From: geoff@pmafire.inel.gov (Geoff Allen)
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 93 16:31:58 GMT
Organization: Roller Coaster fanatic with no hope for a cure
Subject: Re: Why Disney's parks are different
Summary: 
Followup-To: 
Organization: Roller Coaster fanatic with no hope for a cure
Keywords: 

zarthac@bradley.edu (Matt Simmons) writes concerning ``Free Fall'' type
rides (of which there are several at various parks):
>That ride is _ooollld_... Cedar Point (Sandusky Ohio) has had the equiv 
>called the Demon Drop for as long as I can remember...  They also have the
>world's largest/fastest steel rollercoaster (Magnum XL200) and the world's
>largest/fastest wooden rollercoaster (Mean Streak), but that's not the pt.

I know this is picking nits, but as official maintainer of the
rec.roller-coaster FAQ, I can't let these slightly innacurate comments
slide by.

The Magnum XL-200 *used* to be the biggest and fastest roller coaster in
the world.  And the Mean Streak *used* to be the biggest and fastest
wooden coaster in the world.  Here, from the FAQ, are record holders in
various categories:

    Roller Coaster Record Holders

	Current Wooden Coaster Record Holders

	STEEPEST
	    1. 61.2 degrees: Rattler - Fiesta Texas; San Antonio, TX
	    2. 58 degrees: Cyclone - Astroland/Coney Island; Brooklyn, NY
	    3. 56 degrees: Georgia Cyclone - SF over Georgia; Atlanta, GA

	HIGHEST
	    1. 179 ft, 6 in: Rattler - Fiesta Texas; San Antonio, TX
	    2. 160 ft: Mean Streak - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
	    3. 143 ft: Texas Giant - SF over Texas; Arlington, TX

	LONGEST DROP
	    1. 176 ft: Rattler - Fiesta Texas; San Antonio, TX
	    2. 155 ft: Mean Streak - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
	    3. 148 ft: Hercules - Dorney Park; Allentown, PA

	FASTEST
	    1. 73 mph: Rattler - Fiesta Texas; San Antonio, TX
	    2. 65 mph: Mean Streak - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
	    3. 62 mph: Texas Giant - SF over Texas; Arlington, TX

	LONGEST CIRCUIT
	    1. 7400 ft: The Beast - King's Island; Cincinatti, OH
	    2. 5530 ft: Rattler - Fiesta Texas; San Antonio, TX
	    3. 5427 ft: Mean Streak - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH

	OLDEST
	    1. 1902: Leap The Dips - Lakemont Park; Altoona, PA
	    2. 1919: Jack Rabbit - Clemonton Lake; Clemonton, NJ
	    3. 1920: Jack Rabbit - Kennywood; W Mifflin, PA

	MOST FAMOUS (yeah, it's subjective, but these coasters are 
	    somewhat legendary...)
	    1. 1927 Cyclone - Astroland/Coney Island; Brooklyn, NY
	    2. 1927 Cyclone Racer - The Pike; Long Beach, CA
	    3. 1924 Bobs - Riverview; Chicago, IL

    Current Steel Coaster Record Holders

	STEEPEST
	    1. 90 Degrees: Ultra Twister - SF Astroworld; Houston, TX
	    2. 60 degrees: Magnum XL-200 - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
	    3. 60 degrees: Excaliber - ValleyFair!;

	HIGHEST
	    1. 205 ft: Magnum XL-200 - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
	    2. 196 ft: Bandit - Yomiuriland, Japan
	    3. 188 ft: Viper - SF Magic Mountain; Valencia, CA

	LONGEST DROP
	    1. 225 ft: Steel Phantom - Kennywood; W Mifflin, PA
	    2. 194 ft: Magnum XL-200 - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
	    3. 171 ft: Viper - SF Magic Mountain; Valencia, CA

	FASTEST
	    1. 80 mph: Steel Phantom - Kennywood; W Mifflin, PA
	    2. 72 mph: Magnum XL-200 - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
	    3. 70 mph: Viper - SF Magic Mountain; Valencia, CA

	LONGEST CIRCUIT
	    1. 7450 ft: The Ultimate - Lightwater Valley; UK
	    2. 5500 ft: Dragon Mountain - Marineland; Toronto, Ontario
	    3. 5106 ft: Magnum XL-200 - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH

	BIGGEST LOOPING COASTER
	    1. 188 ft: Viper - SF Magic Mountain; Valencia, CA
	    2. 173 ft: GASM - SF Great Adventure; Jackson, NJ
	    3. 170 ft: Shockwave - SF Great America; Gurnee, IL

	MOST INVERSIONS - (7)
	    Viper, Magic Mountain
	    GASM, Great Adventure
	    Shockwave, Great America

	HIGHEST G FORCES - (+6.5g)
	    Mindbender, Fantasyland
	    Drier Looping, Germany
	    Moonslaut Scramble, Japan

	MOST TRAINS ON CIRCUIT
	    1. 5: Thriller; German Fairs
	    2. 4: Olympia Looping; German Fairs
	    3. 4: Hymalaya Bahn; German Fairs

	MOST DEMENTED SHUTTLE LOOP (yeah, another subjective one!)
	    Weiner Looping, Flamingoland (UK)


Blackpool Pleasure Beach in England is building a ride similar to Magnum
XL-200, that will be the biggest and fastest roller coaster in existance
when it opens in a year or two.

If you're the sick sort of person who cares about such details about
roller coasters, I refer you to the group rec.roller-coaster, which
should still contain a copy of the FAQ (assuming your site honors
Expires: headers).  You'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about
roller coasters.  You'll also learn that some coasters that are under
100 feet high are considered better than the monster coasters like
Magnum, Mean Streak, Texas Giant, Rattler, etc.  Quality counts for more
than quantity in roller coasters as well.

Geoff ``Nit pick'' Allen

--
Geoff Allen          \  Please remain seated and keep your hands and arms
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