RCCGB FORUM

coastergraham · Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:44 pm Post subject: Wood v Steel

This is the classic debate that has seen splits in coaster club opionion for many years, including me and my steelie loving wife Laughing

Do you like the feel and energy of woodern rides?

Or Do you like the elements that steel rollercoasters bring?

My vote is for woodies as to me there is nothing like flying along on a ride that literally breaths life. It moves, it makes noises, it is not smooth and it gives a different ride nearly every sinlge time.

I do love steel rollercoasters as well but give me a great woodie over a great steelie anyday
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bluea61 · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:00 pm Post subject:

I actually went for no preference here as I really enjoy both types. I have been on lots more steel coasters but thats mainly due to the lack of travelling we have done in the states. Both are good for different reasons so I will sit firmly on the fence. Very Happy

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Paul H. · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 4:41 pm Post subject:

I am in the same situation as Bluea61 but ask me again next year when we get back from the club trip to the USA.
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chewie · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:06 pm Post subject:

Thats a proper tough question to answer. No preference has to be the answer coz coming from the UK and not getting to the States as much as i'd like, i only have rode 7 wooden rollercoasters and far more steelies.

I enjoy both as much as the other, but there is something about how a wooden coaster looks. Its just much nicer to look at than tonnes of metal. Wooden coasters are almost pieces of art.
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bluea61 · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:19 am Post subject:

For an age old arguement theres a lot of people joining me on the fence!! Cool

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coastergraham · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:49 am Post subject:

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smiler · Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:53 am Post subject:

Thers one ride you missed Ryan MEGAFOBIA Laughing

Amberrider · Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 10:42 am Post subject: Re: Wood v Steel

coastergraham · Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 4:57 pm Post subject: Re: Wood v Steel

butler · Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:13 pm Post subject:

For me it has to be wood thats good. Yeah sure stell gives you height and various elements. But wood gives you so much more.

coaster-andy · Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:42 pm Post subject:

This old age debate of which is better. I have ridden a few good wooden coasters and a few good steel coasters so I sit on the fence. But that said my recent trip to Scandinavia I did get to ride a great GCII Coaster in Thunderbird. I also rood a good wooden coaster in Balder to. But that said Kirnu the ball coaster was a great steel coaster.
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STEALTHYBUTBAD · Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:23 pm Post subject:

i love woodies for the airtime and i like steelies for the loops , twists etc.
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stealth fan · Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:44 pm Post subject:

I went for no preference. I do love the rickety feel of a woodie, but also the intensity of a steelie.
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Nemesis Nick · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:09 pm Post subject:

I know this thread has been dormant, but I found it by doing a "Woodies, Steelies" search rather than starting this debate afresh.

During the Big Dipper ERS at Blackpool Bash last Sunday, I had a Gadget Show style debate with Andy Hine about woodies and steelies.

(For those of you not in the know, "The Gadget Show" is a programme on Five, which reviews gadgets. Sometimes two of its presenters Suzi Perry and Jason Bradbury have a debate e.g. plasma v LCD TVs.)

Whilst talking to Andy, I pointed at Infusion, which is a steelie. and highlighted its vertical loops and other twists (whatever they're called). I said it would surely be impossible to construct a coaster like that in wood. Of course, Andy gave me his feedback on this, in favour of woodies.

Prior to this year's Blackpool Bash, I'd only rode steelies. My first go on a woodie anywhere was two goes on Rollercoaster at BPB Saturday mid afternoon of the Blackpool Bash weekend. Following the ERSs on Grand National and Big Dipper, my experience of woodies so far (all during this year's Blackpool Bash at BPB) are as follows:
Rollercoaster 2
Grand National 4
Big Dipper 4

Quite a poor showing compared to my experience of steelies really, so I'm not really in a position to cast a vote one way or the other yet.

