Impulse Coaster

Product
Impulse Coaster
Possessed at Dorney Park. In this image, a twisted vertical spike is seen on the left and a straight vertical spike on the right
Status In production
Number built 8
Statistics
Manufacturer
 Intamin, Liechtenstein
Type Steel - Inverted - Launched - Shuttle

The Impulse Coaster is a compact inverted roller coaster model produced by Intamin. The model uses LIM technology to launch the train forwards and backwards.

There are four models:

• Spike & Spike • Twist & Spike (56m) • Twist & Twist (66m) • Twist & Twist (70m)

Every Twist & Spike (56m) apart from Screaming Condor was built with a holding brake mounted on the vertical rollback tower; a set of LIMs that, when the train would pass over them the second time, would effectively work to push the train up the tower. Since the tower was vertical, however, the train would mostly stay in the same position until the LIMs would release it, usually after 0.5 to 1 second. Today, only Steel Venom at Valleyfair still has a functional holding brake. The reason most other parks have disabled the holding brake would likely be one of two reasons: either it was putting too much stress on the trains, or it was putting too much stress on the track and supports, as when the holding brake was applied, the top of the tower would usually sway a few inches. Furthermore, every Twist & Spike received additional supports on the two towers to strengthen them after the rides had opened. These appeared as vertical columns welded onto the top of the previous supports, with track connections every few feet. This also happened on Wicked Twister in 2003,, but with smaller pairs of supports that went straight from the original support to the track.

Installations

Name Park Country Opened Status
Linear Gale Tokyo Dome City
Japan
1998 Closed October 31, 2010
Screaming Condor Leofoo Village Theme Park
Taiwan
2001 Operating
Flash: Vertical Velocity Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
USA
June 8, 2001 Operating
Flash: Vertical Velocity Six Flags Great America
USA
May 18, 2001 Operating
Wicked Twister Cedar Point
USA
May 5, 2002 Closed September 6, 2021
Steel Venom Valleyfair
USA
May 17, 2003 Operating
Possessed
Formerly Steel Venom
Dorney Park
Geauga Lake
USA
USA
May 2008
May 5, 2000
Operating
Closed 2006
Legendary Twin Dragon Chongqing Sunac Land
China
February 3, 2021 Operating

External links

Intamin