Steel Dragon 2000

Roller coaster in Japan
Watch the on-ride POV
Steel Dragon 2000
Nagashima Spa Land
Location Nagashima, Kuwana, Mie, Japan
Coordinates 35°01′58″N 136°44′00″E / 35.032736°N 136.733272°E / 35.032736; 136.733272
Status Operating since 1 August 2000
Cost $52,000,000 USD
Rider height
  • Minimum: 140 cm
  • Maximum: 185 cm
Statistics
Manufacturer Morgan
Designer / calculations Steve Okamoto
Type Steel - Giga
Track layout Out and Back
Propulsion Chain lift hill
Area 2495 metres × 690 metres
Height 97 metres
Drop 93.5 metres
Top speed 152.9 km/h
Length 2479 metres
Inversions 0
Drop angle 68°
Duration 4:00
Rolling stock
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard (2013−present)
Morgan (2000−2012)
Riders per train 28
HELP

Steel Dragon 2000 is a steel giga out and back roller coaster located at Nagashima Spa Land in Nagashima, Kuwana, Mie, Japan. Opened on 1 August 2000, it became the tallest and fastest full-circuit roller coaster in the world, surpassing Millennium Force at Cedar Point, which opened three months earlier. It also surpassed Daidarasaurus at Expoland as the world's longest roller coaster. The records for tallest and fastest roller full-circuit roller coaster were subsequently lost to Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point and Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland respectively, but Steel Dragon 2000 remains the longest. It is the largest roller coaster built by Morgan.

History

Steel Dragon 2000 was officially announced in November 1999.[1]

On 28 July 2000, an exclusive opening ceremony was held. Park president Mr. Otani received certificates from the CEO of Guinness World Records for four records broken by Steel Dragon 2000. Subsequently, over 2000 competition winners rode Steel Dragon 2000 before opening day on 1 August.[2]

Design

Elements

After the chain lift hill is an initial drop of 306.8 foot and a 252 foot camelback hill. The train subsequently rises up and into the figure-eight shaped helix. The train then passes through a mid-course brake run and over six more camelback hills, passing through two tunnels along the way before reaching the final brakes.[3]

Steel Dragon 2000 was the tallest roller coaster to use a traditional lift hill before the opening of Fury 325 at Carowinds in 2015. Because of its track length, two chains are used. In the middle of the lift hill, the ride switches chains.

The ride has thick and sturdy supports to stay safe from earthquakes.

Colour scheme

Red track and white supports.

Trains

The new seating
The old trains

7 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows, for a total of 28 riders per train.

When Steel Dragon 2000 first opened, it used Morgan trains with six cars, each seating six riders in three rows of two.

For the 2013 season, the ride received new trains from Bolliger & Mabillard. The new trains are similar to those used on B&M's own hyper roller coasters, however, they only seat two riders per row. The ride reopened with its new rolling stock on 15 March 2013.[4]

Incident

In August 2003, a partial derailment of the front car caused the train to come to a sudden stop and debris to fall from the ride. A 20-year-old woman who was sitting in the front car sustained a back injury and a 28-year-old man was injured when he was hit by a falling wheel while in the water park. The ride was standing but not operating for over three years. It reopened on 3 September 2006.[5]

Etymology

In the Far East, the year 2000 was the "Year of the Dragon".[6]

Images

References

  1. "Morgan Manufacturing to Build Record Breaking Coaster". Ultimate Rollercoaster.
  2. Steel Dragon - Chance Morgan (Wayback Archive)
  3. 300' Steel Hypercoaster - Chance Morgan (Wayback archive)
  4. "Steel Dragon 2000 to Receive B&M Trains". Coaster101. March 17, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  5. Two seriously hurt in roller coaster accident - The Japan Times (Wayback Archive)
  6. Japanese Zodiac - The Twelve Zodiac Signs - About.com

External links

The category Steel Dragon 2000 contains additional media.
Tallest complete-circuit roller coaster
August 2000 - May 2003
Preceded by
Millennium Force
Tallest complete-circuit roller coaster
August 2000 - May 2003
Succeeded by
Top Thrill Dragster
Fastest complete-circuit roller coaster
August 2000 - December 2001
Preceded by
Millennium Force
Fastest complete-circuit roller coaster
August 2000 - December 2001
Succeeded by
Dodonpa
Longest roller coaster
August 2000 - present
Preceded by
Daidarasaurus
Longest roller coaster
August 2000 - present
Succeeded by
None


Articles on Nagashima Spa Land