A steel roller coaster is a
roller coaster
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are ...
that is defined by having a track made of
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistan ...
. 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
A wooden roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its wooden Rail tracks, track, which consists of running rails made of flat steel strips mounted on laminated wood. The support structure is also typically made of wood, b ...
.
Arrow Dynamics first introduced the steel roller coaster to feature tubular track to the thrill industry with their creations of the
Matterhorn Bobsleds (
Disneyland
Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisio ...
) 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
Memphis Kiddie Park is an 11-ride amusement park located in Brooklyn, Ohio, designed specifically for children and families.
Memphis Kiddie Park opened on May 28, 1952. The park was one of several designed and opened by Stuart Wintner, who event ...
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
*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.
*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.
*Occasionally steel tracks are combined with wooden frames typical for wooden roller coasters. These are sometimes referred to as Hybrid Roller Coasters. In many cases these were originally wooden roller coasters whose original wooden track was later replaced by steel, while some are built in this fashion originally. Examples include
Excalibur at
Valleyfair,
Gemini and
Steel Vengeance at
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and ope ...
,
Twisted Timbers
Twisted Timbers is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. It originally opened as a wooden coaster named Hurler in 1994, designed and manufactured by International Coasters, Inc., with a name and layout that matc ...
at
Kings Dominion, and
New Texas Giant
New Texas Giant is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. It originally opened as Texas Giant, which was the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world when it debuted in 1990. Manufactured by Dinn Corpora ...
at
Six Flags Over Texas.
There are different types of steel coasters, such as
flying,
inverted,
floorless, and
suspended.
Notable steel roller coasters
*
Alpengeist at
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Busch Gardens Williamsburg (formerly known as Busch Gardens Europe and Busch Gardens: The Old Country) is a amusement park located in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Located approximately northwest of Virginia ...
– world's tallest full-circuit inverted coaster
*
Banshee at
King's Island – world's longest inverted coaster
*
Batman: The Ride at
Six Flags Great America - first inverted roller coaster
*
GateKeeper at
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and ope ...
– 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 and second fastest at
*
Matterhorn Bobsleds at
Disneyland
Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisio ...
– first tubular steel roller coaster
*
Millennium Force at
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and ope ...
– first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed in height
*
Mindbender at
West Edmonton Mall's
Galaxyland – world's largest indoor steel roller coaster
*
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp. 2 ...
at
Six Flags Magic Mountain – world's fastest suspended roller coaster
*
Riddler's Revenge at
Six Flags Magic Mountain – world's tallest, fastest, and longest stand-up roller coaster
*
Runaway Mine Train at
Six Flags Over Texas – first mine train roller coaster, built in 1966.
*
Superman: Escape from Krypton at
Six Flags Magic Mountain - first roller coaster to exceed in height
*
The Smiler at
Alton Towers
Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water pa ...
- holds the world record for most inversions at 14
*
Takabisha at
Fuji-Q Highland theme park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
in
Fujiyoshida
is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 48,782 in 19,806 households and a population density of 400 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Fujiyoshida lies at the northern ...
,
Yamanashi,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
- formerly the world's steepest roller coaster with a beyond-vertical drop of 121°
opened in 2011
*
Tatsu at
Six Flags Magic Mountain – world's tallest, fastest, and longest flying roller coaster
*
Top Thrill Dragster at
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and ope ...
- world's first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed in height
*
Tower of Terror II
The Tower of Terror II was a steel roller coaster, steel shuttle roller coaster, shuttle roller coaster located at the Dreamworld (Australia), Dreamworld amusement park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. When the ...
at
Dreamworld – first roller coaster to reach in speed and in height
*
Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster
Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, built by Rocky Mountain Construction and opened on May 12, 2018. The roller coaster is themed to the DC Comics character, Wonder Woman. It was one of two p ...
at
Six Flags Fiesta Texas – world's first steel monorail roller coaster.
*
X² at
Six Flags Magic Mountain – world's first
4th Dimension roller coaster
*
Xcelerator
Xcelerator is a steel launched roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. It was Intamin's first hydraulically launched coaster, while also the fourth Intamin installation at Knott's, alongside Sky Cabin, Calico River Rapi ...
at
Knott's Berry Farm - world's first roller coaster to feature a
hydraulic launch
Other examples
*
Corkscrew at
Knott's Berry Farm (now at
Silverwood
Silverwood Theme Park is an amusement park located in the city of Athol in northern Idaho, United States, near the town of Coeur d'Alene, approximately from Spokane, Washington on US 95. Owner Gary Norton opened the park on June 20, 198 ...
) – first modern roller coaster to feature an inversion
*
Formula Rossa at
Ferrari World
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi ( ar, عالم فيراري أبوظبي) is a mostly indoors theme park located on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is the world’s first Ferrari-themed park and features Formula Rossa, the world's f ...
– world's fastest roller coaster at
*
Magnum XL-200 – first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed
*
Moonsault Scramble
Moonsault Scramble was a shuttle roller coaster located at Fuji-Q Highland amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan. Manufactured by Sanoyas Hishino Meisho, the ride opened to the public on June 24, 1983. According to the ''Guinness Book ...
at
Fuji-Q Highland – first roller coaster over in height
*
The New Revolution at
Six Flags Magic Mountain – first modern roller coaster to feature a
vertical loop
*
Steel Dragon 2000
is a steel roller coaster located at Nagashima Spa Land amusement park in Mie Prefecture, Japan.
Built by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing, Steel Dragon opened to the public on August 1, 2000. It takes its name from Chinese astrology and zodiac cale ...
– world's longest roller coaster at
*
Impulse (roller coaster) - 540°
Helix at
Knoebels Amusement Resort in Pennsylvania
References
{{roller coaster
Types of roller coaster