The last three years I've enjoyed some quite elaborate steelies:

Colossus (Thorpe Park) - lift, steep hill down, vertical loop, U-turn whilst inverted, horizontal corkscrew (or whatever it's called), about six times.
Nemesis Inferno (Thorpe Park) - downhill spiral, vertical loop, various bends.
Nemesis (Alton Towers) - vertical loop, and various other complex twists and turns.
Spinball Whizzer (Alton Towers) - that has a high u-bend, and is another rather complex structure.
Oblivion (Alton Towers) - vertical drop, then up a steep rise and around a banked u-bend.
Cobra (Paultons) - u-bends at the top.
Rage (Adventure Island) - vertical lift, beyond vertical drop, vertical loop, horizontal twists.
Big One (BPB) - really tall lift and very steep (albeit not vertical) first drop).
Infusion (BPB) - vertical lift and loads of twists etc.
Irn Bru Revolution (BPB) - vertical lift, forward/backward travel.

Could one REALLY have built any of those structures from wood? I don't think so.

From my experience of Rollercoater, Grand National and Big Dipper at BPB a week ago, woodies can only be the uphill lift, followed by a sloping drop (not too steep), and more rises and falls, plus the occasional bend. U-bends are possible, e.g. on Grand National just after Becher's Brook.

Already I have been able to spot some good points about woodies. I noticed on Rollercoaster and Grand National there was a strange sensation just after setting off, something you don't get on steelies. Someone reckoned that adds to the fun. One good thing about Big Dipper is that you get airtime going down towards the dips, the closer to the back you sit, the more you get. That's the only coaster I recall getting airtime on at BPB.

Nimmykins · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:32 pm Post subject:

It's not about what you can physically achieve with the construction, Nick, but the feeling of exhilaration while you're riding.

Many people enjoy the sensation and vibration a woodie has. From my own experience I think woodies give more AIRtime.

Yes, steel gives you inversions etc, but surely that's not the be-all and end-all of the riding experience.
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nemesis scribe · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:32 pm Post subject:

Obviously you cannot manufacture wood to produce inversions Rolling Eyes

But . . . you can manufacture wood to feel like steel . . . El Toro for example is far too smooth to be wood and therefore loses its 'wooden' feel in my humble opinion anyway.

Cool

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Sir_LANs-a-lot · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:11 am Post subject:

bluea61 · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:26 am Post subject:

Death · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:12 am Post subject:

Hail All!

Well...I'm another of those "on the fence" voters, as - To be honest - I've grown from being a Steelie to just being someone who couldn't give two hoots about what material his coasters are made of! Cool

Although on that note, I am someone who'd love to take on the engineering challenges of building a wooden coaster with elements normally found on Steelies. We've already had a loop on Son of Beast (Not that it was that well appreciated, by all accounts! Shocked

) but I'm talking about heartline rolls, barrel rolls, vertical drops etc! Twisted Evil

Also; Turning this around for a minute...I do wonder what a steel coaster built in the style of a Woodie - Complete with PTC trains and seven laminate-ish rails - Would feel like. I'd put money on such a thing giving a completely different ride to rides like Silver Star, anyway! Cool

Farewell... Twisted Evil

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JamesC · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 7:10 pm Post subject:

I prefer woodies. I used to be a steelie, but after I rode the Grand National for the first time I immediately switched! Laughing

I still love steelies, but I'd definitely prefer a park full of woodies to a park full of steelies.

bradpeet · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:11 pm Post subject:

frosty · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:56 pm Post subject:

When I recently got into coasters at BPB, soon after joining the club, I preferred wood to steel. Mainly as I did not get on with great heights, inversions and loops - but as my confidence has grown that is changing.

On the US tour 3 great woodies stand out, El Toro (superb), Phoenix (great air-time and ride) and I liked Twister (thrill's and not too jarring). After those I found the rest of the woodies on the tour to be either very rough & not that enjoyable, or a little tame in comparison to the other 3. Some steelies were a bit rough too which I found surprising - I guess age and poor maintenance takes it's toll.

