Expedition GeForce

bigFM Expedition GeForce
Location	Holiday Park, Germany
Coordinates	49.320°N 8.295°E / 49.320; 8.295
Status	Operating
Opened	June 18, 2001
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Intamin
Designer	Werner Stengel
Height	173 ft (53 m)
Drop	184 ft (56 m)
Length	4,002.7 ft (1,220.0 m)
Max speed	74.6 mph (120.1 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1:15
Max vertical angle	82°
Capacity	1300 riders per hour
Max G force	4.5
Height restriction	4 ft 7 in (140 cm)
bigFM Expedition GeForce at RCDB
Pictures of bigFM Expedition GeForce at RCDB
Amusement Parks Portal

bigFM Expedition GeForce (renamed after a local radio station for marketing purposes in 2008) is a steel roller coaster located at Holiday Park in Haßloch, Germany. It is one of the largest roller coasters in Europe and has an 82 degree first drop, the steepest in Germany. The trains travel up to 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) through a course 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) long with seven periods of weightlessness. At its highest, the ride reaches 53 metres (174 ft) above ground.

Until the opening of Silver Star at Europa Park, it was the tallest roller coaster operating on the European mainland.

Ride information

The ride opened on June 18, 2001 to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of Holiday Park's operation, costing approximately €10 million. It has a maximum throughput of 1,300 riders per hour, with two 28-seater trains in operation. The track rests on 209 foundations, which are up to 20 metres deep.

It was constructed by Swiss manufacturers Intamin, which markets this type of coaster as Mega Coaster, in collaboration with German engineer Werner Stengel. Unlike many other coasters, the ride does not employ a conventional chain lift but a faster cable lift with a catch car, very similar to the system used for Millennium Force.

Ride layout

From the station, the trains ascend the 188 feet (57 m) lift hill and encounter the first drop, which at 82°, makes a 74° right-hand turn. The ride continues with several large hills, which give a sensation of air-time, especially in the rear of the trains, and a number of overbanked turns, before becoming more twisted as the ride runs through woods and over a lake. Just before entering the brake run, the trains negotiate a series of bunny hops, again giving riders considerable amounts of air-time.

Vehicles

The coaster has two trains of seven cars each. Each car seats two across in two rows. The trains are stainless steel with stadium-style seating. Each seat has an individual lap bar

Incident

On April 28, 2010 a train full of passengers came to a sudden stop when one of the cars derailed just after completing the ride's first drop. Firefighters evacuated all riders, none were seriously injured.

Rankings

Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters
Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Ranking	-	8	3	4	6	6	6	5	6	6	7

Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Steel-Tracked Roller Coaster
Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Ranking	2	1	1	1	1	2	2	3	3

External links

• Holiday Park bigFM Expedition GeForce Official Page (English)
• Detailed Review (English)