Vuoristorata

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Vuoristorata
Linnanmäki Vuoristorata.jpg
Linnanmäki
LocationLinnanmäki
Coordinates60°11′19″N 24°56′30″E / 60.18861°N 24.94167°E / 60.18861; 24.94167Coordinates: 60°11′19″N 24°56′30″E / 60.18861°N 24.94167°E / 60.18861; 24.94167
StatusOperating
Opening date13 July 1951; 70 years ago (1951-07-13)
Cost48 million FIM (1951);[1]
1.62 million EUR (in 2021 euros, inflation-adjusted)[2]
General statistics
TypeWood – Side friction
ManufacturerLinnanmäki, led by Svend Jarlström
DesignerValdemar Lebech[3]
Lift/launch systemCable lift hill
Height24 m (79 ft)
Length960 m (3,150 ft)
Speed60 km/h (37 mph)
Inversions0
Duration2:15[4]
Capacity1,320 riders per hour
Height restriction140 cm (4 ft 7 in)
Trains4 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows, except for the brakeman's car at the back in 2 rows, for a total of 22 riders per train.
Vuoristorata at RCDB
Pictures of Vuoristorata at RCDB

Vuoristorata is a classic wooden roller coaster located at the Linnanmäki amusement park in Helsinki, Finland. It was built in the winter of 1950 by Linnanmäki's staff on the basis of drawings by the Danish builder Valdemar Lebech.[3] The construction work was led by the Danish ride operator Svend Jarlström, who at the time owned most of Linnanmäki's rides.[5] Vuoristorata was opened on 13 July 1951, and at the time, was the largest roller coaster in the Nordic countries.[6] Expected to last up to 15 years, it was originally designed as a temporary attraction for the amusement park, opened in 1950.[1] One of the main reasons for its construction was to attract tourists from the 1952 Summer Olympics held in the city. Since then, its temporary status was renewed for extended periods, until it was eventually regarded as a permanent structure.

Vuoristorata as seen from the Panoraama gyro tower

Since its opening in 1951, Vuoristorata has been the most popular ride at Linnanmäki every year. It is the most famous amusement ride in Finland, and a symbol of the Linnanmäki park; even the old park logo had a shape representing the ascents and descents of Vuoristorata. Vuoristorata has never had a name other than the common noun used for roller coasters; Vuoristorata simply means "roller coaster" in Finnish (lit. vuoristo = mountain range, rata = track; mountain range track).

Vuoristorata is notable for being the last built roller coaster in the world to use side friction technology. It is a copy of another roller coaster, Rutschebanen, opened in 1932 at Dyrehavsbakken in Denmark. Valdemar Lebech, who designed both of these and a few other tracks, simply took the original blueprints of Rutschebanen, which had been downscaled due to changes in location, and designed Vuoristorata. Back in the 1950s, Rutschebanen and Vuoristorata were the two tallest roller coasters in Europe; Vuoristorata is slightly taller and longer of the two.[5]

Vuoristorata is one of only seven roller coasters in the world that are still operated by brakemen, including five others in Europe and one in Australia.[7] From June 2021, Linnanmäki has switched to gender-neutral job titles, as a result of which the former title "brakeman" (Finnish: jarrumies) is now called the "brakemaster" (jarrumestari).[8][4] During the 2021 season, 16 people worked as brakemasters, including one female.[9]

Over the decades, Vuoristorata has been carefully maintained. To ensure safety, all the wooden parts have been gradually replaced at least five times.[10] All that remains of the original structure from the 1950s are the oak-framed wooden cars.[11] In order to preserve the original layout, subsequent restorations have been carried out carefully; although all the wooden parts are replacements, they are consistent with the original design and character of the track.[10]

Vuoristorata is among the few roller coasters in the world to have been awarded the ACE Coaster Classic status by the American Coaster Enthusiasts.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Vauhdin hurmaa Vuoristoradalla jo 65 vuotta". STT Info (in Finnish). 2016-07-11. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  2. ^ "Money value converter". Bank of Finland Museum. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  3. ^ a b "Vuoristorata | Rides". Linnanmäki. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  4. ^ a b "Vuoristorata". Vuoristoradan Jarrumestarit. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  5. ^ a b Kortelainen, Kari (2021-07-10). "Näin 70 vuotta täyttävä Linnanmäen vuoristorata on rakennettu – Ensimmäiset jarrumiehet rekrytoitiin ilmavoimista, nykyään todellinen harvinaisuus maailmassa". Tekniikkatalous (in Finnish). Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  6. ^ a b Rita, Mikko (2016-07-13). "Jarrumiehiksi kelpasivat vain ilmavoimien lentäjät – Linnanmäen vuoristorata avattiin 65 vuotta sitten". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  7. ^ "Roller Coaster Search Results". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  8. ^ "Vuoristoradan jarrumiehestä tulee jarrumestari". STT Info (in Finnish). 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  9. ^ "Brakemasters". Vuoristoradan Jarrumestarit. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  10. ^ a b "Tiesitkö? Linnanmäen vuoristoradan kaikki puuosat on uusittu jo viiteen kertaan". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 2015-04-25. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  11. ^ "Jarruttelu oli hävittäjälentäjien työtä". Kansan Uutiset (in Finnish). 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2021-09-21.

External links[]

Vuoristorata's train going down a hill,
with the brakeman standing at the back.
Retrieved from ""