However, when you have class steelies such as Phantom's revenge, Nitro, MF, Magnum XL-200, TTD & even the Great Bear (which I enjoyed) of the limited parks I have been too, it seems great steelies far out number great woodies. In terms of numbers, I'm being swayed towards steel.

After riding Lightning Racer I was of the opinion that I much preferred the Grand National, but it's been a while since I rode that so maybe I need to ride the GN again to pass fair judgement.
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Nemesis Nick · Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:18 am Post subject:

Some of you are probably aware that I have far greater experience of steelies than woodies.

Steelies
Here are all the steelies I've been on since 1998:

Coaster Name - Venue - Date First Ridden (Further Riding)

Dragon Coaster

Ski-jump Coaster

Hornet Coaster

El Pastil Loco

Colossus

Nemesis Inferno

Klondyke

AIR

Nemesis

Spinball Whizzer

The Beastie

Runaway Mine Train

Corkscrew

Oblivion

Rita

Cliffhanger

Cobra

Stinger

Flying Frog

Rage

Green Scream

Barnstormer

Mighty Mini Mega

Pepsi Max Big One

Steeplechase

Infusion

Morgan’s Circus Clown Coaster

Irn Bru Revolution

Avalanche

Big Apple

That's 30 coasters altogether. Quite a lot, really. Granted some of them are rather tame family coasters. Of those, the real thrill seekers' monsters are Colossus, Nemesis Inferno, AIR, Nemesis, Spinball Whizzer, Corkscrew, Oblivion, Rita, Cobra, Rage, Pepsi Max Big One, Steeplechase, Infusion, Irn Bru Revolution and Avalanche (that's 15 of them altogether).

Woodies
On the other hand, my experience of woodies is much more limited. So far I've only been on four woodies, and notice that they were all last year (2008). As you can see, three of those are at Blackpool Pleasure Beach; I rode those at last year's Blackpool Bash.

Coaster Name - Venue - Date First Ridden

Rollercoaster

Grand National

Big Dipper

Roller Coaster

As you know, Wild Mouse was closed during last year's Blackpool Bash, so unfortunately I wasn't able to give that a try. Also I forgot to ride Zipper Dipper (when I could have), as I didn't realise it was there. I wish I had gone on it now, then at least that would have been one more on my list of woodies.

Quite a poor showing really, compared to my experience of riding steelies. Therefore, I still don't think I'm in a position to make a fair judgement on whether I prefer woodies or steelies.

I suppose part of the problem is that there are so few woodies in the UK. These days, whenever anywhere builds a new roller coaster, it's almost sure to be a steelie. When I visited Flambards during my holiday in Cornwall last year (10 June 2008), I asked a ride attendant if they had plans to build a wooden coaster there. He said "No, they cost too much to maintain".

It's such a shame that Cyclone 1937 wooden roller coaster at Pleasureland Southport was demolished. How sad. The last thing the UK could afford was to lose another woodie. Now I'll never get to ride that one.

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Nemesis Nick · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 1:25 pm Post subject:

c anderson · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:39 pm Post subject:

All the coasters Ryan listed are in the USA except Meggy. Get on down to Wales, Oakwood for a great time. Ryan has riden Meggy one or two times (multiply that by a thousand) which shows what a great ride it is.
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Nemesis Nick · Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 8:46 am Post subject:

Auntie Murial · Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:00 am Post subject:

Yes Meggy is Megafoba's little nickname Smile

You need to get yourself to Drayton Manor Park in Tamworth, West Midlands.

They have two big coaters and two small coasters, along with a great selection of water rides and flat rides too.

There Coasters are :

Shockwave - Europes only Stand Up Roller Coaster by Intamin

Ge-Force - A maurer Sohne X Car Coaster

Troublesome Trucks - A family Gerstlauer Coaster

Buffalo Stampede - A funky Family Coaster ( Powered ) I think was made by Zamperla, but i could be wrong

Hope this helps

Ianto

STEALTHYBUTBAD · Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:26 pm Post subject:

im with steve ! i like both types of coasters ! Razz

Nemesis Nick · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject:

Now that I've attended SAW-Ted at Thorpe Park in March, and the 2009 Blackpool Bash, I have a few extra coasters to add to my collection.

