In an exclusive announcement through USA Today, Six Flags Fiesta Texas announced today that they will be installing the world’s first monorail roller coaster. Designed and developed by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC), this will be the first roller coaster that doesn’t rely on two rails to navigate the course. Instead, there is a single flattop beam of steel that the car will traverse, giving it an ultra smooth ride.
RMC pioneered the use of steel beams to replace the traditional stack of lumber with a thin metal strip on top found on most wooden coasters. By replacing the wood rails with steel beams, RMC was able to breathe new life into aging wooden roller coasters that were no longer fun to ride. Six Flags Over Texas was the first park to do such a conversion in 2011, transforming the Texas Giant into the world’s first hybrid (steel & wood) roller coaster known as The New Texas Giant. This new technology not only provides a much more smooth ride, but they are also able to incorporate elements into older wooden coasters that weren’t possible before, like inversions. Since then, several Six Flags parks have done hybrid conversions on older coasters, such as Wicked Cyclone, Iron Rattler, and my home park favorite, Twisted Colossus.
This latest announcement takes that technology one step further. By eliminating one of the two rails, RMC claims the rides will become even smoother as the track will never change. It should be as smooth on day 5000 as it is on day one. It also allows the designers to be more creative on their designs, as it’s easier to manipulate the track into new elements. It should also greatly reduce the expense of these roller coasters, as there is far less steel that has to be manufactured for both the track and support columns.
Oct 10, 2017 This page includes all the attractions in RollerCoaster Tycoon.
Here are some concept photos provided by Six Flags:
Here is a link to the full USA Today article:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/america/theme-parks/2017/08/03/six-flags-single-rail-wonder-woman-coaster/534583001/
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