feature a hydraulic launch[27]

Other examples

• Corkscrew at Knott's Berry Farm (now at Silverwood) – first modern roller coaster to feature an inversion
• Formula Rossa at Ferrari World – world's fastest roller coaster at 150 mph (240 km/h)
• Magnum XL-200 – first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed 200 feet (61 m)
• Moonsault Scramble at Fuji-Q Highland – first roller coaster over 200 feet (61 m) in height
• The New Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain – first modern roller coaster to feature a vertical loop
• Steel Dragon 2000 – world's longest roller coaster at 8,133 feet (2,479 m)
• Wicked Twister at Cedar Point – world's tallest and fastest inverted roller coaster

References

1. "Record Holders". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
2. Marden, Duane. "Steel Force  (Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
3. Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Tallest Inverted Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
4. Marden, Duane. "Wicked Twister  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
5. "Dayton Daily News".
6. Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results  (Inverted Roller Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
7. Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Tallest Steel Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
8. Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Fastest Steel Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
9. Hartmann, Adam C. (14 August 2005). "Soaring attraction - Amusement parks gain popularity". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
10. Marden, Duane. "Tower of Terror II  (Dreamworld)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
11. Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Fastest Suspended Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
12. Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Tallest Stand-Up Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
13. Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Fastest Stand-Up Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
14. Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Longest Stand-Up Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
15. Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results  (Mine Train roller coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
16. Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Inversions)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
17. Tweedy, Joanna (17 June 2011). "Don't look down! Japanese theme park set to take the title of 'world's steepest rollercoaster' from UK's Flamingoland". Daily Mail. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
18. Fuji-Q Highland (11 May 2011). "Guinness Record Pending Steepest Drop At 121° – A New Roller Coaster" (PDF). Press Release. Japan National Tourism Organisation. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
19. "Takabisha, World's Steepest Rollercoaster, To Open In Japan (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
20. "World's steepest roller-coaster opens in Japan". The Telegraph. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
21. Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Tallest Flying Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
22. Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Fastest Flying Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
23. Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Longest Flying Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
24. Marden, Duane. "Superman: Escape from Krypton  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
25. Levine, Arthur (1 May 2018). "Exclusive: Six Flags Fiesta Texas' Wonder Woman coaster review". USA TODAY. USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
26. Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results  (4th Dimension Roller Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
27. Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results  (Accelerator Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 27 June 2011.