New Texas Giant | |
---|---|
Previously known as Texas Giant | |
Six Flags Over Texas | |
Location | Six Flags Over Texas |
Park section | Texas |
Coordinates | 32°45′23″N97°4′23″W / 32.75639°N 97.07306°W Coordinates: 32°45′23″N97°4′23″W / 32.75639°N 97.07306°W |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | April 22, 2011 |
Cost | US$10 million |
Replaced | Texas Giant |
General statistics | |
Type | Steel |
Manufacturer | Rocky Mountain Construction |
Designer | Alan Schilke |
Model | I-Box – Custom |
Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
Height | 153 ft (47 m) |
Drop | 147 ft (45 m) |
Length | 4,200 ft (1,300 m) |
Speed | 65 mph (105 km/h) |
Inversions | 0 |
Duration | 3:25 |
Max vertical angle | 79° |
Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
Trains | 3 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. |
New Texas Giant at RCDB |
New Texas Giant is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. It originally opened as Texas Giant, which was the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world when it debuted in 1990. Manufactured by Dinn Corporation and designed by Curtis D. Summers, Texas Giant operated for nearly two decades and was ranked in Amusement Today magazine's annual Golden Ticket Awards as the best roller coaster in 1998 and 1999. The ride's popularity declined as it gained a negative reputation for its increasing roughness.
Texas Giant closed in 2009 and underwent an 18-month refurbishment by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). It reemerged as New Texas Giant in 2011. Much of the original wooden structure was kept, but the wooden track was replaced with steel using RMC's I-Box track technology. The renovated coaster saw an increase in height from 143 to 153 feet (44 to 47 m) and drop length from 137 to 147 feet (42 to 45 m), as well as a steeper drop angle of 79°. New Texas Giant also features multiple banked turns up to an angle of 115°.
The renovated coaster was well-received, winning Best New Ride in the 2011 Golden Ticket Awards and ranking highly in industry polls. A fatal incident that occurred on July 19, 2013, resulted in modifications to the ride's restraint system.
In September 1989, Six Flags announced the hiring of Dinn Corporation to build two new wooden roller coasters, [1] with Curtis D. Summers as the designer. [2] One would go to Six Flags Over Texas as The Texas Giant and the other would go to Six Flags Over Georgia as Georgia Cyclone. [1]
Construction had already started in June 1989. [3] The Texas Giant was constructed using over 900,000 board feet (2,100 m3) of wood. [4] The trains were manufactured by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. [2] The Texas Giant officially opened on March 17, 1990. [2] At opening, the ride was the world's tallest wooden roller coaster, standing 143 feet (44 m) high. [5]
Following the ride's opening it had several modifications and renovations, which included reprofiling parts of the ride, shortening the seven-car trains to six-car trains, and performing maintenance on the wooden track. [6] Six Flags Over Texas performed over 1,200 feet (370 m) of trackwork on the ride in the 2008–2009 offseason, with the ultimate aim of improving the ride's smoothness. Although the maintenance did improve the ride, park officials needed a more permanent solution. Initial speculation indicated the ride would be removed entirely from the park; however, Six Flags Over Texas denied any intention or consideration to do so. [7] In March 2009, the park announced the closure of Texas Giant prior to a $10 million renovation. [5] Following Fright Fest for that year, the ride closed on November 1, 2009. [7] [8]
Renovations began almost immediately and involved the removal of all of the wooden track and modifications to some of the support structure. [7] On March 3, 2010, Six Flags Over Texas and Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) unveiled the steel I-Box track which would be used on the refurbished ride. The track was developed over the course of three years by RMC owner Fred Grubb, and Ride Centerline, LLC engineers Alan Schilke and Dody Bachtar. [9] [10] The steel track was designed to be a replacement for any existing wooden track structure, with the rail shape, approximate weight, and dimensions remaining the same. [9] [11] Schilke designed the modifications to the layout, giving specifications to Grubb for manufacturing at RMC's Idaho plant. There, two-dimensional plates of steel were machine-welded to form the three-dimensional track parts. [9] The redevelopment saw much of the track get reprofiled; the lift hill was increased by 10 feet (3.0 m), the first drop was steepened to 79 degrees, and several overbanked turns (ranging from 90° to 115°) were added. [7] [11] In October 2010, Six Flags announced that the renovated ride would be called the New Texas Giant. [12] It opened on April 22, 2011. [8]
