Titan (roller coaster)

Titan
Six Flags Over Texas
Park section	Texas
Coordinates	32°45′20″N 97°04′27″W / 32.75563°N 97.07423°WCoordinates: 32°45′20″N 97°04′27″W / 32.75563°N 97.07423°W
Status	Operating
Opening date	April 27, 2001
Cost	$25,000,000
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Giovanola
Designer	Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmgH
Model	Mega Coaster
Track layout	Out and Back
Lift/launch system	Chain Lift
Height	245 ft (75 m)
Drop	255 ft (78 m)
Length	5,312 ft (1,619 m)
Speed	85 mph (137 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	3:30
Max vertical angle	65°
Capacity	1,600 riders per hour
G-force	4.5
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	3 trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 30 riders per train.
Flash Pass Available
Titan at RCDB Pictures of Titan at RCDB

Titan is a steel hyper coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. Unlike most hypercoasters, Titan is a combination of an out and back roller coaster and a twister roller coaster. It stands at 245 feet and contains a 255 drop.^[1]

History

Six Flags Over Texas had plans to add a hypercoaster to the park for several years. An early proposal from Arrow Dynamics showed a hypercoaster over the park's reservoir next to Judge Roy Scream. In August 2000, Six Flags Over Texas announced plans to build a new steel roller coaster for the park's 40th anniversary. Although no statistics were revealed, information that was released confirmed Giovanola as the manufacturer, that the new coaster would be similar to Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain and that it would be built in the Texas section of the park.^[2] As survey markers began to appear in September it became clear that the new coaster would extend from the Texas section to the employee cantina, pool and softball fields then out into the parking lot. By the time the official announcement was made on November 14, 2000, the employee areas had been demolished, excavation had already begun and teal-colored supports were stacked in the parking lot. Construction of the ride was completed in March 2001 and testing began in early April. A media preview was held on April 26, 2001 and the coaster opened to the public the following day.^[2]

Ride experience and facts

The lift hill

Titan begins with a slow U-turn out of the station then a climbs up a 245-foot (75 m) hill. At the crest of the hill the train drops 255-foot (78 m) into a 120-foot (37 m) underground tunnel. Immediately after the tunnel, riders are taken through a large turnaround. Following the turnaround, riders encounter a large camel back that provides significant airtime. The train subsequently enters an uphill 540 degree helix which leads to the mid-course brake run (In contrast to Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain, which simply banks to the left into the brake run). Next, trains maneuver an overbanked turn, followed by the 2nd, downhill, 540 degree helix with a camera installed for souvenir photos. Afterwards, the trains navigate an over-banked turn to the left and then another to the right. After this, the trains hit the final brake run and reenter the station.^[2]

During the summer months, as the train rolls into to the station, a cloud of mist can be seen under the train. Owing to problems with the wheels on the trains overheating, water is sprayed on the wheel assembly to help cool down the wheels after the train completes the course.^[3]

Titan's supports used 2.8 million pounds of steel to manufacture.^[4] When it was built, Titan was the longest roller coaster ever to be built at a Six Flags park.

Titan operates with up to three trains, each with five cars holding three rows of two riders for a total of 30 riders per train. The three trains are colored red, orange, and yellow. It will usually run only two trains on slow days, with the unused train stored in the train's storage shed (the train that is unused from day to day is swapped out on a regular basis).

Similar rides

Titan is almost identical to Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Goliath, however, is about 10 feet lower than Titan (Goliath's drop, like Titan's, is still an altitude change of 255 feet, meaning that Goliath's tunnel is 20 feet lower below ground level than Titan's). Most of the track layout is the same between both rides, with the primary difference being the lead-in to the midcourse brake run. Titan goes through a counterclockwise 540° upward helix while Goliath simply banks left into the brake run.

Titan incidents

Titan has been known for occasionally causing blackouts or grayouts in the helices. Some riders have complained about headaches caused by sections of the course. Most of these incidents occur during the summer when riders are dehydrated due to the extreme Texas sun. Because of the complaints about the G-forces given during the second helix, the train is severely braked at the mid course block brake, almost to the point of stopping.^[5] Park Policy prohibits re-rides due to the extreme G-forces. Riders must always exit the ride and station before boarding the coaster for subsequent rides. A shortcut leads from the exit back to the stairs at the entrance to the station, so those wanting to reride are not required to walk the entire queue. This can result in as little as five minutes or less between rides on a slow day.

Rankings

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Ranking	21[6]	23[7]	27[8]	25[9]	34 (tied)[10]	27[11]	26[12]	24[13]	37[14]	42[15]	25[16]	36[17]	42 (tied)[18]

References

1. "Record Holders". Retrieved 17 January 2013.
2. Ross, Jeremy (2001). "There's a New Giant in Town". RollerCoaster! Magazine. Vol. 22 no. 4. Mission, Kansas: American Coaster Enthusiasts. pp. 12–16. ISSN 0896-7261.
3. Pictures of Titan, CoasterGallery.com
4. Official Page
5. http://www.guidetosfot.com/attractions/coasters/titan/
6. "Top 25 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
7. "Top 25 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
8. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
9. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 18–19B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
10. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
11. "Top 50 steel roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
12. "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 8, 2013.
13. "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 8, 2013.
14. "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 8, 2013.
15. "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 8, 2013.
16. "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 8, 2013.
17. "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 8, 2013.
18. "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 8, 2013.

External links

• Titan's Official Page From Six Flags Over Texas
• POV Video of Titan