Goliath (Six Flags Magic Mountain)

Goliath
Goliath's first drop
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Park section	Colossus County Fair
Coordinates	34°25′37″N 118°35′49″W / 34.42694°N 118.59694°W / 34.42694; -118.59694Coordinates: 34°25′37″N 118°35′49″W / 34.42694°N 118.59694°W / 34.42694; -118.59694
Status	Operating
Opening date	February 11, 2000
Cost	$30,000,000
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Giovanola
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	Mega Coaster
Track layout	Twister
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	235 ft (72 m)
Drop	255 ft (78 m)
Length	4,573 ft (1,394 m)
Speed	90.2 mph (145.2 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	3:00
Max vertical angle	61°
Capacity	1600 riders per hour
G-force	4.5
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	3 trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 30 riders per train.
Flash Pass available
Must transfer from wheelchair
Goliath at RCDB Pictures of Goliath at RCDB

Goliath is a steel roller coaster made by Giovanola of Switzerland. The hypercoaster is located in the Colossus County Fair area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California and is promoted with a sub-tropical theme that is characterized by ruins of the ancient Mayan civilization. The ride is nearly identical to Titan at Six Flags Over Texas. Its differences from its Six Flags twin is that Goliath lacks the 540-degree upward helix on Titan prior to the mid-course brake run (Goliath simply left banks to the brake run instead) and Goliath is also slightly shorter than Titan.

During a brief period from its opening on February 11 to May 13, 2000, Goliath's 255-foot (78 m) opening drop was recognized as the longest and fastest (90.2 mph) on a closed-circuit roller coaster in the world. Millennium Force at Cedar Point eclipsed these records when it opened on May 13, 2000 with a drop of 300 feet (91 m) and speeds of 93 mph (150 km/h).

Video of the Ride

A view of the Ride

Ride experience

Once dispatched from the station, the train makes a nearly 180 degree right turn. The train then ascends the ride's lift hill, reaching a height of 235 ft (72 m). The lift hill slows down at the top, a safety feature that both reduces stress on the chain, and a last-ditch effort in an attempt reduce strong positive g-forces, plus it increases anticipation for the drop. The train begins accelerating down the initial 255 ft (78 m) drop, into the underground tunnel, reaching a speed of 85 MPH. Upon exiting the tunnel, the train heads upwards into a banked right turn that towers above Colossus, Six Flags Magic Mountain's major wooden roller coaster. After completing the turn, the train heads down another drop, flattening out to pass by the onride camera. An airtime hill and banked left turn (rather than a helix on "Titan") into the mid-course brake run follow. The train is decelerated quickly and makes a hard left turn out of the brake section. Another 180 degree banked turn directs the train into a 585 degree, descending helix. Then, the train heads upwards and banks left. Finally, after an ascending right turn, the train reaches the final brake run.

Operation

• There is a 120-foot (37 m) long tunnel at the bottom of the first drop.
• Ride capacity: 1,600 passengers per hour
• There are three five-car 30-passenger trains, with two abreast seating.
• A small error was made while the ride's parts were being manufactured by Giovanola. The very last track piece before the final brake run was about 6 inches (150 mm) too short. The mistake was found while the final piece was being bolted to the ride, and a supplementary track piece had to be made to fill the 6-inch (150 mm) gap.
• This ride was known as The Scream Monster in Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer.

Awards

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Goliath (Six Flags Magic Mountain).

• Goliath at the Roller Coaster DataBase
• Goliath at the official Six Flags Magic Mountain website
• Goliath video onride pov