Colossus the Fire Dragon

Colossus the Fire Dragon
Colossus in April 2007
Lagoon Amusement Park
Location	Lagoon Amusement Park
Park section	South Midway
Coordinates	40°59′01″N 111°53′42″W / 40.9836°N 111.8951°W / 40.9836; -111.8951Coordinates: 40°59′01″N 111°53′42″W / 40.9836°N 111.8951°W / 40.9836; -111.8951
Status	Operating
Opening date	1983
Cost	2.5 Million
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Anton Schwarzkopf
Designer	Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH
Model	Double Looping (with additional trackway curve)
Track layout	Figure 8
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	85 ft (26 m)
Drop	81 ft (25 m)
Length	2,850 ft (870 m)
Speed	55 mph (89 km/h)
Inversions	2
Duration	1:45
Max vertical angle	60°
G-force	4.9 (Back Seat) 4.0 (Front Seat)
Height restriction	46 in (117 cm)
Trains	3 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train.
Colossus the Fire Dragon at RCDB Pictures of Colossus the Fire Dragon at RCDB

Colossus the Fire Dragon, also known as Colossus, or simply Fire Dragon, is a double-looping roller coaster by Anton Schwarzkopf that opened at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah, United States in 1983.

Description[]

An external view of Colossus, watching an empty train begin the helix segment, April 2007.

The coaster sends riders 85 feet (26 m) high up the lift hill alongside Wicked, then into a smooth 1/3 right turn. Riders get a glimpse of the Wild Mouse and the Spider roller coasters before heading into a fast, twisting plummet to the ground, then through two 65-foot (20 m) high-G vertical loops and two helix turns. The first helix turn is very large, arcing over the "bridge" or elevated part of the queue, then up and through the second loop. After that the train passes just over the station's roof, then down and around, turning diagonally between the two loops into the G-inducing helix back to the station. This helix is what some people call the 'slanted spiral' or the 'upward-downward helix,' because it turns downward, upward, then downward again at equal angles into a large turn that leads back to the station, giving the entire element a 'slanted' look.

Unique aspects[]

Colossus is one of two double looping Anton Schwarzkopf roller coasters. There were three double looping Anton Schwarzkopf roller coasters in the United States until Laser at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom closed at the end of 2008. Shockwave at Six Flags Over Texas being the first. Colossus the Fire Dragon is also unique because it has an extra curve in the helix. The coaster is located in front of Lagoon's 2007 ride, Wicked.

Safety[]

The trains have no over-the-shoulder restraints, offering more freedom for riders. To date, there have been no incidents involving riders. On June 10, 1983, a teenage employee lost her arm while working near the roller coaster.^[1]

Appearance[]

Colossus's track is blue with white supports and a yellow color scheme on the inversions. Its inversions are 2 vertical loops which are lit up with orange and yellow lights at night. The lift is also lit up with orange and yellow lights.

Colossus the Fire Dragon's trains are glittering silver & white with headlights and a decal of a green dragon on the front car; on the sides of the train there are two stripes of either green, blue, or red, depending on what train it is.

While going up the lift hill, riders can also see flags from different countries, ending with the U.S. as the train reaches the top.

Naming history[]

The roller coaster's name was actually just "Colossus" at first, but the "Fire Dragon" surname was added, so there would be no confusion between Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Colossus at Lagoon. It is still regularly referred to as simply "Colossus", as well as "Colossus, the Fire Dragon", and simply "The Fire Dragon".

Relocation[]

Colossus the Fire Dragon is a portable roller coaster, so it was fairly inexpensive (2.5 million US dollars when built) and it can be dismantled & rebuilt within a day or two, even though it is quite large. It is almost identical to the former Laser at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, except (as explained above) the Laser did not have the extra curve in the helix and its colors were purple with green supports and black top rails. Laser was also slightly taller.

It traveled on a European fair circuit for approximately two years, before Lagoon Corporation purchased the attraction. The ride was later installed at Lagoon Park in Farmington, Utah, in 1983 where the roller coaster has been located ever since.

Other notes[]

Colossus the Fire Dragon is 2,850 feet (870 m) long and has a max speed of 55 m.p.h. Its max G-force is 4.8 g. It is currently one of the most popular roller coasters at Lagoon. It has 12,000+ lights. Colossus can accommodate three trains running simultaneously, but has not done so since 1999. Currently Colossus runs a maximum of two trains when the park is busy. However, all 3 trains are used in a rotation according to maintenance schedules. The train that has accumulated the most runtime is removed to be rebuilt while the other two are running.

References[]

External links[]

Media related to Colossus the Fire Dragon at Wikimedia Commons