Is There a Future for Wooden Roller Coasters?
Vložit
- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
- Wooden roller coasters have been around for centuries - in fact, the world’s first roller coasters were made of wood! Today however, only 3.5% of operational roller coasters around the world are wooden. So does that mean wooden roller coasters are dying out? Should you be rushing to your local theme park to ride that classic wooden attraction? Hopefully not! In this video we explore what's next for wooden roller coasters, including the development of Great Coasters International's (GCI's) new steel roller coaster track.
Visit coasterbot.com for more!
PATREONS: D. Newman, Simon Ward, Racc Hudson, Urso Brando and Jack Broadhurst
STORE: coasterbot.com/store
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Patreon: patreon.coasterbot.com
Twitter: twitter.coasterbot.com
Podcast: coasterbot.com/podcast
Facebook: facebook.coasterbot.com
Instagram: instagram.coasterbot.com
Discord: discord.coasterbot.com
VIDEOS:
Great Coasters International: • GCI STEEL Track Promot... , • GCI STEEL TRACK On Whi...
Coaster Studios: / thecoasterguy14
Pleasure Beach Experience: / clubpbe
Coaster Hipster: / @coasterhipster
rcmaster207: / @rcmaster207
Kolmårdens Djurpark: • Building Wildfire - Ep...
Kings Island: • Mystic Timbers Roller ...
Cedar Point: • Steel Vengeance - Offi...
STRUCTURE:
00:00 Introduction
01:12 What are wooden roller coasters like today?
05:23 GCI’s Steel Roller Coaster Track
07:59 Why have GCI produced steel track?
09:23 Is there a future for wooden coasters?
1921: wood coasters
2021: hybrid coasters
2121: plastic coasters
Okay @5MadMovieMakers let's talk. On almost any video I watch, there is a good 20% chance that you've left a comment on it. Either we have all the same interests, or you're stalking me...
@@drewvaldez7969 probably we share similar interests
I love wooden roller coasters! Watching Troy at Toverland offride is great, because you can see the entire structure move, when the train passes by!
Plastic coasters are never going to happen, just like 2121! The Sun is going to eject the corona within our lifetime and all plastic will melt? Electricity will be a thing from the past and earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and floods will announce the next ice age, which will last for more then a thousand years! Earth's magnetic field is collapsing as we speak and without a magnetic field we will die...
2050 3d printed coaster
Ah yes, the comment copier. (Jk Lol)
I think that the ratio of wood to steel coasters used to be 50-50 in the 70s and 80s, but as steel coasters started to advance into different types like inverts, hypers, and loopers, a wooden coaster just became a different “type” of coaster, and a park only really needed one or two to satisfy guests.
It would be interesting to see a comparison of the number of large scale steel roller coasters being built compared to large scale wooden coasters. :)
@@coasterbot Great idea! Can you do a video on that? It would be interesting to see where the data leads.
im honestly really happy for that, wooden coasters are great but they usually all feel the same to me. Steel coasters feel way more unique.
Incoming hybrid wood coasters and those prefab wood coasters.
There hasn’t been one of the intamin prefabs in over a decade I believe. Hopefully some park will build one.
@@quix9556 Who says another wood manufacturer wont make a type of prefab? Intamin is not the only manufacturer.
I honestly think wooden coasters will still be around, and i mean traditional as well as hybrid. They might change and GCI might start just using titan track but the wood aesthetic will still be alive and well. Although the cost to maintain and keep wooden coasters are a lot higher than steel coasters so I can see only a few new wooden coaster being built compared to how many were built in the 80s and 90s. A lot of parks are looking for budget friendly attractions now a days and wooden are cheaper to build at first but cost so much more because you have to constantly replace wooden beams. Also I see a lot of hate for RMC for ripping down classic woodies and I see why people would be upset, BUT I'd rather see an old woodie get the rmc treatment than it getting ripped down and replaced completely. Idk just my 2 sense.
I see the future of gravity group really bright
Agreed. Gravity group coasters are awesome.
The Gravity Group are great, so I do hope so :)
Gravity Group is my favorite manufacturer.
