X-nuff said
Deja Vu-we all know about that one
Revolution-first successful looper
Flashback-(relocated, but still a prototype)
Batman-Clone of worlds first
Riddler's Revenge-Worlds Largest Stand-Up
Superman-First ride to have debate of whether it's a coaster or not(lol)
Viper-I think there's something
Colossus-There WAS something
Goliath-For a couple of months
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Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?
Doesn't Manhatten Express have a loop?
Colossos held the longets drop record for 21 hours before Gemini took it.
I'm somewhat hard pressed to think of Coney Island as ever having many prototypes. They had a lot of early rides, and some really quirky stuff, but coaster-wise, it really hasn't had as many 1sts as you'd think.
Galaxy: built by Intamin, this curious crossing of a Scrambler and a Ferris Wheel helped lead to the simpler Triple Sky Wheels that grace the former Marriot's Great America parks. Larger than either unit, the L shaped main structure held two multiple tree wheels with sub wheels, 4 major and 4 minor wheels. To date, nothing has approached the complexity of this engineering feat. It was removed for two flat rides.
Revolution: This is the first modern steel vertical looping rollercoaster. Built in 1976 by Anton Schwarzkopf under the contract of Intamin, the Revolution provides one of the most beautiful terrain rollercoasters in addition of the first modern sucessful vertical loop. Drama is provided by a long flat run into the loop, an element found elsewhere only on the final spiral leadin to the Beast at King's Island. Even though the ride experience is dampened by badly designed OTSrs, the Revolution classic layout still stands timelessly, improved by the growth of the forests around it, turning into a wooded timber experience. Every single modern looping rollercoaster built today spriongs directly from this paradigm shifting rollercoaster.
Jet Stream: Built in 1972, this was Arrow's second generation flume ride. By using the higher speed of the super critical flow stage, the Jet Stream was the first flume ride to feature the hydroplaning action based on the super critical flow stage.
The Dragon: builder and year unknown, the Dragon was a chained cabled car continious system of transportation up and down the steep central hill. The lower station is now abandoned and the upper station forms the station for the custom built Ninja suspended rollercoaster by Arrow.
Free Fall: Built by Intamin in the early 80's, this curious prototype ride became a staple for years at a great many parks. In actuality, it was built by Giovanola under contract. The actualy design and conceptuals took about 10 years, since the computing power required to run this ride did not excist at the time. It opened a little later than the second unit,. the Texas Cliffhanger, due to prototyping delays.
Drunken Barrel: This Intamin round ride opened in 1971 with the park. It was basically a full sized teacup ride which utilized a tilting platform to add to the spinning fun. This ride has been abandoned since and is fenced off, only the main platform is still in place.
Shockwave: the first Intamin standup 4 across rollercoaster ever built, this was a Giovanola jobbie as well which led to one other copy in Sweden (which relocated to LaRonde) and led to the designed Bolliger & Mabillard splitting off to form their own company. Mantis at Cedar Point and Riddler's Revenge at Magic Mountain all spring from this prototype.
Sarajevo Bobsled: This ride was built by Intamin in time for the winter olympics of Sarajevo. It has since been moved to Texas. Disaster Transport at CP is a similar unit with a different layout.
Superman: The Escape: One of the truly outstanding prototype rollercoasters ever built, this one ranks with the Revolution and X at Magic Mountain and the Matterhorn at Disneyland for the sheer bravura in design precepts. Like the Revolue Revolution and Matterhorn, Superman: The Escape provided the genesis for many new rollercoasters
It was the very first true rollercoaster to crack the Holy Grail of speed, the 100 mile an hour barrier. The very first to utilize LSMs to attain this catapulted speed. The world's tallest rollercoaster structure,. a fear still unmatched today. The innovative hydraulic lap bar system and stadium seating are found in the new Intamin hyper and giga coasters such as Millenium Force and the Superman: Ride of Steel rollercoasters. NASA had been studying this rollercoaster in future applications towards space travel since it is presently the world's largest operating rail gun in the world today. The military has also been studying towards ship's catpault systems. It has literally become a testing laboratory for the future. Cedar Point's new Wicked Twister utilizes this LSM technology first perfected on Superman: The Escape.
This rollercoaster also sparked the most amazing debates as completely misinformed people began using asinine excuses attempting to justify false theories as to the very nature of rollercoasters. This sort of thing went all the way back when metal rollercoaster first came into existance, as some myopics would claim that only true rollercoasters were wood. One can only shake their head in wonder as to the common sense of these people.
X: Another bravura prototyping piece, this was Arrow's last chance for greatness, and it looks to be an amazing winner. Featuring a ride experience like no other ride or rollercoaster ever built, X continues the fine tradition of bravura prototypes. Should other rides eventually find their genesis from this rollercoaster, then X will join the exalted heights of the Revolution, Matterhorn and Superman: The Escape as true pioneers.
In terms of setting world records, Magic Mountain has also been quite wild in this race. Colossus set a new category as the mega coaster, being the first with two drops over 100 feet. Viper still holds the record of the world's tallest looping rollercoaster. Riddler's
Revenge still holds the world's tallest and fastest standup record. Goliath had the record for a couple of months for the tallest and fastest continious circuit rollercoaster, only to be beaten by Millenium Force at Cedar Point, which was beaten within days by Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagasima Spaland in Japan. Superman: The Escape held the 100 mile an hour record until it was broken merely days ago by Dondonpa in Japan, built by S & S. Superman: The Escape still hold's the world's tallest rollercoaster, though, beating Steel Dragon over about 97 feet. The Sky Tower at Magic Mountain also still holds the record as the world's tallest amusement park sky tower. And last but not least, the second X opens to the general public, Magic Mountain will hold the hard won record of the most rollercoasters in an amusement park, a record taken away from Cedar Point.
*** This post was edited by chris senn on 12/26/2001. ***
Steven B. said:
Viper was and still is the fastest looping coaster in the U.S. (maybe the world). Wow, that is a lot of records for one park.
Your wrong. Viper only goes 70mph, Son Of Beast is 78.4mph. Viper WAS the fastest looping coaster when it opened, but you put the word still. Not true.
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Steve
Staff
SFWoA Online
Question: Was Condor and Z-force first of their kind rides when they opened at SFMM?
X i love it ,it is absoulely amazing. It is now my new #1 coaster topping MF for pure thee none stop action. Breath taking drops, mind boggling twist and flips , intense speed, unexplainable g forces and you have one hell of a ride called X.
Also for those of you who doubted the smoothness of the ride and the flips......all I have to say is your doubts can be put to rest b/c the whole ride is like they say smooth as glass IMO.
*** This post was edited by LoadedG on 12/26/2001. ***
*** This post was edited by PxPxPunKrAwKeR on 12/27/2001. ***
Sure, they've had a load of prototypes, & first kind rides, but they also are in an area where they can do good business. Let's see, we want to build the first kind of this ride, where should we put it, LA maybe? At least until more recently.
BTW, that wheel you speak of(Galxy), Schwarzkopf had a flowering fountain wheel ride on the boards that looked insane, & may have been complicated in a whole other way:). Oh, well, good post, I just don't think about MM that much.
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