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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Steel Force

Steel Force is a steel roller coaster located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania. At 5,600 feet (1,700 m) in length, Steel Force is the eighth-longest steel coaster in the world as of 2024.

Built by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing and designed by Steve Okamoto, the roller coaster opened to the public on May 30, 1997, and was billed as "the tallest and longest roller coaster on the east coast", featuring a 205-foot (62 m) drop, 5,600 feet (1,700 m) of track, and a maximum speed of 75 mph (121 km/h).

History

On September 16, 1996, Dorney Park announced that Steel Force would be added to the park. The ride opened on May 30, 1997.

Steel Force has been ranked among the top steel coasters in the world several times. Its logo was originally intended to be used for the stand-up coaster Mantis (now Rougarou), which opened at Cedar Point a year earlier. Mantis was originally going to be named "Banshee," but the name and logo were changed prior to its debut. Dorney Park adopted it for its Steel Force coaster a year later.

Ride experience

The train departs the station entering a slight decline into the lift hill. After reaching the top, the train enters the first drop of 205 feet (62 m), reaching a maximum vertical angle of 61 degrees. At the bottom of the first drop, riders pass through a tunnel and into a camelback hill. The train then ascends a third hill, which doubles as the entrance to the downward helix turnaround. After the helix, the train enters a mid-course brake run, before entering the ride's finale – a series of three back-to-back airtime hills and a double-up. The first airtime hill in this series features a tunnel, and an on-ride camera snaps photos at the bottom of the second. Following the double-up element, the train passes over the entrance plaza and enters the final brake run before returning to the station.

Awards

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2021
Ranking 5 4 4 4 6 16 11 14 15 20 18 23 27 26 39 37 37 45 37 44 45

Construction data

The following materials are included:

  • 2,000 tons of steel
  • 12,150,000 pounds (5,510,000 kg) of concrete footers
  • 2,742 anchor bolts

Ride elements

  • Two 120-foot-long (37 m) tunnels
  • 510-degree downward helix
  • Mid-course brake run
  • 4 airtime hills, including a double-up hill
  • On-ride photo camera between the last two airtime hills

References

  1. ^ "Record Holders - Length". RCDB.com. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  2. ^ Salter, Rosa (May 20, 1997). "Dorney Park's Steel Force Is Engineered To Deliver A Thrilling Performance". The Morning Call. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  3. ^ Marden, Duane. "Steel Force  (Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  4. ^ "DORNEY UNLEASHES STEEL FORCE FOR 1997".
  5. ^ "Top 10 Coasters". Ultimate Rollercoaster. 1999. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
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  23. ^ "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.
  24. ^ "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  25. ^ "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  26. ^ "2016 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  27. ^ "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  28. ^ "2021 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2015.