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Twister is a wooden roller coaster located at Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, USA. It is a recreation of the famous 1964 Mr. Twister design by John C. Allen.
History[]
In 1998, Knoebels began a new wooden roller coaster project. Seeking to preserve another classic ride, the park looked into acquiring the abandoned Mr. Twister, which had been left when the park it was in, Elitch Gardens, was relocated in Denver, Colorado, USA. Space constraints however made physically relocating the ride impossible, Knoebels purchased blueprints of the ride and set out to rebuild the roller coaster from scratch, modifying the design to fit the space available.
For the new Twister, ride designer John Fetterman created a modified mirror image of the original Mr. Twister layout, compacting the ride but preserving the highlights of the old design and Allen's original mathematical model. These highlights included the large double helix, which now wraps around the ride's curved station, and a large swoop curve at the top of the lift hill. To keep the swoop curve in the new design, Fetterman created a unique split lift hill. The train climbs halfway up the structure on one lift hill, makes a 180-degree turn and finishes the climb on the second lift. While several roller coasters use more than one lift hill in their layout, Twister's zig-zag lift is unique.
The new Twister opened on July 24, 1999. The first rides were auctioned off, to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, making over $8,000. The ride is taller and more intense than the Phoenix roller coaster, and enjoyrs high ratings among polls and enthusiasts.
Design[]
Trains[]
The trains were built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc..