Phantom's Revenge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phantom's Revenge
Previously known as Steel Phantom (1991-2000)
Kennywood
Location	Kennywood
Park section	Lost Kennywood
Coordinates	40°23′20″N 79°51′58″W / 40.388992°N 79.865978°W / 40.388992; -79.865978
Status	Operating
Opening date	May 10, 1991 (1991-05-10)
Cost	$4.6 million
Replaced	Laser Loop
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	D.H Morgan
Designer	Harry Henninger
Model	Hyper Coaster
Track layout	Terrain Mega Coaster
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	160 ft (49 m)
Drop	228 ft (69 m)
Length	3,200 ft (980 m)
Speed	85 mph (137 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1:57
Max vertical angle	52°
Capacity	1400 riders per hour
G-force	3.5
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	2 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train.
Phantom's Revenge at RCDB

Phantom's Revenge (once known as Steel Phantom) is an exciting steel roller coaster found at Kennywood amusement park. Kennywood is located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. When it first opened as Steel Phantom in 1991, it was the fastest and had the longest drop of any roller coaster in the world!

The ride was first built by Arrow Dynamics. Later, it was changed and updated by D.H. Morgan Manufacturing before the 2001 season. That's when it reopened as Phantom’s Revenge. The updates made the drop longer and the track longer too. They also removed its four inversions (where you go upside down). A cool thing about this ride is that its second drop is actually longer than its first!

Phantom's Revenge has been ranked among the top 50 roller coasters in the yearly Golden Ticket Awards since 2000. It has even spent a lot of time in the top 10! It's also often ranked in the top 5 for favorite steel roller coasters by the National Amusement Park Historical Association.

The Story of Phantom's Revenge

In the late 1980s, Harry Henniger, who was the president of Kennywood Entertainment Company, wanted a big steel roller coaster. Kennywood usually built wooden roller coasters. The park also had a very tight space, so they weren't sure how to fit a large ride.

On July 27, 1990, Kennywood announced their new roller coaster would be called Steel Phantom. It would use the same station as an older ride called Laser Loop, which it was replacing. The ride opened on May 10, 1991. It became the fastest and steepest steel roller coaster in the world!

Phantom's Revenge when it was originally Steel Phantom.

Steel Phantom had inversions, which are parts of the track that turn riders upside down. These included a vertical loop, a Boomerang, and a corkscrew. Because of these inversions, some riders felt a lot of "head banging." This means their heads would bump around. Soon after it opened, a trim brake was added. This was because the coaster was going too fast through the inversions, causing riders neck pain.

Since the ride was a bit rough, ride operators would tell people to take off their earrings before getting on the train. They would check not only the safety restraints but also riders' ears! The train would only leave once all earrings were removed.

In March 2000, Kennywood announced they would take apart Steel Phantom. They didn't say what would replace it. But after this news, the park got many complaints and emails from fans. Kennywood then decided to keep the roller coaster but make big changes to it.

After the ride closed on Labor Day weekend in 2000, Steel Phantom was greatly changed by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing. The biggest change was removing all its inversions. Kennywood said they did this because riders complained about how rough the coaster was on their heads and necks. The updated coaster reopened as Phantom's Revenge on May 19, 2001.

In its first season after the changes, the coaster only ran with one train. In 2002, magnetic brakes were added. This allowed a second train to be used. The top speed also increased to 85 mph (137 km/h). Because of these updates, the ride now has parts of track from both Morgan and Arrow companies.

What It's Like to Ride

Phantom's Revenge is known as a terrain roller coaster. This means the ride uses the natural ups and downs of the land. It's different from most roller coasters because its second drop is longer than its first! This second drop goes right through the structure of another ride, Thunderbolt. This part of the ride is at the bottom of a hill in a deep ravine.

The Ride's Path

Phantom's Revenge

When your train leaves the station, it makes a small turn to the right. Then, it starts climbing the 160-foot (49 m) chain lift hill. After reaching the top, the train drops to the right, hitting a speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).

Next, riders go on a straight section before climbing a second hill. This hill leads to a huge 228 feet (69 m) drop! Here, you reach the top speed of 85 miles per hour (137 km/h). The train then makes a big 280-degree turn, going back under the Thunderbolt's structure.

After that, the train circles around the Turtle ride. Then it travels back under the second drop through a "bunny-hop" (a small hill that gives you airtime). Riders then turn left, passing under the ride's brake run. They enter another bunny-hop. Finally, the train goes through a 180-degree curve, then one last bunny-hop, and enters the brake run to stop. One full ride takes about 1 minute and 57 seconds.

Steel Phantom

When Steel Phantom left the station, it also turned right and climbed the 160-foot (49 m) chain lift hill. After the lift, the ride went down a banked drop to the right. After a straight part, it went up a second hill that turned slightly right.

The train then dropped 225 feet (69 m) through the Thunderbolt's structure, reaching 80 miles per hour (130 km/h). Then, it turned left and went through a pair of trim brakes. After that, it entered a vertical loop. Right after the loop, the train went into a boomerang, which turned riders upside down twice. The train then made a right turn into a corkscrew, its fourth and final inversion. After this, riders went through a right turn that passed under the corkscrew. Finally, the ride went up into the brake run. One ride on Steel Phantom took about 2 minutes and 15 seconds.

The Trains

The green train on a airtime hill

Phantom's Revenge uses two trains: a green one and a purple one. Both trains have seven cars. Each car seats two riders in two rows, so 28 riders can fit on one train. When the ride was updated, the trains were also updated. The main frame (chassis) of Steel Phantom's trains, built by Arrow, stayed the same. But Morgan built new, sleek fiberglass bodies for them. Morgan also changed the old over-the-shoulder restraints to lap bars and seatbelts, which are more comfortable.

The Track

The steel track of Phantom's Revenge is about 3,200 feet (980 m) long. The lift hill is about 160 feet (49 m) tall. Before the updates, the track was 3,000 feet (910 m) long, but the lift hill height was the same.

The original track was made by Arrow Dynamics. It was painted black with silver/grey rails and grey supports. After the renovation, D.H. Morgan Manufacturing replaced most of the track. The new track was painted green with black supports. Only a few parts of the original Arrow Dynamics track remain. These include the lift hill, the station, and the brake run/transfer track.

Old vs. New: How It Changed

Top Coaster Awards

• Phantom's Revenge at the Roller Coaster DataBase