Steel: Saw: The Ride - Thorpe Park (rode this at SAW-Ted The Trip, pity I only had one go in the ERS due to having to leave to head back to Staines for my train home); Crazy Mouse (South Pier in Blackpool, rode it Sunday around midday having left Pleasure Beach at the end of the ERS).

Wood: Zipper Dipper and Wild Mouse at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Blackpool Bash).

Also during both trips, I re-rode coasters I'd already been on. I still feel gutted I didn't notice Flying Fish was at Thorpe Park, so missed out on that, and that Stealth was out of action all day during the Club trip there in March (so I missed out on that too).

So here's my coaster list updated:

Steelies
Here are all the steelies I've been on since 1998:

Coaster Name - Venue - Date First Ridden (Further Riding)

Dragon Coaster

Ski-jump Coaster

Hornet Coaster

El Pastil Loco

Colossus

Nemesis Inferno

Klondyke

AIR

Nemesis

Spinball Whizzer

The Beastie

Runaway Mine Train

Corkscrew

Oblivion

Rita

Cliffhanger

Cobra

Stinger

Flying Frog

Rage

Green Scream

Barnstormer

Mighty Mini Mega

Pepsi Max Big One

Steeplechase

Infusion

Morgan’s Circus Clown Coaster

Irn Bru Revolution

Avalanche

Big Apple

Saw-The Ride

Crazy Mouse

Total 32 steel coasters altogether.

Woodies
My experience of woodies is still very limited by comparison:

Coaster Name - Venue - Date First Ridden

Rollercoaster

Grand National

Big Dipper

Roller Coaster

Zipper Dipper

Wild Mouse

Total 6 wooden coasters altogether, not many compared to steel.

Thus with 6 woodies up against 32 steelies, am I still not in a position to make a fair judgement? That's why I've yet to cast my vote.

krusty_the_clown · Site Admin Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Posts: 317

thoses of you on the USA trip will be able to experience Superman Ride of Steel (Bizzaro) at 6F New England. You will have no doubt that it is the number one coaster on the planet! Wink

Magic · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 4:52 pm Post subject:

krusty_the_clown · Site Admin Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Posts: 317

Andy Hine MBE · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 7:05 pm Post subject:

The RCCGB trip to America in June 2011 is going to be called:-

"USA 2011 ~ SHAKE, RATTLER & ROLL"

The 2010 mini-trip taking place in July is going to be called:-

"USA 2010 ~ HOT TRACKS TOUR" (cos it's in July and the coaster tracks will be hotter! haha!) The logo is fab!

Very Happy

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Nemesis Nick · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 7:11 pm Post subject:

krusty_the_clown · Site Admin Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Posts: 317

frosty · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 7:27 pm Post subject:

frosty · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 7:33 pm Post subject:

Magic · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 8:46 pm Post subject:

Steven Burns · Strata Poster Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Posts: 1777

For money reasons and the fact Ive done all the parks in next years tour i'm gonna give 2010 a year off to recover from 4 years of saving. But I'm already twinging at 2011 lol.

My idea USA targets are now Texas, Vegas and California.
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Magic · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 8:51 pm Post subject:

Andy Hine MBE · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 8:57 pm Post subject:

I won't be changing my top list - PHOENIX will always be number 1! Very Happy

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Magic · Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 9:01 pm Post subject:

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Wildthing · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 11:35 am Post subject:

Ryan, I think the beer has got to your head. Rattler is on the 2011 trip NOT 2010, keep taking the pills(headache ones may help!!) Very Happy

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sueysue · Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 4:12 pm Post subject:

Yay! Texas and Rattler - cool. Welsh takeover of the front row!!
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