Magnum XL-200 is steel hypercoaster, manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Built in 1989, it was the first complete circuit roller coaster to break the 200-foot (61 m) barrier. It is considered to have started the roller coaster wars, in which amusement parks competed to build the highest and fastest roller coasters.[1]
Ride Experience[][2][3] Magnum's entrance signThe queue line is located in a shaded area, surrounded by shrubs and trees. Wait times for Magnum XL-200 do not typically surpass 20 minutes, which can be attributed to the ride's high capacity. The queue area is filled with signs listing facts about the ride. The area is typically filled with music from the 1980s, staying true to the decade it debuted. The station has changed very little from its original appearance. Magnum XL-200 operated with an all female crew in its initial season and remained that way until recently. Magnum XL-200 is classified a hypercoaster as well as an out and back roller coaster: the first three hills take riders out (away from the station). After a high-speed pretzel turn, the train then races back through a series of tunnels and small airtime hills. Airtime (the feeling of extreme negative g forces) is considered to be the highlight element of the ride. The 3rd hill of the ride has been reported to give its riders the feeling of weightlessness for almost 5 seconds. Magnum XL-200 was also Cedar Point's first coaster to utilize a picture-taking technique to capture the reactions of the ride's occupants. The camera is located just outside one of the tunnels on the return. Details[][4][5] Magnum XL-200's lift hillWhen Magnum XL-200 opened, it did not have up-stop wheels. Instead, it used pads, similar to those used on Gemini (in fact, Gemini still uses the up-stop pads). Shortly after its debut, however, regular, more-traditional up-stop wheels were added to the trains.[2] Cedar Fair, LP CEO Dick Kinzel has been quoted as saying he was one of the few to ride Magnum XL-200's first train, boarding the train after only one test cycle. Over its entire history, Magnum has only been repainted once. The original color was scarlet red. Painting to moly orange started in 2005 and was completed in 2006; hence, for a period of time, Magnum operated with two different colors.[3] The name Magnum stems from the Latin root for large.[4] Magnum XL-200 has been the target of false rumors claiming that the structure was sinking due to unstable ground and that plans were to disassemble the ride and sell it to either a Japanese theme park, or a Six Flags park. This rumor supposedly started as an April Fools Day joke in an Ohio newspaper, but quickly spread via the Internet. Cedar Point has quickly denounced such rumors.[5] Accident[][6][7] Magnum's Ace Landmark signOn May 26, 2007 one of the coaster's trains collided with another at less than 10 miles per hour (16 km/h), causing minor damage to both trains and minor injuries to at least three passengers. Two people were taken to a First Aid Station, and a third person was taken to a local hospital because of an asthma attack. Fifty-nine people were aboard the two trains. The ride reopened the next day, on May 27, and park spokesman Robin Innes said the accident was caused by rain: "We think it was just caused by excessive moisture on the tracks due to the heavy rain storms we had in the morning".[6] Awards and rankings[]Magnum XL-200 is classified as an ACE Coaster Landmark.[7]
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Magnum XL-200
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