A hybrid roller coaster is a roller coaster design in which the track is made from a different material from the structure. The most common is the wooden tracked hybrid. Alternatively, some coasters are steel tracked hybrid coasters with a wooden structure.
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A wooden hybrid roller coaster is primarily of traditional coaster design but with the primary structure made of steel and the coaster track is made of wood. This design first gained some popularity in the late 1990s, although it has been used since the early days of wooden roller coasters. The Coney Island Cyclone, built in 1927, is one such example.
This type of wooden roller coaster is welcomed by parks because of its overall lower maintenance in terms of daily labor hours and the need for fewer routine replacement parts. Roller coaster enthusiasts and the average park attendee take little notice of this innovation because it generally does not alter the feel of a traditional all wooden roller coaster. The roller coaster track itself is still made of wood and carries traditional wooden roller coaster trains. Though the general "feel" of the ride remains consistent with the common wooden coaster, its overall appearance is most largely affected.
A steel hybrid roller coaster is a steel roller coaster built with a wooden structure. The coaster itself resembles a traditional wooden roller coaster, however the track is made of tubular steel like a conventional steel roller coaster, providing a smoother ride. Many "Mine Train" roller coasters are steel hybrid roller coasters. One notable steel hybrid roller coaster is the Arrow Dynamics designed Gemini at Cedar Point, a dual tracked racing coaster.
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