Phantom's Revenge

Phantom's Revenge
Previously known as Steel Phantom (1991-2000)
Kennywood
Coordinates 40°23′20″N 79°51′58″W / 40.388992°N 79.865978°W / 40.388992; -79.865978Coordinates: 40°23′20″N 79°51′58″W / 40.388992°N 79.865978°W / 40.388992; -79.865978
Status Operating
Opening date May 10, 1991
May 19, 2001Renovation
Closing date September 4, 2000 (2000-09-04) as Steel Phantom
Cost $4.6 million
Replaced Laser Loop
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer D. H. Morgan Manufacturing
Designer Henry Henninger
Model Terrain Mega Coaster
Track layout Terrain
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 160 ft (49 m)
Drop 228 ft (69 m)
Length 3,200 ft (980 m)
Speed 85 mph (137 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 1:57
Max vertical angle 52°
Capacity 1400 riders per hour
G-force 3.5
Height restriction 48 in (122 cm)
Trains 2 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train.
Phantom's Revenge at RCDB
Pictures of Phantom's Revenge at RCDB

Phantom's Revenge (formerly known as Steel Phantom) is a steel roller coaster at Kennywood. When it opened in 1991, it was the fastest roller coaster and had the longest drop of any roller coaster in the world. The ride was originally manufactured by Arrow Dynamics. After the 2000 season, D.H. Morgan Manufacturing was brought in to renovate the ride, most notably to remove the four inversions. Unlike most roller coasters, the ride's second drop through Thunderbolt's structure is longer than its first drop.

As of 2012, Phantom's Revenge is in a three-way tie for 10th place of the world's fastest steel coasters, along with Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Titan at Six Flags Over Texas. The ride has been ranked in the Golden Ticket Awards every year since 2000. It was ranked in the top 10 every year from 2002 - 2011. In addition, it has been ranked in the top 25 of Mitch Hawker's Best Steel Roller Coaster Poll every year since 2001 and in the top 5 of the National Amusement Park Historical Association Favorite Steel Roller Coaster poll every year except 2008.

History

Henry Henniger, the president of Kennywood Entertainment Company, wanted a large steel coaster in the late 1980s. The park had only built wooden roller coasters in the past. The park also had a very tight layout and they were not sure how to fit it into the park. On July 27, 1990, Kennywood announced the name of their new roller coaster would be Steel Phantom and it would use the same station as Laser Loop, which it replaced.[1] The ride opened on May 10, 1991[2] as the fastest and steepest steel roller coaster in the world. The inversions were a vertical loop, a Boomerang, and a corkscrew. As a result of the inversions, riders experienced more-than-usual head banging. Shortly after its debut, a trim brake was added because the coaster was going faster than it should through the inversions and riders were experiencing pain in their necks.[3][4]

In March 2000, Kennywood announced that they would dismantle Steel Phantom. A replacement for Steel Phantom was not announced at the time. "Just about anything is on the table" said Kennywood spokeswoman, Mary Lou Rosemeyer.[5] After the decision to remove Steel Phantom was announced, the park started receiving complaints and emails about the decision. Kennywood ultimately decided to keep the roller coaster but make modifications to it.[6][7] After the ride closed on Labor Day weekend in 2000,[8] Steel Phantom underwent extensive changes by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing, most notably the removal of all of its inversions.[7] According to Kennywood, this was done because of many riders' complaints of how rough the coaster was on their heads and necks. The modified coaster reopened on May 19, 2001 as the Phantom's Revenge.[9] The coaster only operated with one train in its first season. In 2002, magnetic brakes were added to the ride so a second train could be used.[4] Phantom's Revenge now has a top speed of 85 mph (137 km/h),[6] putting it in a three-way tie for 10th place of the world's fastest steel coasters, along with Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Titan at Six Flags Over Texas.[10] Due to the modifications, both Morgan style and Arrow style track are used on the coaster.[6]

Ride experience

The ride is considered to be a terrain roller coaster, meaning the ride experiences various elevation changes. Unlike most roller coasters, the ride's second drop is longer than the first. It drops through Thunderbolt's structure, which is located at the bottom of a hill in a ravine.

Layout

The notable second drop of Phantom's Revenge.

