Roller coaster design
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 .
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
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
1935May 27, 1933
1967October 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
1941April 30, 1939
1974October 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
19861984
20241986
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
19981989 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
^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns (Lakeside Park)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 4, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns (Euclid Beach Park)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 4, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns (Rocky Point Park)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 4, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns (Forest Park)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 4, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns (Steeplechase Park)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 4, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns (Century of Progress)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 4, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns (Riverview Park)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 4, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Lake Placid Bobsled (Palisades Amusement Park)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 4, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Bobsled (Flushing Meadows Park)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 4, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Bobsled (Coney Island)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 4, 2012 .
^ Jenkins Jr., Torrence (2006). Herbert P. Schmeck The Forgotten Legacy . Knepper Press. pp. 91– 93.
^ 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.
^ "Around The Grounds". Billboard Magazine . June 12, 1943. p. 43.
^ Marden, Duane. "Screamin' Delta Demon (Opryland USA)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 7, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Schweizer Bobbahn (Europa Park)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 4, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Disaster Transport (Cedar Point)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 5, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Bobbaan (Efteling)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 6, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Sarajevo Bobsleds (Six Flags Magic Mountain)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 6, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "La Vibora (Six Flags Over Texas)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved November 10, 2024 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Avalanche (Kings Dominion)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 7, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Avalanche (Pleasure Beach Blackpool)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 7, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Munich Autobahn (Kobe Portopialand)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 7, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Schweizer Bobbahn (Heide Park)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 7, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Sarajevo Bobsled (Six Flags Great Adventure)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 7, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Rolling Thunder (Six Flags Great America)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 7, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Alpine Bobsled (Great Escape)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 7, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Trace Du Hourra (Parc Asterix)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 7, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Flying Turns (Knoebels)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 7, 2012 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Montanha Russa (Parque Shanghai)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved October 15, 2016 .
^ Marden, Duane. "Screamin' Delta Demon (Old Indiana)" . Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved September 7, 2012 .
External links
Media related to Bobsled roller coasters at Wikimedia Commons
Construction material Train configuration Track layout
Current roller coaster models Discontinued roller coaster models Other current rides Other discontinued rides Notable rides