Everything has a future, even wooden coasters!
Even if traditional ones phase out I feel like there's always gonna be some nostaliga for them so they might crop up now and again
*Alton Towers presents, first ever wooden coaster in 150 years*
GCI has held up pretty well despite the influx of RMCs. I think what will happen is GCI will become your go-to for wooden where RMC will allow them to breathe between installing their single rail models. Jersey Devil at SFGA is going to spike their popularity.
For sure! :)
I really like these kinds of videos. I am glad that we still have GCI and GG to depend on for modern wooden coasters.
Thanks! Both of those companies are great :)
Okay so this was just a massive ad for GCI's Titan Track- I love it
I think RMC isn’t going to built any more wooden rides for quite a while now. Because of what happened to lightning rod, I think that’s probably put off most people from buying a wooden RMC
esp since they've shown they can build i-box hybrids from the ground up (zadra), they really just don't need the topper track model, since the only real reason to get one over a hybrid is a hybrid required a pre-existing structure. now, you can just get hybrids, which are smoother and more reliable, so i don't see why topper track coasters are gonna stay around
terrific into the future of these marvels - thank you and I very much enjoyed the calming tones while having some front-row fun here and there throughout.
Thanks for watching :)
Video: *Is about wood coasters*
Also the video: *Shows lightning rod right away, a rmc hybrid*
I think the reason wooden coasters aren't as popular is the fact that family and especially kids wooden coaster are rare and wooden coasters require much more maintenance. Also, there are many different types of steel coaster. (wing, dive, launch, hybid, hyper, invert,spinning, single rail , powered etc.) Wooden coasters are just wooden coasters
i feel like they’re going to be faster, higher, and more intense and smooth asl
2005: Gone was the Infamous Roller Coaster Corporation of America (RCCA).
Too many words to say. But just know I love this video. Big ups to RMC, Gravity Group, and GCI keeping wooden coasters in the game! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Thanks! :)
The answer is yes as long as the RMC fanboys stop asking to tear out our favorite woodies 🥰
Ooof
Absolutely agree, I hate the fact they tore down Robin Hood and turned it into a RMC.. it seems like an amazing coaster but they really shouldn't ruin classics.
@@lucere6102 Tbh robinhood definitely needed to be retracked on the whole coaster as you basically broke your back in the last years running. In the end the park it self probably came to the conclusion that a new layout was more cost effective.
Ah yes cause everyone was sad when mean streak got removed in favor of steel vengeance
@@bracken8782 they mean good coasters
Like el toro.
Why the hell would anyone want el toro to be RMC’d
Or voyage!
I recently rode Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain. It had a wooden body with a steel track. It went upside down and I thought it was really fun.
That's awesome, it looks like a great ride :)
3.5...Such a small percentage of operating wooden coasters was not information I was prepared for
It's tiny!
Shouldn't Martin & Vleminckx get a mention in this video too? I mean, I know they mostly build and market designs made by the Gravity Group, but still, without them there'd be far fewer moderrn wooden coasters out there.
That's a great point. As you said they do build rides designed by the Gravity Group in parts of the world that Gravity Kraft don't construct their own rides in. I wonder if they didn't exist whether Gravity Kraft would have found their own way over to Asia. It's an interesting point! The only reason I didn't include them is because they don't traditionally design wooden coasters, only fabricate them for other companies. :)
@@coasterbot True. But at the same time they're also pretty much the go to if anyone wants to do any kind of custom wooden coaster design that doesn't fit into the regular norm. Including replicating much older rides like we've seen with the Zippin Pippin replica.
For me, wooden coasters are my mainstay for roller coaster rides. While I’ve been on the Sooper Dooper Looper at Hersheypark-the only inverted ride I’ve been on-I’m not much of a fan of inversions. Furthermore, I would hate that all of the coasters would be upgraded with inversions. And even if they might not be in the same lane with steel coasters, they are significant for the fact that we even have roller coasters today.
Gone are the days of the rickety coasters that scared the hell out of you, because you weren't sure it was going to stay together. That's what a wooden coaster is all about!
this is a great video! Keep up the work.
