Colossus saw quite a bit of Germany over the next year or so. Robrahn & Bruch debuted the new Colossus in June 1981 at the Sterkrader Fronleichnamskirmes, an annual fair celebrating the Feast of Corpus Christi, in Oberhausen, Germany. There are actually thousands of different festivals celebrated every year in Germany and many of them include rides that are moved from city to city. Germany is famous for its festivals like Oktoberfest and the Christmas markets. It was named Colossus and was purchased by the German traveling showmen company of Robrahn & Bruch. One of which was the Doppel-Looping model (German for double-looping).² One version of Doppel-Looping had an extra helix at the end. Schwarzkopf’s company produced its own transportable looping coasters in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Photo of Colossus in Germany from a Schwarzkopf catalog. Schwarzkopf’s first double-looping coaster, Shock Wave, was created for Six Flags Over Texas in 1978.¹ A COLOSSUS IS BORN IN GERMANY For example, it was Stengel’s clothoid-shaped loop that made looping coasters smoother and more comfortable.Īfter designing the aforementioned Revolution for Intamin in 1976, Schwarzkopf started to develop looping coasters for his own company to manufacture.

But structural engineer Werner Stengel was also a big part of Schwarzkopf’s success. According to a German documentary, he never took vacations and was involved in every aspect of a ride’s creation, even down to the signage. Schwarzkopf had been designing flat rides since the ’50s and he developed his first roller coaster in 1964. The first vertical loop was introduced the following year on the Great American Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain – a ride designed by Anton Schwarzkopf of Germany. The first steel coaster to take riders upside-down was The Corkscrew at Knott’s Berry Farm in 1975. This innovation sparked a roller coaster renaissance.

Designed by Arrow Development, the Matterhorn Bobsleds were the first to use a tubular steel track and nylon wheels allowing for smoother rides and more daring track designs. The industry stagnated until 1959 when Disneyland’s Matterhorn turned the tide. But after the Great Depression and World War II, fewer and fewer coasters were being built and many were torn down. Roller coasters were a booming business in the 1920s.

Hourly Ride Capacity: 1,600 people per hour Ride Model: Doppel Looping with Additional Trackway Curve Manufactured By: Schwarzkopf – Münsterhausen, Germany Colossus / The Colossal Fire Dragonĭesigned By: Ingenieur Büro Stengel – Munich, Germany

Corpus colossus