Can a real Hybrid roller coaster exist?

I was wondering if a real hybrid coaster could ever exist. By that I mean a coaster that has elements where it is 100 % a steel roller coaster and other elements where it is 100% a wooden coaster. From what I understand the literal difference b/t the two is the backbone area of the track or what the steel rails are supported by. I just believe that that would make an umbelievable ride. Imagine the possibilities! So is it possible? I think it may have already been done on the Son of Beast with its loop.

The real question is "why would you want to?"

Best of both worlds! The amusement industry has produced worse ideas than that.

Yeah what you have said sounds pretty much like what they tried to do on SoB, too bad that didn't work out though. But it was proved that it could be done...albeit fairly roughly. So in answer to your question yes I do believe it is possible one day, but from the practicality standpoint I doubt it ever will happen.

For a minute I thought this thread was going to be about some sort of 'green' roller coaster, like an inverted Prius or something . . .

^ If your going down the highway and put your hand out the window did you know that the vehicle will turn!!! ;) sorry I had to say it. gotta love Walter :)

Journey To Atlantis is a real hybrid coaster.

So is it possible?

With enough money, sure. But don't hold your breath.

I think it may have already been done on the Son of Beast with its loop.

Nope. Only the track was wood. The loop and track supports were steel.

Imagine the possibilities!

Why don't you help us out and mention what you've imagined.

^

ApolloAndy said:
The real question is "why would you want to?"

I'm surprised at the lack of support this has gotten. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here. Lets just say for example, that some new park in northern California wants to add a new roller coaster. The owners travel to parks around the state of california and fall in love with both Gostrider and Excelerator. Now lets say that the park only wants to add one major coaster not two. They are now stuck b/t the out of control feeling of Ghostrider that they believe comes best with wooden coasters and the launch of Excelerator that they believe comes best with steel roller coasters. The park then contacts Intamin and asks them if they could have a coaster that starts out exactly as Excelerator does with the launch and huge hill with the top hat, but then turns into a wooden coaster after the massive drop.- and yes i do realize that Intamin did not design the Ghostrider but that is besides the point.

This is one example I could see of the two mixing. I don't really see this being that different from for example, a steel hyper coaster like the steel phantom that has huge hills and drops but then turns into a classic looping coaster. Or a ride like the maverick also trying to provide the best of two worlds in loops and speed.

I don't see what's so bad about having a coaster launch to great speeds like volcano does then provide the out of control world that wooden coasters provide. Or having a looping coaster mixing elements with a wooden coaster. Or having a 300 coaster like MF starting off with great speeds and overbanks, but then when the speed becomes appropiate turning into a wooden coaster. I think there could be a lot of possibilities, and at the very least it could be marketing.

I don't see this being all that useless. You guys are making it sound like I'm wondering if its possible for a coaster to have its only restraint be magnets so we are only magnetically attacked.

You bring up a good point mamoosh ^ what is the literal difference b/t a wooden coaster and a steel coaster. I know that all rails are steel and that the supports don't matter when classifying, but what actually does make the difference.

I think this would really play well on a ride like Mystery Mine at Dollywood. The mine shaft part being wooden and the outdoor/inversion part being steel. The wood fits the feeling of being in a mine and the steel is needed for inversions. Just a thought.

I thought SoB's loop used a steel track. It was strange getting your back jackhammared throughout the ride, then entering the loop and feeling like your gliding on ice, then going right back to having you back jackhammared. I'm not so sure about this though because one ride on SoB and I vowed never to ride again. I'm probably going to brave it this summer now that it's supposedily fixed.

^Nope it had laminar wooden track even through the loop. The Difference was that the support during the loop was a more steady steel tubular support structure.

Picture of SOB's loop. Steel support. Wood track.

http://www.rcdb.com/ig584.htm?picture=14

what is the literal difference b/t a wooden coaster and a steel coaster. I know that all rails are steel and that the supports don't matter when classifying, but what actually does make the difference.

Coasters are defined by their track. Wood track: wood coaster. Steel track: steel coaster. Supports are irrelevent.

Who is to say you can't launch a wood coaster train? Or run it through a corkscrew? I believe there is a coaster builder out there who has plans to do both!

You're not going to see both laminated wood and tubular steel on a coaster, unless of course you're talking about the Bobsleds at Seabreeze*, but I know that's not what you're talking about. It just doesn't make sense to have to deal with the transitions. The requirements for each type of track are different, and there is no need to make things that complicated.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

* which has tubular steel track laid on top of an old track structure. I can't remember whether the old wood track is still there in places or not...

--DCAjr

^it's not.

Now there's a one-of-a-kind, underrated coaster for ya. I truly enjoyed the Bobsleds when I got to ride it a few years ago.

Agreed...one of the unexpected highlights of my trip last summer. I could ride Seabreeze's Bobsleds all day!

EDIT: why not ride it now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoMMq3G7ch8

Woohoo! Thanks, Moosh.

I've never seen a POV of that ride before. How odd. My intial thought was, "Adventureland called; they want their pre-lift bunny hops back." :)

-Nate

The park had a Jr Woodie but after visiting Disneyland and riding Matterhorn the park owner wanted a bobsled ride too. He removed the track from the woodie, reconfigured the layout a bit, and viola!