Bobbie
Hi! I took up roller coasters late in life, 8 years ago at the age of 59 and am trying to make up for lost time. Most of my favorite coasters were made by Intamin and lately, Rocky Mountain Construction. I love Hersheypark not only because it's the sweetest place on earth but because the three major coasters are Intamins. In real life I work in the legal profession.
Review: Colossus at Thorpe Park
Overview Colossus at Thorpe Park in Surrey, UK is a steel 10-inversion coaster manufactured by Intamin. Opened in 2002, it held the record for most inversions on a roller coaster until 2013, when The Smiler (with 14 inversions) opened at Alton Towers. (Colossus was subsequently cloned as 10 Inversion Roller Coaster – how original – in China.) Layout, Theming and Elements Colossus has a fair...
Showdown: Magnum XL-200 vs. Steel Force
Overview The common denominator – apart from the fact that Magnum XL-200 and Steel Force are steel hypercoasters – is that both were record breakers when they opened. Magnum, located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH and manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, was the first hypercoaster to be erected. Steel Force, located at Dorney Park in Allentown, PA and manufactured by D.H. Morgan, was the first coaste...
Showdown: Superman Krypton Coaster vs. Dominator
Overview The common denominator is that Superman Krypton Coaster and Dominator are B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) floorless coasters. Superman, operating since 2000, makes its home at Six Flags Fiesta Texas while Dominator, operating since 2008, is located at Kings Dominion. (Dominator actually opened in 2000 as Batman:Knight Flight and has a rather complicated history, in that it first ope...
Review: The Swarm at Thorpe Park
Overview The Swarm at Thorpe Park in Surrey was the first – and only – wing coaster to be built in the UK. It was the second wing coaster to be built by B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard), which thus far is the only company to manufacture wing riders; the first was Raptor at Gardaland in Italy. As of 2018 there are nine wing coasters in operation and six more under construction. Layo...
Showdown: Batman:The Ride vs. Raptor
Overview What these two have in common is that they’re B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) inverted coasters. Batman has been cloned numerous times, with installations at half a dozen Six Flags parks. I’ve ridden the original at Six Flags Great America and a clone at Six Flags Great Adventure so am basing my observations on those experiences and more specifically, the installation at Great Advent...
Review: Wicker Man at Alton Towers
Overview Opened in March of 2018, Wicker Man is the first wooden coaster to be built in the UK in 21 years and the first ever wooden coaster to be built at Alton Towers. When SW8 (projects at Alton Towers are given codenames, SW standing for Secret Weapon) was announced, it ignited considerable curiosity, especially when it became known that this coaster would incorporate the element of fire. The...
Review: Banshee at Kings Island
Overview The longest inverted coaster in existence and the last one to be built in the USA, Banshee at Kings Island in Mason, OH opened in 2014 to critical acclaim. Built by B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard), it boasts 4,124 feet of track, operating with three trains seating four across in 8 rows for a total capacity of 32 riders. The restraint is an over- the- shoulder harness. Layout, Theme a...
Review: Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City
Overview Advertised as “a revolutionary coaster ahead of our time,” Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO is indeed a groundbreaking/trailblazing phenomenon. The new coaster from Germany’s Mack Rides represents a $26,000,000 investment and forward-thinking technology which certainly puts a new spin on things. I wanted to resist using the phrase “a new spin” but in this case it’s so ...
Showdown: Gatekeeper vs. X-Flight
Overview There are only four wing coasters currently operating in the USA. X-Flight at Six Flags Great America was the second one to open and Gatekeeper at Cedar Point was the third. (The first was Wild Eagle at Dollywood and the fourth was Thunderbird at Holiday World.) Layout, Theme and Setting Gatekeeper is aptly named in that part of its track overhangs the entrance gates to Cedar Point. It’...
Review: Twisted Timbers at Kings Dominion
Overview Twisted Timbers at Kings Dominion in Doswell, VA is the reincarnation of The Hurler, a lumbering wooden coaster well past its prime. It’s the latest RMC (Rocky Mountain Construction) makeover to open – to critical acclaim. Featuring RMC’s signature I-Box track – 3,351 feet of it – it’s taller, longer, faster and smoother than its predecessor. It’s also a lot more exciting. Talk ...
Showdown: Iron Rattler vs. Outlaw Run
Overview What Iron Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City have in common is that both are RMC (Rocky Mountain Construction) terrain coasters. What they don’t have in common is that one (Iron Rattler) is a former wooden coaster retracked with steel whereas the other is a wooden coaster built by RMC from scratch. Layout, Theme and Setting Iron Rattler, themed after a...
Why Not Take A Free Spin in 4D?
4D coasters are nothing new. X2 from Arrow Dynamics opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2002 and operates with a controlled spin. Then came Intamin’s ZacSpin, on which the seats spin freely. This was improved upon when S&S Worldwide, the successor to Arrow, developed a free spin coaster which has been installed at five Six Flags parks. It’s known as The Joker at Six Flags Great Adventure...