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Phantom's Revenge

Coordinates: 40°23′21″N 79°51′58″W / 40.38917°N 79.86611°W / 40.38917; -79.86611
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Phantom's Revenge
Second drop of the Phantom's Revenge, taken from the station
Kennywood
LocationKennywood
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 19, 2001
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerChance Morgan
DesignerHarry Henninger
ModelHypercoaster
Track layoutTerrain coaster
Lift/launch systemChain lift
Inversions0
Duration1:46
Max vertical angle46°
Capacity1400[1] riders per hour
G-force4.5
Phantom's Revenge at RCDB

The Phantom's Revenge is a steel roller coaster at Kennywood Park, in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh.

Ride layout

Although the first hill is only 160 feet high, the second hill drops riders 232 feet into a ravine and through the support structure for Thunderbolt. This strategic use of the park's hilly terrain is one of the coaster's distinguishing features.

Ride Elements

  • 160-foot camelback hill
  • Ravine banked turn
  • Double-up

History

Steel Phantom
Kennywood
LocationKennywood
StatusRemodeled
Opening dateMay 1991
Closing dateAfter the end of the 2000 season
Cost$4,600,000
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerArrow Dynamics
DesignerRon Toomer
Modellooping hypercoaster
Track layoutTerrain
Lift/launch systemChain lift
Inversions4
Duration2:15
Max vertical angle45°
Capacity1600 riders per hour riders per hour
G-force5.1
Steel Phantom at RCDB

The coaster was originally named The Steel Phantom, and was built in 1991 by Arrow Dynamics. It was the first hypercoaster in the world to feature inversions, but these would soon prove to be the downfall of the 1st version of the coaster. After the 2000 season, Steel Phantom underwent extensive changes by Morgan Manufacturing, most notably the removal of all of its inversions. According to Kennywood, this was done because of many riders' complaints of how rough the coaster was on their heads and necks. The modified coaster reopened for the 2001 season as the Phantom's Revenge. The Phantom's Revenge now has a top speed of 85 mph (137 km/h), putting it in a three way tie for 7th place of the world's fastest coasters, along with Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Titan at Six Flags Over Texas. It is currently ranked as the 9th best steel roller coaster in the world according to the editors of Amusement Today and is ranked as the #3 steel coaster in a survey done by NAPHA. Due to the modifications, both Morgan and Arrow types of track are on the coaster. Shortly after the end of the 2008 season, the Arrow track between the top of the lift hill and the top of the second hill where the 2001 Morgan track begins was replaced with new, matching Morgan track. As of 2009, the only remaining Arrow track to exist is the lift hill, the station track, the brake run/transfer track, and the storage track for the second train.

The signature drop through the Thunderbolt was kept for Phantom's Revenge, but was lengthened to 232 feet from 225 feet. However, the ride now passes through the Thunderbolt a second time behind the Turtle ride.

Ride timeline

During the 1991 season, Steel Phantom opened with two trains (with a yellow paint job with teal stripes) running. It was known to be one of the tallest and fastest coasters in the world. It was known that when the Steel Phantom opened, the ride sped past Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point, which had a top speed of 72 mph, having Steel Phantom at 80 mph.

During the third week of the 1991 season after the opening, a trim brake was added before the loop to slow the train down to give a better and safer ride.

During the 1994 season, Steel Phantom was filmed for the movie "America's Greatest Roller Coaster Thrills".

During the 1995 season, the second train was repainted blue with yellow stripes

During the 1996 season, the first train was repainted blue with yellow stripes. Also, since it was running throughout October, it was named as "Phantom Fright Night".

During the 1998 season, the ride ran with one train open with one as a spare and lines were often short. Guests, however, thought that the ride was too rough and considerably uncomfortable to ride.

During the 2000 season, after the final night of Phantom Fright Night 2000, Steel Phantom was permanently closed, dismantling the inversions which then became turns and airtime hills, as the park had recently received parts from the D.H. Morgan Manufacturing (where the ride went extensive changes). The trains were further retrofitted with lap bars and seatbelts, and with modified fiberglass bodies. Because the trains originally had shoulder harnesses, conventional lap bars could not be used so the lap bars had to be hinged to the side. Also, some parts of Thunderbolt had to be partially dismantled for construction of new track segments.

During the 2001, Steel Phantom was renamed to the Phantom's Revenge, and soon opened to the public with one train in operation. The second was added once several brakes were installed on the last hill in order to give the train a longer, safer brake run into the station.

Throughout later years, guests, however, are appeased that the roller coaster is very unusual and somewhat a unique ride. However, lines are also occasionally long, becoming most busy in most early afternoons, especially the summer.

For the 2009 season, the remaining track from the original Steel Phantom was replaced with Chance-Morgan Track leaving only the lift hill, brake run, and storage track with original Arrow Dynamics track.

Awards

Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters[2][3]
Year 2000* 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Ranking
19*
15
7
8
8
8
7
7
8
8
9[4]
Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Steel-Tracked Roller Coaster
Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Ranking
18
13
7
12
18
14
16
22

*At the time, the roller coaster was Steel Phantom.

NAPHA Survey: Favorite Steel Roller Coaster[5]
Year 2005 2006 2007
Ranking
4[6]
3
4
  • Phantom's first drop with original Arrow Dynamics track. The Arrow Dynamics track has been replaced as of 2009.[1]
    Phantom's first drop with original Arrow Dynamics track. The Arrow Dynamics track has been replaced as of 2009.[1]
  • Phantom's bunny hops and Turtle turn around
    Phantom's bunny hops and Turtle turn around
  • Phantom's lift hill with original Arrow track.
    Phantom's lift hill with original Arrow track.
  • Phantom behind Turtle
    Phantom behind Turtle
  • Phantom's bunny hops and station above Turtle
    Phantom's bunny hops and station above Turtle
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phantom's Revenge (Kennywood).

References

  1. ^ http://kennywood.com/attractions/ride_facts/fact_phantom.php
  2. ^ Golden Ticket Awards - Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters
  3. ^ Amusement Today
  4. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2010" (PDF). Amusement Today. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  5. ^ Survey - National Amusement Park Historical Association
  6. ^ Tied with Nitro
Preceded by World's Fastest Roller Coaster
May 1991–July 1996 		Succeeded by

40°23′21″N 79°51′58″W / 40.38917°N 79.86611°W / 40.38917; -79.86611

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