As the name suggests, New Texas Giant is located within the Texas section of Six Flags Over Texas. [13] It was Rocky Mountain Construction's first installation of I-Box track. [9] New Texas Giant operates with three trains manufactured by Gerstlauer. [8] [9] There are three trains (colored red, blue, and black) themed to 1961 Cadillac Devilles. [14] Each train is made up of six cars, each seating riders in two rows of two. [8] Riders are restrained through the use of an individual hydraulic lap bar and a seat belt. [8] [15]
The original Texas Giant by Dinn Corporation was 10 feet (3.0 m) lower in height than its Rocky Mountain Construction counterpart. The refurbished New Texas Giant features a steeper and longer first drop, and therefore achieves a faster maximum speed. [2] [8] Additionally, a 540° helix after the mid-course brake run was converted into a 180° turnaround, resulting in its track length being shortened by approximately 400 feet (120 m). [2] [16] [17] [18]
Statistic | Texas Giant [2] | New Texas Giant [8] [16] |
---|---|---|
Years | 1990–2009 | 2011–present |
Manufacturer | Dinn Corporation | Rocky Mountain Construction |
Designer | Curtis D. Summers | Alan Schilke |
Track | Wood | Steel |
Height | 143 ft or 44 m | 153 ft or 47 m |
Drop | 137 ft or 42 m | 147 ft or 45 m |
Length | 4,920 ft or 1,500 m | 4,200 ft or 1,300 m |
Speed | 62 mph or 100 km/h | 65 mph or 105 km/h |
Max vertical angle | 53° | 79° |
Trains | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) | Gerstlauer |
The New Texas Giant begins with a right turn out of the station. This leads directly to a 153-foot-tall (47 m) chain lift hill. Once at the top, riders drop 147 feet (45 m) at an angle of 79°. A double up leads into a 90° overbanked turn, a dip and a 95° overbanked turn. Another dip and rise leads the train into a 115° overbanked turn. The exit from the overbanked turn leads into a small air-time hill, which delivers the greatest negative g-force on the ride, before ascending up into the mid-course brake run. The train drops from the brake run and continues through a series of low-to-the-ground air-time hills and directional changes. This runs through three separate tunnels, finishing with the final brake run and short path back to the station. [16] [17]
The original Texas Giant was well received, though its popularity had declined towards the end of its operation. Following its 2010 renovation, the ride's popularity returned.
In Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards Texas Giant ranked as the number one wooden roller coaster for 1998 and 1999. [19] [20] Its ranking slowly declined to position 32 in 2009, its final year of operation as a wooden roller coaster. [21] Following its 2010 renovation, the New Texas Giant again ranked highly in the Golden Ticket Awards (this time amongst steel roller coasters), achieving ranks of 6 and 5 in 2011 and 2012, respectively. [22] [23] The ride also won a Golden Ticket Award for being the Best New Ride of 2011. [22]
Year | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ranking | 1 [19] | 1 [20] | 3 [24] | 8 [25] | 8 [26] | 10 [27] | 9 [28] | 12 [29] | 14 [30] | 20 [31] | 28 [32] | 32 [21] |
Year | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ranking | 6 [22] | 5 [23] | 6 [33] | 8 [34] | 10 [35] | 16 [36] | 9 [37] | 23 [38] | 26 [39] | 36 [40] | 42 [41] |
On July 19, 2013, a 52-year-old woman fell to her death while riding New Texas Giant. The ride was closed indefinitely pending further investigation. [42] [43] [44] The park completed its investigation stating on September 10, 2013, that mechanical failure was not to blame. The ride reopened on September 14, 2013, after redesigned restraint bars, pads, and seat belts were installed on all three trains. [15] [45] The incident resulted in the introduction of seat belts as a precaution on other roller coasters throughout the Six Flags chain. [46]
Millennium Force is a steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Manufactured by Intamin, it was the park's fourteenth roller coaster when it opened in 2000, dating back to the opening of Blue Streak in 1964. Upon completion, Millennium Force broke five world records and was the world's first giga coaster, a term coined by Intamin and Cedar Point to represent roller coasters that exceed 300 feet (91 m) in height. It was briefly the tallest and fastest in the world until Steel Dragon 2000 opened later the same year. The ride is also the third-longest roller coaster in North America following The Beast at Kings Island and Fury 325 at Carowinds.
