Steel Dragon 2000

Steel Dragon 2000 (Japaneseスチール ドラゴン2000 Suchīru doragon 2000) in Nagashima Spa Land in Japan Kuwana is a steel roller coaster manufacturer Morgan, which was opened on 1 August 2000.

This Gigacoaster was opened in 2000, the year of the dragon in the Chinese calendar. It opened shortly after Millennium Force at Cedar Point, which was the highest roller coaster with a closed circuit in the world by then. They also still holds with 2479 meters the record for the longest roller coaster in the world.

The trains of Steel Dragon 2000 each have six cars. In each carriage six people ( three rows of two people) take place. Originally rode on the trains of the manufacturer Morgan, these were replaced to start the season on March 15, 2013 by new trains of the manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. The new trains have seven cars for every four people in two rows of two.

Takeover of the design of Mamba ( Worlds of Fun )

Two years before the opening of this roller coaster roller coaster Mamba was opened at the amusement park Worlds of Fun. These also designed by Steve Okamoto roller coaster is very similar to the Steel Dragon 2000, which is why it can be assumed that the Steel Dragon 2000 was developed from the design of the Mamba system. One of the most obvious similarities include two large hills after the first drop ( first exit ) and a clockwise helix, which connects directly to the second Hill. Then the steel Dragon 2000 is followed by a second helix counterclockwise. Afterward there is two roller coasters, a reduction brake, which is located next to the first Hill. Then several small hills follow one after the other, which are located at two roller coasters next to the lift.

Before Mamba and the Steel Dragon 2000 Steve Okamoto had designed the roller coasters Wild Thing and Steel Force. All these four roller coasters exhibit certain similarities in appearance.

Facts

• Steel Dragon 2000 is the largest roller coaster with a classic chain lift. Due to the length of the lift Hills and probably because at that time was not yet possible to prepare for roller coasters as long chains, two chains were used. A lower and an upper half of the half. In addition, two trains can safely occupy the lift simultaneously. With the current art also so high coasters can be produced with only one chain. The Leviathan roller coaster at the amusement park Canada's Wonderland has, for example, with a height of 93 meters, the highest lift in the world with only one chain. From the entrance to the elevator, to the trains crashing down the first exit, pass only 42 seconds at Leviathan.
• For security reasons, more steel was used as for other roller coasters because of earthquake risk for this roller coaster. This came cost of more than 50 million U.S. dollars into existence.
• On August 23, 2003 there was at Steel Dragon 2000 in an accident. One of the trains lost it while riding a bike during the seasons 2004 and 2005 remained the railway closed and was re-opened on September 3, 2006.