A steel roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its steel track, which consists of long steel tubes that are run in pairs, supported by larger steel columns or beams. Trains running along the track typically rely on wheels made of polyurethane or nylon to keep each train car anchored to the track.[1] The introduction of tubular steel drastically changed roller coaster innovation, allowing for greater speeds, higher drops, and more intense elements such as inversions.

Arrow Dynamics is credited with inventing tubular steel track and introducing the first modern steel coaster with the opening of Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland in 1959. Older steel-tracked coasters existed previously in a simpler form, such as Little Dipper at Memphis Kiddie Park in Brooklyn, Ohio, which is the oldest operating steel coaster in North America. The oldest in the world is Montaña Suiza at Parque de Atracciones Monte Igueldo (Spain), which has been operating since 1928.

Characteristics

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Blue Fire, an inverting launched roller coaster, at Europa-Park, Germany
 
Dragon Challenge was a unique inverted roller coaster that featured a dueling layout, located at Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida
 
A close-up of the tubular steel tracks of Galactica at Alton Towers
  • Steel coasters can generally provide a smoother ride experience than their wooden counterparts, and due to their strength, can have more complex ride elements, achieve greater speeds, and feature higher drops. Despite the advantages, wooden roller coasters continue to be built and still remain popular in the industry for providing a different riding experience.[citation needed]
  • Most world records for height, speed, and length are typically held by steel roller coasters.[2]
  • Some designs combine steel tracks with wooden frames, or vice versa, which are referred to as hybrid roller coasters. In some cases, the original wooden track on a wooden coaster is retrofitted with steel track during a refurbishment, with one of the first being New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas. One of the most popular conversions was Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point.[3]

There are various types of steel coaster models and designs, including flying, inverted, floorless, and suspended.

Notable steel roller coasters

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Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom's Steel Force and Thunderhawk roller coasters, just outside Allentown, Pennsylvania. Steel Force is the eighth-tallest steel roller coaster in the world with a first drop of 205 feet (62 m) and has a top speed of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).[4]
 
The Smiler, a Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster at Alton Towers, which holds the record for the longest inversion
 
Impulse with 540° helix at Knoebels Amusement Resort

References

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  1. ^ Harris, Tom; Threewitt, Cherise. "How Roller Coasters Work". HowStuffWorks. p. 9. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  2. ^ "Record Holders". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
  3. ^ "What Is a Hybrid Wooden and Steel Roller Coaster?". tripsavvy.com. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  4. ^ Marden, Duane. "Steel Force  (Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  5. ^ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Tallest Inverted Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  6. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wicked Twister  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  7. ^ Schwartzberg, Eric (April 18, 2014). "Record-breaking Banshee roller coaster debuts at Kings Island". Dayton Daily News. Archived from the original on April 21, 2014.
  8. ^ "Roller Coaster Search Results". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  9. ^ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results  (Inverted Roller Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  10. ^ "Roller Coaster Search Results". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  11. ^ "Roller Coaster Search Results". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  12. ^ a b c d e Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Tallest Steel Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  13. ^ a b Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Fastest Steel Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  14. ^ "Record Holders". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  15. ^ "Impulse - Knoebels Amusement Resort (Elysburg, Pennsylvania, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  16. ^ "Roller Coaster Search Results". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  17. ^ Hartmann, Adam C. (14 August 2005). "Soaring attraction - Amusement parks gain popularity". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  18. ^ Marden, Duane. "Tower of Terror II  (Dreamworld)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  19. ^ "Roller Coaster Search Results". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  20. ^ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Fastest Suspended Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  21. ^ stevee22 (2023-12-17). "[Olympia Looping] Any coasters have more than 5 vertical loops?". r/rollercoasters. Retrieved 2024-03-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Tallest Stand-Up Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  23. ^ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Fastest Stand-Up Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  24. ^ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Longest Stand-Up Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  25. ^ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results  (Mine Train roller coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  26. ^ "Record Holders". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  27. ^ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Inversions)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ "Takabisha, World's Steepest Rollercoaster, To Open In Japan (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  30. ^ "World's steepest roller-coaster opens in Japan". The Telegraph. 8 July 2011. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  31. ^ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Tallest Flying Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  32. ^ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Fastest Flying Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  33. ^ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders  (Longest Flying Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  34. ^ "Roller Coaster Search Results". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  35. ^ "Roller Coaster Search Results". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  36. ^ Marden, Duane. "Superman: Escape from Krypton  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  37. ^ 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.
  38. ^ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results  (4th Dimension Roller Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  39. ^ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results  (Accelerator Coasters)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  40. ^ Kayata, Erin; Kayata (2022-11-27). "This Is the Longest, Tallest, and Fastest Dive Roller Coaster in the World". Reader's Digest. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
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