Leviathan (roller coaster)
Encyclopedia
Leviathan is a steel
giga coaster currently under construction at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan
, Ontario
, Canada
It will be the first giga coaster (a roller coaster between 300 and 400 ft (91.4 and 121.9 m) tall) made by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard
. At 5486 feet (1,672.1 m) long, 306 feet (93.3 m) tall, and with a top speed of 92 miles per hour (148.1 km/h), Leviathan will be the tallest and fastest coaster in Canada. Leviathan will also be ranked as the seventh tallest, and the eighth fastest in the world when it opens in 2012. It will become Canada's Wonderland's 16th roller coaster. Leviathan will be a larger cousin to the existing Behemoth
roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland.
and the Go Karts. On 28 July 2011, Canada's Wonderland launched a teaser website through their Facebook page. The website featured a countdown clock to 18 August 2011, at . The website also featured a series of quotes from online theme park reporters as well as Cedar Fair's CEO. Quotes included: "If I ride only one ride in 2012, this is the one!"; "This is the one I've been waiting for!" and "We have always loved breaking records. Congratulations, Wonderland!". In early August 2011, it was discovered that the ride would be manufacturered by Bolliger & Mabillard
after parts started to arrive on site.
Leviathan was officially announced by Canada's Wonderland at on 18 August 2011. It was announced live on Breakfast Television Toronto, during Citytv Day at the park.
Beginning during the week of September 11, 2011, Leviathan's break-run and station portions of track were put into place. As of September 27, 2011, the brake-run and station portion of the track has been completed.
On Canada's Wonderland's blog, the park stated that as of September 27, 2011, 55% of the footers have been completed and the bottom of the lift will begin to be put into place throughout the week.
As of October 2, 2011, the "tree island" infront of the main entrance to the park has been blocked off to the public to allow construction for the hammerhead section of the roller coaster to begin.
As of October 13, 2011, 70% of the footers have been complete. The transfer track and maintenance bay structures were installed and the fifth section of the lift was installed.
On October 17, 2011, the second support for Leviathan's lift hill was put into place. The next day (October 18, 2011), standing at 120 feet long, the coasters longest and heaviest lift hill track piece was installed.
As of October 21, 2011, the track leading out of the first drop has been installed. Unlike many other roller coasters, Leviathan's first drop will be installed starting at the bottom leading to the top where it will be connected with the top of the lift.
On November 18, 2011, the lift hill and drop were finished and the over bank turn is nearing completion.
and into the station
.
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
giga coaster currently under construction at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan
Vaughan, Ontario
Vaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
It will be the first giga coaster (a roller coaster between 300 and 400 ft (91.4 and 121.9 m) tall) made by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
. At 5486 feet (1,672.1 m) long, 306 feet (93.3 m) tall, and with a top speed of 92 miles per hour (148.1 km/h), Leviathan will be the tallest and fastest coaster in Canada. Leviathan will also be ranked as the seventh tallest, and the eighth fastest in the world when it opens in 2012. It will become Canada's Wonderland's 16th roller coaster. Leviathan will be a larger cousin to the existing Behemoth
Behemoth (roller coaster)
Behemoth is a steel roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. It is a Hyper Coaster designed and developed by Swiss manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard. Behemoth is currently the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Canada...
roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland.
History
First speculation for a new roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland began in early 2011 when construction work started to begin around Dragon FireDragon Fire (roller coaster)
Dragon Fire is a steel roller coaster located at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. It was manufactured in 1980, but it was opened when the park made its debut in 1981 under the name Dragon Fyre until it was later renamed. It was one of the four original coasters at Canada's...
and the Go Karts. On 28 July 2011, Canada's Wonderland launched a teaser website through their Facebook page. The website featured a countdown clock to 18 August 2011, at . The website also featured a series of quotes from online theme park reporters as well as Cedar Fair's CEO. Quotes included: "If I ride only one ride in 2012, this is the one!"; "This is the one I've been waiting for!" and "We have always loved breaking records. Congratulations, Wonderland!". In early August 2011, it was discovered that the ride would be manufacturered by Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
after parts started to arrive on site.