Phantom's Revenge

After leaving the station, the train makes a slight turn to the right before climbing the 160-foot (49 m) chain lift hill. After ascending the lift hill, the train drops to the right, reaching a speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Riders then enter a straightaway before climbing a second hill which drops them 228 feet (69 m) under the Thunderbolt's structure, reaching a top speed of 85 miles per hour (137 km/h). The train then makes a 360 degree turn, passing back under the Thunderbolt's structure. Next, the train circles around the Turtle ride before traveling back under the second drop through a bunny-hop. Riders then make a turn to the left, passing under the ride's brake run and entering a second bunny-hop. The train then enters a 180 degree curve, going through the last bunny-hop and entering the brake run. One cycle of the ride takes approximately 1 minute and 57 seconds.[9][11][12]

Steel Phantom

After leaving the station, the train made a slight turn to the right, climbing the 160-foot (49 m) chain lift hill. After ascending the lift hill, the ride went down a banked drop to the right. After a straight section, the ride went up a second hill that turned slightly to the right. The train then dropped 225 feet (69 m) through the Thunderbolt's structure, reaching a top speed of 80 miles per hour (130 km/h). The train then turned to the left, entering a pair of trim brakes before heading into a vertical loop. After the loop, the train immediately went into a Boomerang, an element which turned riders upside down twice. The train then made a right turn into a corkscrew, the fourth and final inversion. After this, riders went through a right turn that passed under the corkscrew. After this, the ride ascended into the brake run. One cycle of the ride took approximately 2 minutes and 15 seconds.[9][13]

Trains

One of Phantom's Revenge's trains

Phantom's Revenge operates with two trains. Each train has seven cars that seat two riders in two rows for a total of 28 riders per train.[14] After the ride was renovated, the trains were also renovated. Steel Phantom's chassis, that was built by Arrow remained but Morgan built new, aerodynamic fiberglass bodies. Morgan also replaced the over-shoulder-restraints with lap bars and seatbelts.[4][7]

Track

Phantom's Revenge's steel track is approximately 3,200 feet (980 m) in length and the height of the lift is approximately 160 feet (49 m). Before the renovation, the length was 3,000 feet (910 m) and the lift remained unchanged. The track was originally manufactured by Arrow Dynamics and painted black with silver/grey rails and grey supports. After the renovation, D.H. Morgan Manufacturing replaced the majority of the track and it was painted green with black supports.[9] The only Arrow Dynamics track that remains is the lift hill, the station and the brake run/transfer track.[14]

Comparison

Statistic Steel Phantom Phantom's Revenge
Manufacturer Arrow Dynamics D. H. Morgan Manufacturing
Height 160 feet or 49 metres 160 feet or 49 metres
Drop 225 feet or 69 metres 228 feet or 69 metres
Length 3,000 feet or 910 metres 3,200 feet or 980 metres
Speed 80 miles per hour or 130 kilometres per hour 85 miles per hour or 137 kilometres per hour
Duration 2:15 1:57
Inversions 4 0
Restraints Over-the-shoulder Lapbar

Awards and rankings

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year2000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015
Ranking 19*[15]15[16]7[17]8[18]8[19]8[20]7[21]7[22]8[23]8[24]9[25]5[26]11[27]13[28]11[29]14[30]

*At the time, the roller coaster was Steel Phantom.

Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Steel-Tracked Roller Coaster
Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Ranking
18[31]
13[31]
7[31]
12[31]
18[31]
14[31]
16[31]
22[31]
25[31]
25[31]
NAPHA Survey: Favorite Steel Roller Coaster
Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Ranking
4[nb 1]
3[32]
4[32]
--
3[32]
3[32]
2[32]

Notes

  1. ↑ Tied with Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure.[32]

References

  1. ↑ "Kennywood will name new coaster Steel Phantom". The Pittsburgh Press. July 27, 1990. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  2. ↑ Blank, Ed (May 8, 1991). "Ed Blank reviews Kennywood 'Phantom'". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Steel Phantom a bit too fast; Being adjusted". Beaver County Times. May 13, 1991. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 "90s Steel Coasters - Part One". Ultimate Roller Coaster. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  5. ↑ Lowry, Patricia (March 7, 2000). "Seeking a new buzz, Kennywood to end Steel Phantom's run". Post-Gazette. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 "Park's coaster will be redone". The Vindicator. August 11, 2000. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 "Kennywood Unveils Steel Phantom Replacement for 2001". Ultimate Roller Coaster. August 10, 2000. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Phantom fans take one last ride". The Vindicator. September 5, 2000. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Marden, Duane. "Phantom's Revenge  (Kennywood)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  10. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Record Holders – Steel – Speed". RCDB. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Phantom's Revenge at Coaster-Net". Coaster-Net. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Phantom's Revenge POV". YouTube. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Steel Phantom POV". YouTube. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  14. 1 2 "The Phantom's Revenge Construction Information". Kennywood. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Top 25 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. August 2000. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Top 25 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Top 25 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 18–19B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 11 (6.2): 36–37. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 12 (6.2): 36–37. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 13 (6.2): 32–33. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 14 (6.2): 34–35. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 15 (6.2): 38–39. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  28. ↑ "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  29. ↑ "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  30. ↑ "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Best Steel Roller Coaster Poll 11 year results table". BestRollerCoasterPoll.com. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "NAPHA 2005–2011 Survey Results". National Amusement Park Historical Association. Retrieved May 27, 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phantom's Revenge (Kennywood).
Preceded by
Magnum XL-200		 World's Fastest Roller Coaster
May 1991–July 1996 		Succeeded by
Fujiyama
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