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.
Arrow Dynamics first introduced the steel roller coaster to feature tubular track to the thrill industry with their creations of the Matterhorn Bobsleds in 1959 and the Runaway Mine Train 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. 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.
Notable steel roller coasters
- Alpengeist at Busch Gardens Williamsburg – world's tallest full-circuit inverted coaster
- Banshee at King's Island – world's longest inverted coaster
- at Six Flags Great America - first inverted roller coaster
- 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 and second fastest at
- Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland – first tubular steel roller coaster
- Millennium Force at Cedar Point – first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed in height
- 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
- 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 1969.
- at Six Flags Magic Mountain - first roller coaster to exceed in height
- The Smiler at Alton Towers - holds the world record for most inversions at 14
- Takabisha at Fuji-Q Highland theme park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan - 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 - world's first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed in height
- Tower of Terror II at Dreamworld – first roller coaster to reach in speed and in height
- Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster 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 at Knott's Berry Farm - world's first roller coaster to feature a hydraulic launch
Other examples
- Corkscrew at Knott's Berry Farm – first modern roller coaster to feature an inversion
- Formula Rossa at Ferrari World – world's fastest roller coaster at
- Magnum XL-200 – first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed
- Moonsault Scramble 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 – world's longest roller coaster at
- Wicked Twister at Cedar Point – world's tallest and fastest inverted roller coaster