Texas Giant

Texas Giant
Texas Giant after renovation
Location Six Flags Over Texas
Status Operating[1]
Opened March 17, 1990
April 22, 2011Renovation
Cost $5,500,000 US
$10,000,000 USRenovation
Type Hybrid
Manufacturer Dinn Corporation
Designer Curtis D. Summers
Track layout Twister
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 153 ft (47 m)
Drop 147 ft (45 m)
Length 4,920 ft (1,500 m)
Max speed 65 mph (105 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 2:00[2]
Max vertical angle 79°
Capacity 1600 riders per hour
Max G force 4.2
Height restriction 4 ft 0 in (122 cm)
Trains 3 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Texas Giant at RCDB
Pictures of Texas Giant at RCDB
Amusement Parks Portal

The Texas Giant is a hybrid roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. It is currently the tallest steel-hybrid roller coaster in the world at a height of 153 ft (47 m) which features a 79° drop of 147 ft (45 m), and turns banked up to 95°.[3] The coaster uses a brand new type of all steel track which results in the Texas Giant no longer being a purely wooden roller coaster. The redesigned ride is a steel-tracked coaster with the original wooden support structure (i.e. a hybrid roller coaster)[4] which enables the ride to be much smoother than it was in previous seasons.[5] In addition to new track, the Texas Giant also received new trains and a new control system.[6] The coaster reopened to the public on April 22, 2011 as part of the park's 50th anniversary celebration.[1]

Contents

History

The Texas Giant was originally constructed by Dinn Corporation. The wood for the roller coaster construction was purchased from Dean Lumber Company in Gilmer, Texas, as the Dean tags can still be seen on the boards. The trains were manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The Texas Giant opened on March 17, 1990. At opening it featured three trains which held 28 riders each. After its first year of operation, these seven-car trains were shortened to six-car trains. Also, the double-up turn around feature was converted into a sweeping turn and trim brakes were added before certain high stress areas. In 2006, the ride received new gates in its station. The Texas Giant required major rehabs during the winter months, thus kept it closed for Six Flags Over Texas' Holiday in the Park event. The Texas Giant closed at the end of the 2009 season for extensive renovations which took the entire 2010 season to complete and cost approximately 10 million dollars.[7] It reopened for the 2011 season in time for the park's 50th anniversary with an all new track design and new trains.

Records and awards

When opened in 1990, Texas Giant had the highest lift of any wooden roller coaster in the world at 143 feet (44 m).[7] It was presented the Golden Ticket Award from Amusement Today for being rated highest on its list of "Top 10 Wood Roller Coasters of 1999".[8] Following its 2010 renovation, the Texas Giant also won a Golden Ticket Award in 2011 for "Best New Ride for 2011 (Amusement Park)".[9]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters
Year 2011
Ranking
6[10]

Gallery

The original sign at entrance  
The new logo  
The lift hill  
The first drop  
View of the original train  
During the renovation  

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Investor Meeting Presentation". Six Flags. 4 November 2010. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MzQ0MjQ3NXxDaGlsZElEPTQwMjU2MHxUeXBlPTI=&t=1. Retrieved 7 November 2010. 
  2. ^ According to this video the ride starts on 1:20 and ends at 3:20 which is a 2 minute ride
  3. ^ Rutherford, Scott. Roller Coasters. Lowe & B. Hould Publishers, Ann Arbor, MI. 2003
  4. ^ Ryan, Jim (2010). "A Giant Facelift". WBAP. http://www.wbap.com/Article.asp?id=1719448. Retrieved 8 February 2011. 
  5. ^ Mosier, Jeff (2 November 2009). "Texas Giant roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas rattles into retirement today". Texas Cable News. http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/DN-texasgiant_01met.ART.East.Edition1.4f60d95.html. Retrieved 7 February 2011. 
  6. ^ "Popular Texas Roller Coaster Due A $10 Million Facelift". KWTX. http://www.kwtx.com/offbeatnews/headlines/68297087.html. Retrieved 7 February 2011. 
  7. ^ a b Mosier, Jeff (March 16, 2009). "Six Flags Over Texas to close Texas Giant for renovations in 2010". Dallas Morning News. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/031709dnmettexasgiant.3f612dd1.html. 
  8. ^ Amusement Today. September 1999.
  9. ^ "2011 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. http://www.goldenticketawards.com/2011_park_ride.html. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  10. ^ Amusement Today 2011 Park and Ride Winners

External links

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