98-186: Roller Coasters Week 7: Identification/Inversions Thing of the Week! Why identification?
● Knowing the manufacturer of a coaster helps us know several things:
○ The trains the ride has
○ The relative size of the ride
○ The inversions it may have
○ The time period in which it was built Basic Identification Wood or Steel? - Track
● Look at the track!
● Laminated wood layers and/or catwalks?
○ Probably a wood coaster (left)
● Tubular rails or i-beam track?
○ Probably a steel coaster (right) Wood or Steel? - Hybrids
● The supports DO NOT determine what kind of coaster it is!
● However, if the supports are different from the track, then the coaster is what we call a “hybrid” Wood or Steel? - Oddballs
● Some odd cases exist
● RMC is somewhat a subject of debate, since their innovative track systems are a toss-up
● Their I-Box and Topper tracks are special topics of discussion Manufacturer Identification
Note: mainly focused on steel manufacturers (Almost) Giveaways - Spine
<– Truss
Round –>
<– Box
None -–> (Almost) Giveaways - Track Ties
<– Outside
Inside –> Medium Identifiers - Supports
<– Box
Truss –>
<– Tubular Pretty Good Identifiers - Carts
1 row per car, 4 passengers abreast 2 rows per car, 2 passengers abreast (1 x 4 train) (2 x 2 train)
Pictured: Vortex at Calornia’s Great Pictured: Phantom’s Revenge at America That-Park-You-Should-Know-The-Name-Of Manufacturer Focus - Arrow
● Track - Round spine, outside ties ● Supports - Truss or tubular ● Trains - 2x2; torpedo nose on loopers Manufacturer Focus - Schwarzkopf
● Track - Round spine or none, inside ties ● Supports - Intricate tubular ● Trains - 2x2 boxy cars ● Other - Shuttle coasters; portable coasters w/ tight oval footprints, vertical loops, and steep turning drops; vertical loops have boxy support Manufacturer Focus - B&M
● Track - Box spine, inside ties ● Supports - Usually tubular
● Trains - 1x4, many styles Manufacturer Focus - Intamin
● Track - Double round spine or truss ● Supports - Truss, box, but usually tubular ● Trains - 2x2, sleek ● Other - Distinctive OTSR’s Manufacturer Focus - Vekoma
● Track - Round spine, outside ties (basically Arrow track) ● Supports - Truss, tubular ● Trains - 2x2 ● Other - Boomerang coasters, SLC’s, Invertigo’s Manufacturers Summary - Steel
Manufacturer Spine Ties Supports Trains Other
2x2, torpedo Arrow Round Outside Truss, tubular EZ nose
Portable/shuttle Schwarzkopf Round, none Inside Intricate tubular 2x2, boxy coasters, distinctive loops
B&M Box Inside Tubular 1x4 EZ
Truss or Intamin Inside Truss, tubular, box 2x2, sleek Distinctive OTSR’s double round
Boomerangs, SLC’s, Vekoma Round Outside Truss, tubular 2x2 Invertigo’s Manufacturer Focus - GCI
● Look for sloping track supports and crossover elements ● Also, Millenium Flyer trains Manufacturer Focus - CCI/TGG
● Look for track supports that slope then go vertically down ● Also, PTC rolling stock Other Types
Review week 1 slides! Inversions A Fun Way to View Inversions- The RCT Model
● All or most inversions can be separated into 3 basic components:
Half Loop Half Corkscrew OR Half Barrel Roll Fundamental Inversions Using these components, we can immediately break down 8 fundamental inversions:
● Vertical ● Dive Loop loop ● Immelmann ● Corkscrew ● Heartline/Barrel ● Cobra roll Roll ● Batwing ● Zero-G roll Vertical Loop
● Two half loops
Pictured: Flash at Lewa Adventure in China, the tallest vertical loop at 171 ft! Pictured: Montu at BG Tampa Corkscrew/Wing Over
On an inverted coaster, this is ● Two half corkscrews called a Wing Over
Pictured: Corkscrew at Canobie Lake Pictured: Dueling Dragons at Islands of Park in New Hampshire, an old Arrow Adventure (If you don’t know it by now c: ) Cobra Roll ● Half loop into 2 half corkscrews into half loop Cobra Roll ● Half loop into 2 half corkscrews into half loop
Pictured: Invertigo at King’s Island Pictured: Incredible Hulk Coaster at Islands of Adventure Batwing ● Half corkscrew into 2 half loops into half corkscrew
Pictured: Great American Scream Machine Pictured: Montu at SFGA Dive Loop
● Hill into half barrel roll into half loop
Pictured: Valravn at Cedar Point Immelmann
● Half loop, half barrel roll, hill ● Reverse dive loop
Pictured: Oziris at Parc Astérix in France Heartline/Barrel Roll ● Two half barrel rolls ● A heartline rolls you about an imaginary axis through your heart
Pictured: Colossus at Thorpe Park in the UK Pictured: An Intamin opening this year at Movie Animation Park Studios in Malaysia Zero-G Roll ● Hill into 2 half barrel rolls into hill
Pictured: Skyrocket at Kennywood Pictured: Kumba at BG Tampa Other Inversions Sea Serpent/Roll Over ● Like cobra roll, but same direction corkscrews
Pictured: Lethal Weapon at Warner Bros. Pictured: Thunderhawk at Michigan’s Adventure Movie World Australia (Now a Batman Ride) Norwegian Loop ● Dive loop into an Immelmann
Pictured: Fahrenheit at Hersheypark Pictured: Speed Monster at Tusenfryd in Norway Pretzel Loop ● Basically an upside-down loop
Pictured: Banshee at King’s Island Pictured: Superman Ultimate Flight at SFGA Inclined Loop ● Loop at an angle
Pictured: Riddler’s Revenge at SFMM Pictured: Rougarou at Cedar Point Overflow Error
● There are tons more inversions than these, but these are the basis of most of them ● This is Bent Cuban Eight! Next Week(s): GCI employee interview and……………. DESIGN CHALLENGE 2!!!!!!!!!!