Thanks :)
@@coasterbot no problem!
Thanks for saying Gravity Groups give stronger airtime than GCIs, you are normal, even Mystic Timbers doesn't have ejector and Kentucky Flyer has literally strong airtime than Mystic Timbers.
No worries :)
Beautiful video Harry!
Thanks :)
Pushing the boundaries of Wooden Roller Coasters. YES PLEASE!
Andrew: Right On, Andrew! Bigger woodies can be better!
Great vid well done
Thank you! :)
I wonder if they should more wooden roller coasters in the future! 🤞🤞🤞
I rode half of all the Vekoma Wooden Rollercoaster in the world :) there are only 2...
Do you have any videos of GCII wooden Coaster in night view.
Wooden coasters are so much more fun than steel for me. Son of Beast is my all time favorite, but the Voyage is my current favorite. I also love the Beast. Even steel Giga coasters are nothing compared to a decent wooden coaster. Also RMC is just depressing
Wooden coasters do have a certain feel to them that steel rides don't. The Voyage looks awesome! :)
Figrin - I couldn't agree with you more! Woodies have always been -- and will always be -- the King of the Park!
i'm curious what would of happened to rides likr Gwazi if a GCI or the GG did the revitalizing instead of RMC.
Martin & Vleminckx wooden roller coasters are designed by The Gravity Group!
They'll still be here, just different! It's not doom and gloom like a lot of ACErs would lead you to believe!
I couldn't agree more :)
I've been a ACEr since the mid 1980s and I've met some really "outta their freaking minds" individuals at ACE events. LOL Some of them believe some totally bizarre crap about coasters and the amusement park industry.
Can’t beat a bit of timber 👌🏼🧱👍🏽
Very true :)
Wooden coasters are like Pokèmon. They evolve and get progressively more insane.
ha ha I love it :)
Harry I hate to say it but I think Rocky Mountain construction doesn’t build their topper track wooden coasters anymore since we haven’t seen any since 2016 we’ve seen more of the iBox tracks so the topper track may be dead but I would love to see the new GCI steel track on roller coaster at Lagoon
They haven't officially said anything as far as I'm aware, but they haven't built one for a while. I think you're right, but it wasn't really something worth discussing in the video. The topper track and IBox track essentially provide the same experience anyway :)
@@coasterbot yeah they do I would like to see the new GCI steel track on some older wooden coasters like lagoons roller coaster
I wish Blackpool Pleasure Beach would spend some money on there wooden roller coasters I'm not talking about a full RMC of any of them just a modernization is required especially of the grand nation that coaster has got to the point of being unbearable to ride due to how rough it has gotten
Of course there is a future for them. They just won't be the standard anymore. Most parks will only have 1 or 2. Some indie parks specializing in nostalgia like Knoebels or Holiday World will continue to have a bit more than average.
Yeah it’s called rmc
If you could have one wooden roller coaster get GCI Titan track, which would it be and why?
The Boss.....because it sucked from Day One. I repeat..... The Boss. Sucked. From. Day. One.
Hoping Intamin will see an opening in the market here. An el Toro on the west coast would make me cry.
That's be cool but I think it's unlikely Intamin will make another prefab
Can we send it over to you, and get a GCI gen 2.0 hybrid mostly wood but steel inversions and a long layout with comfortable trains instead of that murder machine?
@@coasterbot Intamin still offer them on their website im pretty sure so we could see a return soon
I have a grudge against inversions, and i really hope that my favourite coaster material is not going to be mixed up with steel and given inversions
What do you have against inversions? :)
@@coasterbot I honestly have no idea. I guess it's just my preference for non-inverting thrill coasters
I think you should've also mentioned that RMC I-box coasters are classified as steel coasters, not woodies.
I didn't feel it was the place to try and formally define what is and what's not a wooden coaster. The video was about the merge between wooden and steel rides, which the IBox track heavily represents :)
I think cost will play a major role in the near future as well.
Definitely!
Some coasters are impossible to create out of wood, like a 4 dimension coaster!
Launch Hyper Hybrid with inversions perhaps?
Is it possible to remake Son Of Beast with these 3 companies and is it likely?
