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1990 Arrow Dynamics announces the 'Pipeline Coaster'


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ARROWPipeline Coaster

Now here is a find. This bit of information comes from a newsletter that Arrow Dynamics used to publish for the industry. After the so-called success of the first suspended coaster Arrow Dynamics came up with this masterpiece, "The Pipeline Coaster"

 

I remember there was much interest for this ride. And every year at the IAAPA convention Arrow really tried to push the ride. They had the actual train on display for a couple of years.

 

I was one of the few lucky ones to be able to ride the prototype at the Arrow plant in Utah. I don't remember much about that ride except that there was not a lift. By way of a giant crane they lifted a section of track to the start position then released the train. It then went into a rollover and dove strait to the ground, then back up, at the top you were upside down in the hang position again until it hit another rollover which returned you rightside up again.

 

I remember it was a pretty smooth so I guess they got the heartline engineering somewhat right, but it was uncomfortable when the trains rolled over and you just hung from the restraints until gravity held you to your seat as you came to the bottom of the drop.

 

Enjoy the reading on this infamous ride that never was.

 

Shane

 

PS. If you love looking at old nostalgic amusement park stuff check out my thread that is dedicated to all the old parks, rides and fun stuff of the past. I will be updating it with old stuff every now and again so check back often.

 

Shane's Amusement Attic

 

Here's a POV of the Arrow Pipeline from Coastertube.

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=PipelinePOV[/coastertube] According to COASTER-net, Morey's Piers in Wildwood was going to get one, too.

1592654068_pipeline1.jpg.228ae5c00a8129c6636892d48bfd84b8.jpg

Here the train dives straight down to the ground. This whole element looks like the B&M Pretzel loop on their flying coasters.

1969746424_pipeline3.jpg.29961d664bfef446a8524448cf3f7f18.jpg

Hang Time, the sensation was similar to that funky dive loop on the Manhattan Express, I mean "the Roller Coaster at New York, New York".

1954877058_pipeline2.jpg.23c39362773dc727690ff0bbfb81c7dd.jpg

Here you can see where the train has just come off the start platform and begins its complete roll over to the upside down position before it dives to the ground.

291123047_arrowpipeline.thumb.jpg.260814bbb2d0fc74bf6dbb2c5117df74.jpg

466557033_trendsetter.jpg.eb7cb4d9c3fa9d63c9d93f9c0753bafb.jpg

Arrow now introduces the next generation in coaster technology with the Pipeline.

Edited by ernierocker
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This is really interesting. Appears quite fun too.

You sure do have a library of these rollercoaster related tid-bits (the ads, Opryland, this, there's others too).

The coaster in the picture I'm assuming is the prototype at a factory?

Well, it's too bad not many of these were built. They don't look painful at least, maybe not offering the most amazing thrill, but they certainly look like they could have packed a punch.

Looks like this is where the pipeline coaster for RCT comes from.

And didn't INTAMIN offer their own version of this ride too?

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^ well I guess the roll-over element was kind of like Viper's but the ride was actually more like Ultra Twister, in that the track and the wheels of the vehicle were about where your shoulders would be and the train rode in between the rails.

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this type never went into production did it?

It did.

 

Arrow built a few prototypes at their Utah facility.

 

Alton Towers in the early 1990's attempted twice to build Arrow's Pipeline. SW1 and SW2 were the code names. IIRC, SW1 was shot down due to money or the Alton locals, SW2 because of Nemesis. The second time around was partially built though.

 

Another great retro scan, montezooma! I love reading your stuff.

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From the pictures, the prototype seems extremely rough and uncomfortable (due to the sharp turns and sudden maneuver changes; it reminds me of some Togo's I've ridden in Japan) which might be a reason why no models of this coaster were ever built.

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From the pictures, the prototype seems extremely rough and uncomfortable (due to the sharp turns and sudden maneuver changes; it reminds me of some Togo's I've ridden in Japan) which might be a reason why no models of this coaster were ever built.

 

That can't be extremely rough. It probably takes those elements slowly so I think that the real reason none were built (except Intamin's rip-off) didn't have to do with roughness.

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From the pictures, the prototype seems extremely rough and uncomfortable (due to the sharp turns and sudden maneuver changes; it reminds me of some Togo's I've ridden in Japan) which might be a reason why no models of this coaster were ever built.

 

From what I remember that ride was very smooth, like I said before the painful part of the ride was hanging from the restraints. Another problem they had with the ride was the load and unload process, although compared to something like X it was simple. But back in those days if it wasn't quick in quick out it was unacceptable.

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I haven't been on the boards for a long time and when I copme back these great threads pop up...

 

Thank you for this.

 

Somewhere in a box in the attic, I have an old promo reel from Arrow, showing thoer line up of coasters at the time.

 

Plus some old footage of the bat running, if I ever find it again, I'll let someone here know and maybe we can get permission to post the footage online.

 

Ed

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If I remember correctly, Randy Giesler (ACE's president in the early '90s) got to take a spin on the Arrow prototype and said it was an enjoyable ride and it had potential.

 

I guess TOGO's Ultra Twister is more or less the same thing.

 

Eric

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Check out these other crazy Arrow ideas.

 

The first one is the model of the inversion for the suspended coaster. They had a working model that dropped the train into the inversion. It looked cool, but I think the model was as far as it ever got.

 

The second is just a variation on their suspended train. Arrow came up with this idea long before it made its way on the the Vekoma Invertigo.

 

Third is Arrow's concept for their bobsled coaster. The vehicles where on a separate pair of rails that rode perpendicular to the actual track. This allowed the trains to move up and down the bobsled trough while always staying safely on a track.

 

The last pictures is one of my all time favorites. It is a picture of me with the all time great coaster creator Anton Schwarzkopf. Can I count that as some kind of credit????

Schwarzkopf.jpg.386875d7c398403342a8dcc93febe0cc.jpg

Anton Schwarzkopf and me (in my awkward stage) at the 1979 IAAPA convention.

1316745867_ArrowBobsled.jpg.baeb66e9222cb32b7db1a98828fe6ef0.jpg

I can't imagine that this concept got further than this static model.

803513768_suspendedtrainbackwards.jpg.f32ff37128cce191890ba017949bfa8b.jpg

Is this where Vekoma got the idea for the trains on Invertigo? They were always ripping off Arrow ideas.

1763160835_Suspendedmodel.jpg.fab9792d9b5cbe227c5bec2fe48ee8c6.jpg

I have seen a video on youtube.com of this ride actually working.

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I always wondered what it would be like to ride a suspended coaster sitting backwards. SFAW turned around some of the cars on XLR-8, but, as I've said, I never rode that, so I missed out.

 

Imagine Ninja at SFMM doing something like that for Fright Fest.

 

Eric

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