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The Giant Dipper is a historic wooden roller coaster located at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. The Giant Dipper, which replaced the Thompson's Scenic Railway, took 47 days to build and opened on May 17, 1924 at a cost of $50,000. With a height of 70 feet (21 m) and a speed of 55 miles per hour (89 km/h), it is one of the most popular wooden roller coasters in the world. As of 2012, over 60 million people have ridden the Giant Dipper since its opening. The ride has received several awards such as being named a National Historic Landmark, a Golden Age Coaster award, and a Coaster Landmark award.
Twisted Colossus is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Originally designed and built by International Amusement Devices, the roller coaster opened as Colossus, a dual-tracked roller coaster, on June 29, 1978. It was the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world and the first with two drops greater than 100 feet (30 m). Colossus became well known after appearances in film and television, including the box-office hit National Lampoon's Vacation and the made-for-TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park. For 19 years, it was the park's main attraction until the opening of Superman: The Escape.
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Goliath is a steel roller coaster located at the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park in Cobb County, Georgia. The Hyper Coaster model manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard climbs to a height of 200 feet (61 m) and reaches a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h). Prior to its construction, the Great Gasp and Looping Starship attractions were removed to make room for Goliath, which opened to the public on April 1, 2006. It ranked as the fourth-best new ride of 2006 in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today and the ninth-best steel roller coaster overall, with its peak ranking of fourth occurring in 2009 and 2011.
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Viper is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, which opened in 1995. Viper is a clone of the Coney Island Cyclone and is the only roller coaster ever to be built directly by Six Flags. Viper is also the only wooden roller coaster with this name. It was built by Rygiel Construction.
Colossos - Kampf der Giganten, German for Colossos: Battle of the Giants, is a wooden roller coaster located at Heide Park in Soltau, Lower Saxony, Germany. Manufactured by Intamin, the roller coaster opened as simply Colossos in 2001. Unlike traditional wooden coasters, its track was prefabricated, laser-cut in a factory to a high degree of precision, with sections designed to snap together like Lego pieces. Some of its planks were tightly bonded in multiple layers instead of traditionally nailed together by hand. The roller coaster closed in 2016 due to deteriorating track conditions and reopened in 2019 after refurbishment.
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Superman The Ride is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. Built by Swiss manufacturer Intamin, the hypercoaster opened to the public as Superman – Ride of Steel in 2000. It features a 208-foot (63 m) lift hill, a 221-foot (67 m) drop, and a maximum speed of 77 mph (124 km/h). In 2009, the park changed the name to Bizarro, named after a DC Comics character portrayed as the antithesis of Superman. In accordance with the theme change, the coaster's track and supports were repainted with a purple and dark blue color scheme, and other special effects were added. In 2016, the Six Flags reverted to the original theme, but instead of restoring the name, it was changed to Superman The Ride. A virtual reality feature was added the same year, which created an optional 3D experience for passengers, but was removed prior to the 2017 season.
Medusa Steel Coaster, formerly known as simply Medusa, is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags México in Mexico City. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and designed by Alan Schilke, the ride opened to the public on 14 June 2014. It was originally a wooden coaster constructed by Custom Coasters International that debuted in June 2000. The wooden track was completely removed and replaced with RMC's I-Box track technology, a steel conversion that resulted in a new track layout with increased speed and the addition of three inversions. Medusa was generally well-received, ranking several times in the top 50 among steel roller coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today.
Outlaw Run is a wooden roller coaster located at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. The ride was the first wooden roller coaster designed by Alan Schilke and built by American manufacturer Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and the first wooden roller coaster with multiple inversions, in which riders are turned upside-down and then back upright. The 2,937-foot-long (895 m) ride features three inversions and a top speed of 68 miles per hour (109 km/h), making Outlaw Run the sixth-fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. The 162-foot-tall (49 m) first drop of the ride is the fourth steepest in the world among wooden roller coasters, at 81°.
Goliath is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and designed by Alan Schilke, the roller coaster features RMC's Topper Track design and opened to the public on June 19, 2014. Goliath initially set three world records among wooden coasters, having the longest drop at 180 feet (55 m), the steepest angle of 85 degrees, and the fastest speed of 72 mph (116 km/h). It still holds the record for the longest drop and fastest wooden roller coaster. In addition, the ride also features two inversions and a maximum descent that reaches 15 feet (4.6 m) below ground level.
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