I guess they could remake it, but they've made more interesting wooden roller coasters already so I'm not sure why they'd want to!
What ride is presented in the thumbnail? thanks in advance
It's Troy at Tovetland :)
Short Answer: Yes
Definitely think there’s a future for wooden rides, they just won’t be as prominent as steel ones.
I agree!
Is this a commercial for GCI?
Do stand up and floorless coasters have a future?
I don't think so, honestly!
Floorless: maybe
Stand-up: Six Flags merging with Cedar Fair is more likely
Wood is a renewable resource, so always.
Ha ha I like it - not quite what I was going for though ;)
Six Words
Rocky Mountain Construction
Great Coasters International
The topper track is dead
I am not going to stand for blatant Gravity Group erasure. :P
😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳....This is insane...Wooden roller coasters aren't going anywhere...A new generation came along & they are passive riders...I said it...Just the fact that someone produced a video like this is crazy. ..Wooden coasters from the 70's boring?😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 ....Most riders today couldn't survive the stunning nature of the 1976 Texas Cyclone with the vintage PTC trains...At only 92ft but 3,180 ft of fury...You won if you were not thrown out of the trains😭😭😭😭...As Bill Cobb said..."You can build them higher & faster but you can't improve on the quality of fear of the Texas Cyclone"......Bottom line...Wooden Coasters aren't for the new amateur coaster kids...Kids that are still at home with their parents at 30yrs old.....That's why there are less wooden coasters ..They want smooth steel coasters...This soft generation.....Take up golf & not coastering... ..Last item...Hold on tight girls & boys...2022/2023 ...Coaster surprise...🤐...Buckle up..
I think the future of the wooden coaster will be like Texas Stingray, with steel supports but wooden track with a traditional layout.
Yeah there are definitely more of those popping up around the place!
But why would anyone want a coaster made from wood vs steel? Is it just the asthetics? Why not just make the same track layout with steel supports?
I made a video about just this: czcams.com/video/Hqv68CWJlv0/video.html
When can we get a Console competition on Planet Coaster?
We'll consider it in the future, for sure :)
@@coasterbot thanks for replying
I was having some older enthusiasts going crazy on me about how "hybrid" is a fake term coined by RMC for marketing and is not at all a way to categorize coasters, but I was in strong disagreement about it. Their argument was that coasters have always been classified by only the track itself, and not the supports. But to me, ignoring the supports is absurd, as they are just as important as the track itself, and can certainly make a difference in the ride experience. They essentially were saying that they only way coasters should be classified is by their ride experience and the track itself, but to me, roller coasters are so much more than just the ride experience or the track. They said that RMC IBox coasters are fully steel coasters, not hybrids, and that the "wooden" coasters with FULLY steel supports are normal wooden coasters. To me, that way of thinking is just absurd. They are ignoring the skeleton of the ride! Without that, the ride would not even exist.
There's no formal definition for a wooden roller coaster. Hybrids were a thing well before RMC came about! :)
Just wondering, do you consider Gemini and The Voyage to be hybrids? That's kind of a tough argument to make, and goes completely against how they're typically characterized. I do consider Lightning Rod and White Lightning to be hybrids, as both have wood and steel track. But RMC's use of the term "hybrid" is kind of problematic. If Steel Vengeance is a hybrid, why isn't Gemini also considered a hybrid? And why isn't The Voyage a hybrid? It's clearer, I think, to categorize a coaster by its track, not its supports. Granted the supports can offer some subtle differences. But honestly, does Steel Vengeance really feel like a wooden coaster? Does The Voyage feel like a steel coaster?
@@RPKraul I do consider them hybrids personally. In my book, if it isn't fully steel or fully wood, it is a hybrid. I definitely do not consider the topper tracks hybrids, as they are the exact same type of construction as traditional wooden coasters, just with a larger sheet of metal on top that allows for more aggressive elements and inversions. It is essentially just an improved design of a traditional wooden coaster. But again, as I said before, there is much more to a roller coaster than JUST the ride experience. That isn't all a ride is. Yes, that is the intended purpose of their construction, to give people a thrilling and fun ride experience. But they are also mega structures with an insane amount of architecture and engineering behind them. I feel like only categorizing rides by merely the track and the ride experience is dismissing so much of the work that designers and engineers put into it. I think the construction materials of the ride alone is enough to classify a coaster, even without considering the ride experience.
