hollyferry Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 After reading another post, it got me thinking. What is the average "life" of a coaster? I know different materials will be different, but now I'm curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 Interesting question and one I wouldn't know where to get the info to figure out. Just looking at the coasters at Great Adventure, not counting the ones still in use, it looks like the average length of time a coaster stays at Great Adventure is 9.33 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK456 Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 ^Though the majority of major coasters there today have outlived the average. Interesting for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Kang Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 ^Though the majority of major coasters there today have outlived the average. Interesting for sure The lifespan probably would be a lot higher but the short-lived coasters like Shockwave and Ultra Twister probably brought it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kaiser Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 I think there's a lot of factors that go into this question. Maintenance can play a big part, especially on wooden coasters. Just look at the Coney Island Cyclone - how much of that is original wood? Probably a very low percentage, but it's still "living." The enjoyment of the coaster will also play a big role. Even if the ride is structurally fine and maybe even in perfect working condition, the park could still see it as dead. (Rolling Thunder sort of, Shockwave @ Kings Dominion) Sometimes rides just wear off on riders, popularity dies to an all-time low, and it costs the park more money to keep it than the "profit" it makes. Its value dies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFGadv123 Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 I also feel as though they are finding more ways every year to preserve the life of a coaster. Back in the 1900s a lot of coasters really didn't last too long because of problems and not being able to keep it properly maintained. But now, even the oldest coasters are able to run efficiently today. Some of our newer coasters are down much more than some of our older coasters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 Well, the Incredible Hulk coaster at Islands of Adventure is 16 years old and it is closing for re-tracking and replacement of the trains. Of course it also runs ever 90 seconds 10-12 hours a day, 365 days a year where most coasters have some downtime for rehab during the off-season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrpq Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 re- tracking on a steel coaster strikes interest in me. As far as that goes, do they actually replace full sections of track? "hey B&M we need a section of the cobra loop! OK! we will go back to the plans and make section B-17" lol OR do they just cut off the actual rail section the wheels ride on and weld in new "pipe" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 Supposedly that is what they are doing. When Disney retracked BTMRR two years ago they just replaced the steel rails. I assume they wear out over time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Master Posted September 13, 2015 Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 (edited) Depends on how well maintained a coaster is, how long it is ran (seasonal or year round, everyday or weekends, etc), what it is made of, quality of it's workmenship, the kind of environment it is in, how many crowds it attracts, and if the owners feel like the coaster is still worth while keeping and maintaining or should be replaced with something else that they feel could attract more guests. Probably the biggest factor is its ridership, a declining ridership will kill a coaster or any ride without question. Edited September 13, 2015 by The Master 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fgcassady Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Since Kingda Ka is a massive big ride, it's ten years old. It also depends on how well the park takes care of the ride. For example, new trains, new paint, repairs. So it mostly depends on the park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gasmforever Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 When you look at classics like thunderhawk at dorney park its structure is 80% original and it was built in 1929, it greatly depends on the parks maintenance. Look at original steel coasters like superdooperlooper at hershey park. Built in 1977 and still running because of great work by the park. So in my opinion determining average lifespan in general is impossible but on a park to park basis itll vary greatly between parks and chains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericthewanderer Posted November 2, 2015 Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 SFA's Wild One will be turning 100 in 2017,but then again some of the track isn't original(some supports/trackage was damaged when the ride was SBNO). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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