Balder (roller coaster)

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Balder

Balder From View
Liseberg
Park section Saw Blazer Area
Coordinates 57°41′36″N 11°59′46″E / 57.69333°N 11.99611°E / 57.69333; 11.99611Coordinates: 57°41′36″N 11°59′46″E / 57.69333°N 11.99611°E / 57.69333; 11.99611
Status Operating
Opening date April 12, 2003
Cost 100,000,000 SEK (=approx. $12,600,000 )
General statistics
Type Wood
Manufacturer Intamin
Designer Werner Stengel
Model Wooden Coaster (Prefabricated Track)
Track layout PTC
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 118 ft (36 m)
Drop 100 ft (30 m)
Length 3,510.5 ft (1,070.0 m)
Speed 55.9 mph (90.0 km/h)
Duration 2:08
Max vertical angle 70°
Capacity 1149 riders per hour
Height restriction 130 cm (4 ft 3 in)
Balder at RCDB
Pictures of Balder at RCDB

Balder is a wooden roller coaster at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. It opened in 2003 and was an instant success. Balder has twice, 2003 and 2005, been voted Best Wooden Tracked Roller Coaster in the world in a major international poll - not because it is the biggest or fastest roller coaster, but because of the high percentage of "air time" during the ride [citation needed].

Balder is very different from a traditional wooden roller coaster because it is a prefabricated wooden roller coaster. This means that instead of trackers cutting, shaping, and laying down the track on site by hand, the track is laser cut in a factory [citation needed]. This means that the track is manufactured to a higher degree of precision than could ever be achieved by hand. The track is also made so that it snaps together like Lego pieces [citation needed]. The track also is made of more layers of wood that are tightly bonded together instead of nailed together by hand like a traditional wooden roller coaster. This has three major benefits, two being to the park and the other being to the riders.

The "Plug and Play" aspect of the coaster speeds construction of the coaster since track does not have to be completely manufactured on site. In addition, because of the speed of construction, the costs of building the coaster are lowered due to less manhours spent on the construction. The riders benefit from a coaster, that while being wooden, is near steel smooth. However, some roller coaster enthusiasts may find that aspect to take away from the ride since it would not have the same character as a traditional wooden roller coaster [citation needed]. Balder is praised by many roller coaster enthusiasts around the world, and is said to be one of the best roller coasters in Europe. Three other prefabricated wooden roller coasters currently exist, Colossos at Heide Park, El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure, and T Express in Everland [citation needed].

Awards

Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters
Year20032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
Ranking –[1]23[2]21[3]27[4]15[5]15[6]21[7]21[8]13[9]10[10]13[11]
Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best wood-Tracked Roller Coaster[12]
Year20032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
Ranking 17125677868

References

  1. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 10–11B. September 2003. Retrieved September 8, 2013. 
  2. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2004. Archived from the original on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2013. 
  3. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 22–23B. September 2005. Retrieved September 8, 2013. 
  4. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 30–31B. September 2006. Retrieved September 8, 2013. 
  5. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 11 (6.2): 42–43. September 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2013. 
  6. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 12 (6.2): 42–43. September 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2013. 
  7. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 13 (6.2): 38–39. September 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2013. 
  8. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 14 (6.2): 38–39. September 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2013. 
  9. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 15 (6.2): 46–47. September 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2013. 
  10. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 16 (6.2): 46–47. September 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2013. 
  11. ↑ "2013 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 17 (6.2): 40–41. September 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013. 
  12. ↑ Hawker, Mitch. "Wooden Roller Coaster Poll 20 Year Results Table (1994–2013)". Best Roller Coaster Poll. Retrieved February 6, 2014. 

External links

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