@@RPKraul Gemini is basically a "runaway mine train". ROUND TUBE RAILS and track base mounted on top of wood support structure. It is a steel coaster, the fact a massive amount of wood holds it up off the ground means nothing.
Good video!!!
Thanks :)
Man, people need to stop putting their hands up Hades 360. It gives me anxiety. XD
Prefab nuff said
Man I wish there was some wooden coaster or rmc hybrid in israel... All we have it a vekoma boomerang and a regular slc
@@coasternerd6978 yeah man I know it's unbelievable
@@coasternerd6978 maybe Biden will treat us better
@@coasternerd6978 true
Yeah but don't worry my grammar is not that good either... In Israel they don't know how to teach
Does that 3.5% figure include the fair circuit? Because there wooden coasters are obviously not present.
It doesn't no, only more 'permanent' roller coasters :)
Since we can grow more trees and can't grow more steel...... LOL
Good woodies have a much longer service life and are often cheaper than steel coasters, making them a good investment. The only problem is there hasnt been many good woodies built since the 1960s. The modern design of more traditional woodies seem to rely too much on banking and turns, which is boring. The airtime cant even compete with coasters from the 20s to the 50s. They may be faster and longer, but look at the best woodies...they are pretty much all older with classic steel track. Woodies really went downhill in the 70s, with most being just rough and boring . There is nothing like a good double out and back airtime machine like a classic PTC, which nobody is making anymore. There is the whole in the market.
Ok boomer
No seriously that is literally all i can say
RMC IS THE BEST THING HAPPENED TO ROLLERCOASTER GAMEE
Wooden coasters are cheaper and easier to maintain than steel coasters, that's why they will always be around.
They are cheaper to build but more hassle to maintain as the track has to be replaced frequently. This doesn't happen that much with steel rides :)
@@coasterbot That's not really true except on meme rides like SoB and Lightning Rod. The maintenance man-hours for a conventional wood coaster around the 90' to 120' mark is minimal compared to modern steel coasters. They're almost absurdly simple to maintain and operate. The track doesn't need replacement all the time contrary to popular thought. Steel coasters, as a general rule, require more daily and off-season maintenance.
3.5% of wooden coasters thats rare!!! That means steel coasters are at 96.5
Exactly!
Pick ONE category of steel coasters and redo the percentages...... it wouldn't be so impressive.
@@BackSeatJunkie idk
“Is there a future for wooden coasters?”
Me: Yeah. They gone be RMC’d or be built from the ground up featuring inversions.
I hope you’re wrong. I love RMC, but I also love a good old fashioned wooden coaster. I’ll take a mediocre wooden coaster over most B&Ms any day.
The true question is when will RMC try to do a giga hybrid cause you know they might try to one day
That'll be an interesting day!
Will any park ever be able to afford a giga hybrid......is the true question.
I wouldn't be so confident in GCI Titan Track just yet. They made that ridiculous mistake of semi- announcing a Titan Track install on Predator at SFDL back in November in that Daily Item interview. With that being said, the coaster has not been touched, and none of the park employees have a clue as to what GCI was talking about. Huge letdown, and major mistake from a major company. 🤦🏻♂️
the one person that disliked
the person who disliked may think gci shouldnt make steel cowsters
* Insert Generic Mandatory SOB 2.0 Comment *
First
WHAT HEIGHT RESTRICTION IS HIGHER XCELERATERS HEIGHT RESTRICTION OR DODODONPAS HEIGHT RESTRICTION?
I don't really think so. Not in any abundance. 1 per major park will be about it. Too much of mainstream public just doesn't care for them. Even as an enthusiast I don't much care for them, too much vibration and a guaranteed headache. Short of that i mean they're a little too quintessential to go away totally. But like no newly ground up built park is making sure a wooden coaster is included in their lineup.