Since it's the new year, you'll read about new coasters added to many different parks for the upcoming summer. In this post, I will list and describe some new rides that I looked up on the internet that I found incredibly interesting.
I found an online list of new roller coasters for 2015 on the Roller Coaster Database. This amazing web site has info and pictures on thousands of different coasters around the world. It has a list of record breakers, new coasters for the current year as well as the previous and future year, and you can even type in a specific roller coaster or theme park. I recommend anyone who likes to learn about different coasters and theme parks to use this web site at
http://rcdb.com/
Anyway, moving on. In this post, I'm going to mention four new coasters that are being built at four different theme parks. Two of which were renovated by Rocky Mountain Construction. Using parts of the old structure of two wooden coasters.
First one I'm going to talk about is the Wicked Cyclone at Six Flags New England. This is one of the two re-modeled by Rocky Mountain Construction. What they are doing is taking the old, wooden structure and then giving it a new track and layout. This Company has re-done other famous Six Flags wood coasters like the Texas Giant and the Rattler (now known as New Texas Giant and Iron Rattler). The Wicked Cyclone Is technically classified as a steel coaster because of its new track. However, it still uses the old wood structure so it's classified as a steel hybrid coaster. The renovated coaster will feature three inversions, overbanked turns, a 78 degree drop, and 14 different spots of negative Gs (Airtime). All under 3,400 feet in length. Pictures are available on Roller Coaster Database.
The second ride I want to mention is at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. It's a winged coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard, and it's called Thunderbird. Now Thunderbird is the first launched winged coaster in America. It gets launched to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds, it has four inversions, and is just over 3,000 feet long. Pictures are available on Roller Coaster Database.
The third coaster to be brought up would be Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California. This is the second Rocky Mountain Construction renovation on my list. What was originally a racing coaster with two tracks, Colossus is being transformed into the mobius circuit coaster, soon to be known as Twisted Colossus. A mobius circuit is kind of coaster where if you ride one side, you'll return to the other. In this case you get to ride both sides in one ride cycle. Where one side originally was 4,325 ft in length, it has now been shortened and connected together to be a total of 4,990 ft in length. It has an 80 degree drop, 2 inversions, overbanked turns, and even a special "high five" element where the two tracks bank to face each other. Pictures are available on Roller Coaster Database.
And finally, I save what I think is the best for last. In a park that borders the states of North and South Carolina, a new Giga Coaster is to be built. Built by Bolliger & Mabillard, it is built at 325 feet tall with a speed of 95 mph. Set to open in 2015, the Fury 325. Located at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina, it is set to be the world's tallest and fastest Giga Coaster (not the longest though as Steel Dragon 2000 in Japan still holds that record). It is going to be the world's 5th longest coaster at 6,602 feet in length. Pictures are available on Roller Coaster Database.
Speaking of Fury 325 and Giga Coasters, a Giga Coaster is a closed circuit lift hill (no launch) coaster that is over 300 ft tall. The first one of its type was Millennium Force at Cedar Point, built by Intamin AG in 2000. Intiman AG has currently two Giga Coasters and so does Bolliger & Mabillard. Intiman AG has built two in a ten year period and even though Bolliger & Mabillard has introduced there first Giga Coaster (Leviathan) twelve years later, they have built two within a three year period.
I have a strange feeling that there will be more B&M Giga Coasters than Intiman in the next ten to 15 years. The reason that I'm saying this is not just because of the timeframe of each one built, but because I got to ride the Intimidator 305 (Intiman AG's second Giga Coaster) at Kings Dominion back in 2011 and it wasn't only fun, but it was intense. Which you would think would be good for a coaster that type. However, it was too much. There has been a lot of criticism about the fist turn on the Intimidator 305. It may look wide, but because the train originally went around it at 92 mph, the strong and continuous G forces would cause your vision to blackout. The problem was so serious, that trim brakes were added to it, slowing the ride down to something like 79 mph. Well that didn't work, so the brakes were removed and then the first turn was re-profiled. And even with the design change, I was still blacking out.
The thing with the Intimidator 305 unlike other rides its size, was that it wasn't necessarily focused on big hills and airtime. It was more focused on speed. I mean there are quick little segments where you would be taking a left and then it would quickly flip you to the right side. Now don't get me wrong, the Intimidator 305 is definitely a roller coaster worth riding.
Now with the B&M Gigas, they are more based off there Hyper Coasters (the 200 footers). Tall hills with ejector airtime. However they did add low overbanked curves on both the Leviathan and the Fury 325 for the high speed feel. And the best part, no blackouts. So I think Bolliger & Mabillard has a bright future on building Giga Coasters.
That's all I have to say for now. I'm hoping to post more later on for you guys.
Thanks for reading
