Wikipedia

Bobsled roller coaster

A bobsled roller coaster is a roller coaster that uses a track design that is essentially a "pipe" with the top half removed and has cars that are sent down this pipe in a freewheeling mode. The name derives from the great similarity to the track design used for the winter sport of bobsleigh.

Bobsled roller coaster
Avalanche at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
StatusIn Production: Mack Rides Discontinued: Intamin, and John Norman Bartlett
First manufactured1929
No. of installations21
ManufacturersIntamin, John Norman Bartlett, and Mack Rides
Restraint StyleLap-bar
Bobsled roller coaster at RCDB

Most modern bobsled roller coasters are made of steel; however, the first bobsled coasters, known as Flying Turns, were made of wood. On October 4, 2013, after seven years of construction, Knoebels in Pennsylvania opened the world's only modern wooden Flying Turns coaster, Flying Turns. The ride was scheduled to open in 2007, but had been delayed due to dysfunctional wheels and other issues. As there were no historic plans available, the new coaster was designed entirely from scratch.

Both the bobsled coaster and the Flying Turns coaster are buildable in the RollerCoaster Tycoon and Thrillville series of video games.

Installations

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As of 2012, 21 bobsled roller coasters have been built. The roller coasters are listed in order of opening dates.

Name Park Country Opened Closed Type Manufacturer Status
Flying Turns Lakeside Park   United States 1929 1930 - 1954* Wood John Norman Bartlett Removed [1]
Flying Turns Euclid Beach Park   United States 1930 September 28, 1969 Wood John Norman Bartlett Removed [2]
Flying Turns Rocky Point Park   United States 1931 1938 Wood John Norman Bartlett/Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters Removed [3]
Flying Turns Forest Park   United States 1934 July 19, 1963 Wood John Norman Bartlett Removed [4]
Flying Turns Steeplechase Park   United States 1934 September 14, 1939 Wood John Norman Bartlett Removed [5]
Flying Turns Riverview Park
Formerly Century of Progress		   United States 1935
May 27, 1933		 1967
October 31, 1934		 Wood John Norman Bartlett Removed [6][7]
Lake Placid Bobsled Palisades Amusement Park   United States 1937 1946 Wood John Norman Bartlett Removed [8]
Bobsled Coney Island
Formerly Flushing Meadows Park		   United States 1941
April 30, 1939		 1974
October 27, 1940		 Wood John Norman Bartlett Removed [9][10]
Flying Turns HersheyPark   United States 1942 (intended) N/A Wood Philadelphia Toboggan Co. Cancelled [11][12][13]
Screamin' Delta Demon Opryland USA†   United States April 1984 October 31, 1997 Steel Intamin Removed [14]
Schweizer Bobbahn Europa Park   Germany 1985 — Steel Mack Rides Operating [15]
Disaster Transport
Formerly Avalanche Run		 Cedar Point   United States May 11, 1985 July 29, 2012 Steel Intamin Removed [16]
Bobbaan Efteling   Netherlands 1985 September 1, 2019 Steel Intamin Removed [17]
La Vibora
Formerly Sarajevo Bobsled		 Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Magic Mountain		   United States 1986
1984		 2024
1986		 Steel Intamin Removed [18][19]
Reptilian
Formerly Avalanche		 Kings Dominion   United States 1988 — Steel Mack Rides Operating [20]
Avalanche Pleasure Beach Blackpool   United Kingdom June 22, 1988 — Steel Mack Rides Operating [21]
Munich Autobahn Kobe Portopialand   Japan April 1991 March 31, 2006 Steel Mack Rides Removed [22]
Schweizer Bobbahn Heide Park   Germany 1994 — Steel Mack Rides Operating [23]
Alpine Bobsled
Formerly Rolling Thunder
Formerly Sarajevo Bobsled		 Great Escape
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great Adventure		   United States 1998
1989
1984		 2023
1995
1988		 Steel Intamin Removed [24][25][26]
Trace Du Hourra Parc Astérix   France March 31, 2001 — Steel Mack Rides Operating [27]
Flying Turns Knoebels   United States October 5, 2013 — Wood Knoebels Operating [28]
Montanha Russa Parque Shanghai   Brazil — — Wood — Removed [29]
  • * Denotes that exact closing date is not known.
  • † The Screamin' Delta Demon was transported to Old Indiana Fun Park following Opryland's closure in 1998, but was never reassembled and eventually scrapped.[30]

References

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  1. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns  (Lakeside Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  2. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns  (Euclid Beach Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  3. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns  (Rocky Point Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  4. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns  (Forest Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  5. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns  (Steeplechase Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  6. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns  (Century of Progress)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  7. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns  (Riverview Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  8. ^ Marden, Duane. "Lake Placid Bobsled  (Palisades Amusement Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  9. ^ Marden, Duane. "Bobsled  (Flushing Meadows Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  10. ^ Marden, Duane. "Bobsled  (Coney Island)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  11. ^ Jenkins Jr., Torrence (2006). Herbert P. Schmeck The Forgotten Legacy. Knepper Press. pp. 91–93.
  12. ^ Rutherford, Scott (2004). "PTC built one Flying Turns at Rocky Point; Hershey's ride was designed, but never built". Amusement Today. Vol. 8, no. 2. p. 23.
  13. ^ "Around The Grounds". Billboard Magazine. June 12, 1943. p. 43.
  14. ^ Marden, Duane. "Screamin' Delta Demon  (Opryland USA)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  15. ^ Marden, Duane. "Schweizer Bobbahn  (Europa Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  16. ^ Marden, Duane. "Disaster Transport  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
  17. ^ Marden, Duane. "Bobbaan  (Efteling)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  18. ^ Marden, Duane. "Sarajevo Bobsleds  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  19. ^ Marden, Duane. "La Vibora  (Six Flags Over Texas)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  20. ^ Marden, Duane. "Avalanche  (Kings Dominion)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  21. ^ Marden, Duane. "Avalanche  (Pleasure Beach Blackpool)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  22. ^ Marden, Duane. "Munich Autobahn  (Kobe Portopialand)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  23. ^ Marden, Duane. "Schweizer Bobbahn  (Heide Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  24. ^ Marden, Duane. "Sarajevo Bobsled  (Six Flags Great Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  25. ^ Marden, Duane. "Rolling Thunder  (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  26. ^ Marden, Duane. "Alpine Bobsled  (Great Escape)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  27. ^ Marden, Duane. "Trace Du Hourra  (Parc Asterix)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  28. ^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns  (Knoebels)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  29. ^ Marden, Duane. "Montanha Russa  (Parque Shanghai)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  30. ^ Marden, Duane. "Screamin' Delta Demon  (Old Indiana)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
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