Expedition GeForce

Expedition GeForce
Holiday Park, Germany
Coordinates	49°19′12″N 8°17′42″E / 49.320°N 8.295°ECoordinates: 49°19′12″N 8°17′42″E / 49.320°N 8.295°E
Status	Operating
Opening date	June 18, 2001
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Intamin
Designer	Werner Stengel
Height	174 ft (53 m)
Length	4,002.7 ft (1,220.0 m)
Speed	74.6 mph (120.1 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1:15
Max vertical angle	82°
Capacity	1300 riders per hour
Acceleration	680.9
G-force	4.5
Height restriction	55 in (140 cm)
Expedition GeForce at RCDB Pictures of Expedition GeForce at RCDB

Expedition GeForce is a steel roller coaster located at Holiday Park in Haßloch, Germany. It is one of the largest roller coasters in Europe and has an 82 degree first drop. The trains travel up to 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) through a course 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) long with seven periods of weightlessness. At its highest, the ride reaches 53 metres (174 ft) above ground.

Until the opening of Silver Star at Europa Park, it was the tallest roller coaster operating on the European mainland.

Ride information

The ride opened on June 18, 2001 to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of Holiday Park's operation, costing approximately €10 million. It has a maximum throughput of 1,300 riders per hour, with two 28-seater trains in operation. The track rests on 209 foundations, which are up to 20 metres deep.

It was constructed by Swiss manufacturers Intamin, which markets this type of coaster as Mega Coaster, in collaboration with German engineer Werner Stengel. Unlike many other coasters, the ride does not employ a conventional chain lift but a faster cable lift with a catch car, very similar to the system used for Millennium Force. It is one of the prebuilt rides in RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 and NoLimits.

Ride layout

From the station, the trains ascend the 188 feet (57 m) lift hill and encounter the first drop, which at 82°, makes a 74° right-hand turn. The ride continues with several large hills, which give a sensation of air-time, especially in the rear of the trains, and a number of overbanked turns, before becoming more twisted as the ride runs through woods and over a lake. Just before entering the brake run, the trains negotiate a series of bunny hops, again giving riders considerable amounts of air-time.

Vehicles

The coaster has two trains of seven cars each. Each car seats two across in two rows. The trains are stainless steel with stadium-style seating. Each seat has an individual lap bar.

Incident

On April 28, 2010 a train full of passengers came to a sudden stop when one of the cars derailed just after completing the ride's first drop. Firefighters evacuated all riders, none were seriously injured.

Rankings

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Ranking	--[1]	8[2]	3[3]	4[4]	6[5]	6[6]	6[7]	5[8]	6[9]	6[10]	7[11]	6[12]	3[13]	3[14]	3[15]

Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best steel-Tracked Roller Coaster[16]
Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Ranking	2	1	1	1	1 (tie)	2	2	3	3	2	No poll	1	1

References

1. "Top 25 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
2. "Top 25 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
3. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
4. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 18–19B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
5. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
6. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
7. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 11 (6.2): 36–37. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
8. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 12 (6.2): 36–37. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
9. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 13 (6.2): 32–33. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
10. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 14 (6.2): 34–35. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
11. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 15 (6.2): 38–39. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
12. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
13. "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
14. "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
15. "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
16. Hawker, Mitch. "Steel Roller Coaster Poll 13 Year Results Table (1999–2013)". Best Roller Coaster Poll. Retrieved April 22, 2014.

External links

• Holiday Park bigFM Expedition GeForce Official Page (English)
• Detailed Review (English)