| UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING |
Fall 2005
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 Each year, the National Amusement Park Historical Association surveys national theme park enthusiasts to compile a list of the top 10 roller coasters in the world. This year, the list includes five steel track and five wooden track coasters. Eight of the world’s top 10 roller coasters also are in the United States. |
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| 10England’s Nemesis ride at Alton Towers is an inverted roller coaster built in a ravine. Riders said their feet almost scrape the cavern walls. 9 The Comet was built in Canada in 1927 as the Crystal Beach Cyclone. The coaster was rebuilt in 1947 as the Comet. The Comet moved to The Great Escape Lake George, N.Y., in 1993 and is one of the best coasters because of its historical significance, hills and drops. 8 The Steel Force, at Dorney Park in Allentown, Penn., was designed and built by those who built the Mamba at Worlds of Fun, and boasts the similar characteristics. 7The Beast at Paramount’s Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio, is the world’s longest wooden roller coaster. It also boasts one of the longest ride times, at four minutes, 50 seconds. Built in 1979, The Beast® is 7,400 feet long with two lift hills and a helix finale. |
6The inverted Raptor at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, is 3,790 feet long and 137 feet tall. The coaster was the world’s longest, fastest and tallest of its kind when it opened in 1994. 5 Megafobia is considered Europe’s best wooden coaster. Built in Oakwood Coaster Country in Pembrokeshire, Wales, the ride gives unforgiving air time. The coaster uses its brakes only at the end, just before riders return to the station. 4 The Steel Phantom at Kennywood, near Pittsburgh, Penn. The ride produces G-forces greater than those NASA astronauts experience during launch. 3 The wooden Cyclone at Astroland, in Brooklyn, N.Y., was built in 1927 during the height of Coney Island’s popularity. The coaster broke records in height and speed and is the world’s most famous and imitated roller coaster. Its first drop is 58.6 degrees, and it reaches 60 mph. |
2 Magnum XL-200, built at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, is No. 2 overall but is the No. 1 steel coaster. Magnum XL-200 opened in 1989 and was the first coaster to break the 200-foot barrier while reaching speeds as fast as 71 mph. Combined with the scenic view of Lake Erie, this coaster also delivers the weightless thrills enthusiasts crave. 1 The No. 1 coaster is a wooden one and was built in Pittsburgh, Penn. The legendary Thunderbolt designer John Miller created the coaster in 1924. Originally known as The Pippin, the coaster was reconfigured in 1968 and reborn as the Thunderbolt. Unlike most coasters, which leave the station to ascend a great lift, this coaster drops into a ravine. This coaster still uses hand-operated brakes at the main station and lacks modern seat dividers and head restraints so riders can feel the same thrills original wooden coasters once delivered. |