Leviathan was officially announced by Canada's Wonderland at on 18 August 2011. It was announced live on Breakfast Television Toronto, during Citytv Day at the park.
| Milestone | Date Completed |
|---|---|
| Station & Brake Run | September 27, 2011 |
| Transfer and Storage Track | October 14, 2011 |
| Footings | November, 18, 2011 |
| Lift Hill | November, 18, 2011 |
| First Drop | November, 18, 2011 |
| Overbanked Turn | |
| First High Speed Curve | |
| First Camelback | |
| Overbanked Hammerhead Turn | |
| Second High Speed Curve | |
| Second Camelback | |
| Finished | |
| Testing | |
| Opened |
Beginning during the week of September 11, 2011, Leviathan's break-run and station portions of track were put into place. As of September 27, 2011, the brake-run and station portion of the track has been completed.
On Canada's Wonderland's blog, the park stated that as of September 27, 2011, 55% of the footers have been completed and the bottom of the lift will begin to be put into place throughout the week.
As of October 2, 2011, the "tree island" infront of the main entrance to the park has been blocked off to the public to allow construction for the hammerhead section of the roller coaster to begin.
As of October 13, 2011, 70% of the footers have been complete. The transfer track and maintenance bay structures were installed and the fifth section of the lift was installed.
On October 17, 2011, the second support for Leviathan's lift hill was put into place. The next day (October 18, 2011), standing at 120 feet long, the coasters longest and heaviest lift hill track piece was installed.
As of October 21, 2011, the track leading out of the first drop has been installed. Unlike many other roller coasters, Leviathan's first drop will be installed starting at the bottom leading to the top where it will be connected with the top of the lift.
On November 18, 2011, the lift hill and drop were finished and the over bank turn is nearing completion.
Characteristics
Trains
Leviathan will operate with three open-air steel and fiberglass trains that each feature eight cars with four seats per car. The cars will be styled after B&M's traditional hyper coaster cars, however they will feature a refined seat style. Each train will seat 32 riders.Track
The steel track of Leviathan is 5486 feet (1,672.1 m) long in length and the height of the lift is approximately 306 feet (93.3 m). The angle of the first descent is approximately 80 degrees. Unlike other giga coasters, B&M's giga coaster will only use a single standard chain for the lift hill. The chain will also return within the track to the bottom of the lift hill.Experience
Leviathan will be Bolliger & Mabillard's first giga coaster and its tallest roller coaster to date. One cycle of the ride is expected to last 3 minutes and 28 seconds.Ride layout
After departing from the station, the train will then immediately begin to climb the chain lift hill. Once the train reaches the top of the 306 feet (93.3 m) lift, the train drops back down to the ground on a 80 degree angle reaching speeds of up to 92 miles per hour (41.1 m/s). Following the first drop, the track will curve upwards into a 164 feet (50 m)-tall overbanked banked turn to the right before dropping again and racing through a sweeping high-speed turn to the left at approximately 76 miles per hour (34 m/s). The exit of the first high speed turn will lead directly into a 183 feet (55.8 m)-tall camelback, followed by a 147 feet (44.8 m)-tall, 115 degree hammerhead turn. Both of these elements will exist above the guest parking lot and in front of the main entrance of the park. After exiting the hammerhead turn, the train will enter a second high-speed curve this time at a speed of approximately 60 miles per hour (26.8 m/s). Then, the train will traverse a smaller, 124 feet (37.8 m)-tall camelback leading towards the final element of the ride, a third high-speed turn. The turn will bend to the left and lead directly into the brake runBrake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed...
and into the station
Station (roller coaster)
A roller coaster's station is where the passengers board and alight from the trains. The station houses the coaster's control panel, and has devices for moving the trains in and out of the station and holding them in position, as well as devices for locking and unlocking the restraints and devices...
.