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Steel Force

Steel Force is a steel roller coaster located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania. At 5600 ft in length, Steel Force is tied with Mamba at Worlds of Fun as the ninth-longest steel coaster in the world as of 2026.[1]

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",[2] featuring a 205 ft drop, 5600 ft of track, and a maximum speed of 75 mph.[3]

History

On September 16, 1996, Dorney Park announced that Steel Force would be added to the park.[4] The ride opened on May 30, 1997.

Steel Force has been ranked among the top steel coasters in the world several times.[5] 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.[6] Dorney Park adopted it for its Steel Force coaster a year later.[7]

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 ft, 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

Construction data

The following materials are included:

  • 2,000 tons of steel
  • 12150000 lb of concrete footers
  • 2,742 anchor bolts

Ride elements

  • Two 120 ft 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

Gallery

External links

References

  1. Record Holders - Length RCDB.com, retrieved April 6, 2018^
  2. Rosa Salter. Dorney Park's Steel Force Is Engineered To Deliver A Thrilling Performance The Morning Call, May 20, 1997, retrieved April 6, 2018^
  3. retrieved April 6, 2018^
  4. DORNEY UNLEASHES STEEL FORCE FOR 1997^
  5. Top 10 Coasters Ultimate Rollercoaster, 1999, retrieved 15 July 2012^
  6. retrieved 15 July 2012^
  7. retrieved 15 July 2012^