XLR-8
XLR-8 (pronounced "accelerate") was a suspended roller coaster located at the defunct Six Flags AstroWorld. Manufactured by Arrow Huss at a cost of $3.2 million,[1] the ride opened to the public in 1984, where it operated until the park's closure in 2005. It was one of Arrow's first attempts at producing a successful suspended coaster following troubles with The Bat at Kings Island, which operated briefly from 1981 to 1983.
| XLR-8 | |
|---|---|
 XLR-8 in 2004 showing the different orientation of cars | |
| Six Flags AstroWorld | |
| Location | Six Flags AstroWorld |
| Coordinates | 29.674818°N 95.405643°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | May 12, 1984 |
| Closing date | October 30, 2005 |
| Cost | $3.2 million |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Suspended |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Model | Suspended Coaster |
| Height | 81 ft (25 m) |
| Length | 3,000 ft (910 m) |
| Speed | 34.1 mph (54.9 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 3:00 |
| Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) |
| XLR-8 at RCDB | |
History
Car reversal
For AstroWorld's Fright Fest 2002 event, the last four cars on XLR-8's trains were reversed, a first for a suspended roller coaster.[2] The change proved popular and successful, and the trains remained reversed until the park's closure in 2005.[3]
References
- "Astroworld to introduce new coaster". Houston: The Baytown Sun. April 12, 1984. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- "XLR-8". Roller Coaster DataBase.
- Rouner, Jef (March 18, 2015). "Where Are AstroWorld's Roller Coasters Now?". Houston Press.
It was the first suspended coaster to ever try reversing some of the cars so that riders could experience the thrills backwards, though it sadly only did so for the last three years of the park's life.
- Houston Business Journal (September 12, 2005). "Houston's AstroWorld theme park to close". Houston Business Journal. Archived from the original on March 22, 2009.
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