Steel Dragon 2000


Steel Dragon 2000 is a steel roller coaster located at Nagashima Spa Land amusement park in Mie Prefecture, Japan. Built by Morgan Manufacturing, Steel Dragon opened to the public on August 1, 2000, taking its name from Chinese astrology and zodiac calendars where the year 2000 represents the dragon. It set several world records in its debut, becoming the longest roller coaster in the world with a track length of, as well as the tallest and fastest among complete-circuit coasters. It remains the longest, and with a maximum speed of nearly, it is one of the fastest that uses a traditional lift hill.

Layout

Out of the station, the track makes a right hand turn onto the lift hill. Due to the length of the lift hill, it utilizes two chains with separate motors. At the crest of the lift hill, the track plummets down a drop to the ground, before passing over a tall airtime hill. After this hill, the track rises over a tall hill before dropping to the right into a pair of helixes, the first one being clockwise and the second being counterclockwise. Following the second helix, the track maneuvers through the supports of the first helix and third hill and makes a left turn into the midcourse brakes, which start the return trip.
The return trip consists of a series of airtime hills, running parallel to the outbound track, before hitting the final brake run next to the base of the lift hill. From the brake run, trains pass through the transfer track and storage area before making a sweeping left turn to return to the station.

Design

In August 2003, a sheared axle caused one of the trains to lose a wheel. A passenger suffered a serious back injury and a 28-year-old man swimming in the water park pool was injured when he was hit in the hip with the wheel. The ride was closed for almost three years and reopened in 2006.

Awards