Steel Force

Steel Force is a steel roller coaster located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania. As of 2022, Steel Force is tied with Mamba at Worlds of Fun as the eighth longest steel coaster in the world.[1]

Steel Force
Steel Force at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
LocationDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Coordinates40°34′44″N 75°32′17″W
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 30, 1997
CostUS$10,000,000
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerD. H. Morgan Manufacturing
DesignerSteve Okamoto
ModelHyper Coaster
Track layoutOut and Back
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height200 ft (61 m)
Drop205 ft (62 m)
Length5,600 ft (1,700 m)
Speed75 mph (121 km/h)
Inversions0
Duration3:00
Max vertical angle61°
Capacity1,700 riders per hour
G-force3.4
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
Trains3 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 36 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Steel Force at RCDB

Built by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing and designed by Steve Okamoto, the roller coaster opened to the public on May 30, 1997, and was billed as "the tallest and longest roller coaster on the east coast",[2] featuring a 205-foot (62 m) drop, 5,600 feet (1,700 m) of track, and a maximum speed of 75 mph (121 km/h).[3]

History

On September 16, 1996, Dorney Park announced that Steel Force would be coming to the park.[4] The ride opened on May 30, 1997.

Steel Force has been ranked among the top 10 steel coasters in the world.[5] Its logo was originally intended for the stand-up coaster Mantis (now Rougarou), which opened at Cedar Point a year earlier. Mantis was originally going to be named "Banshee," but the name and logo were changed prior to its debut.[6] Dorney Park adopted it for its Steel Force coaster a year later.[7]

Ride experience

The train departs the station entering a slight decline into the lift hill. After reaching the top, the train enters the first drop of 205 feet (62 m), reaching a maximum vertical angle of 61 degrees. At the bottom of the first drop, riders pass through a tunnel and into a camelback hill. The train then ascends a third hill, which doubles as the entrance to the downward, helix turnaround. After the helix, the train enters a mid-course brake run, before entering the ride's finale – a series of three back-to-back airtime hills and a double up. The first airtime hill in this series features a tunnel, and an on-ride camera snaps photos at the bottom of the second. Following the double up element, the train passes over the entrance plaza and enters the final brake run before returning to the station.

Awards
Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172021
Ranking 5[8]4[9]4[10]4[11]6[12]16[13]11[14]14[15]15[16]20[17]18[18]23[19]27[20]26[21]39[22]37[23]37[24]45[25]37[26]44[27]45[28]

Construction data

The following materials are included:

  • 2,000 tons of steel
  • 12,150,000 pounds (5,510,000 kg) of concrete footers
  • 2,742 anchor bolts

Ride elements
  • Two 120-foot-long (37 m) tunnels
  • 510-degree downward helix
  • Mid-course brake run
  • 4 airtime hills, including a double-up hill
  • On-ride photo camera (between the last two airtime hills)
  • Steel Force's first drop
    Steel Force's first drop
  • Steel Force's first drop
    Steel Force's first drop
  • Steel Force's first airtime hill
    Steel Force's first airtime hill
  • Steel Force's final airtime hills
    Steel Force's final airtime hills

References
  1. "Record Holders - Length". RCDB.com. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  2. Salter, Rosa (May 20, 1997). "Dorney Park's Steel Force Is Engineered To Deliver A Thrilling Performance". The Morning Call. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  3. Marden, Duane. "Steel Force  (Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  4. "DORNEY UNLEASHES STEEL FORCE FOR 1997".
  5. "Top 10 Coasters". Ultimate Rollercoaster. 1999. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  6. Marden, Duane. "Mantis  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  7. Marden, Duane. "Steel Force  (Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  8. "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 1998. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  9. "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 1999. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  10. "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. August 2000. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  11. "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  12. "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  13. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  14. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 18–19B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  15. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  16. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  17. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 11 (6.2): 36–37. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  18. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 12 (6.2): 36–37. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  19. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 32–33. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  20. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 34–35. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  21. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 38–39. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  22. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  23. "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  24. "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  25. "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  26. "2016 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  27. "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  28. "2021 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
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