Theme Park Life - For the Enthusiast in You

Wood or Steel?

I know it’s a really simple question but which do you prefer? For me it’s a tough one but which is better for a park to go for? In this article, I’m going to try and bring across the decisions some parks have to make.

Let’s start with the good old wooden coaster.

The Good Stuff

• It looks stunning, there is nothing that compares to the photogenic appeal of a wooden coaster. Its thick structure and lattice work really stand out in any park.
• The sound. These beasts rocket the noise levels to really give that growl as it whizzes by at breakneck speeds, impressing onlooking guests.
• Wooden roller coasters usually have a very good throughput and can easily cope with large volumes of people and can accommodate large trains.
• Experience is definitely the best thing about a Woodie. It’s often rough and aggressive ride make it all the more intense and really give a truly WILD ride.

The Bad Bits

• Ouch! Even the smallest of woodie’s can break the bank and need a lot of specialised construction work and assembly to get them running.
• Being made of wood, the layout can sometimes be limited and inversions are made uncomfortable by the nature of the rides forces, thus the main layout being the classical out and back style which for a good coaster can be demanding in space.
• The noise. Although for guests is great, the rattling of the trains is unwanted noise for theme parks in residential areas and can often sway the park in making their decision.
• These giant lattice structures need major maintenance and the tracks must be walked every day for inspection, once again costing the park a fortune.

On to the Steel Coasters

The Good Stuff

• Steel coasters can be cheap, compact and quicker to install than a giant wooden structure.
• Their layouts can be much more complex with multiple inversions, steep drops or fast launches or even a combination of all!
• Personally (depending on manufacturer) I feel they are much quieter and precautions can be taken to reduce the noise of the train and the rattle of the track.
• Theming is often much more apparent on a steel coaster.

The Bad Bits

• Most steel coasters, especially launch coasters are expensive to run. After all, generating all that power doesn’t come from no where.
• Steel Coasters can often look ugly once they begin to rust if they are not themed and can quickly become and eyesore if not maintained appropriately.
• Parks often opt for off the shelf, standard designs which are often cheaper but they have less appeal. Parks are always trying to get ahead of each other but technology is not developing quickly enough to keep this going, whereas it is hard to find a ‘cloned’ wooden coaster.

In conclusion, both forms of coasters have their positives and negatives. Wooden coasters are not really suited for small parks due to their maintanence costs but steel coasters are not as visually appealing, although they are generally cheaper to install.