Steamin' Demon

Steamin' Demon
Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor
Location	Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor
Park section	Ghosttown
Coordinates	43°21′4.84″N 73°41′33.71″W
Status	Operating
Opening date	May 26, 1984[1]
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Arrow Dynamics
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	95 ft (29 m)
Length	1,565 ft (477 m)
Speed	45 mph (72 km/h)
Inversions	3
Duration	37 seconds
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	Single train with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train.
Steamin' Demon at RCDB

Steamin' Demon is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor in Queensbury, New York.

Ride experience

The ride is located at the front of the park in the Ghosttown area, although the theme of the coaster doesn't match the rest of the park section. The single blue train rides on orange and yellow rails with blue (formerly green) structural supports. The coaster features a single loop and a double corkscrew. The actual ride time is very short, as the roller coaster completes the 1,565 foot run in approximately 37 seconds. The ride only has the ability to run one 28 seat train due to lack of block brakes/sections.

The Steamin' Demon is an early Arrow Dynamics Corkscrew coaster, featuring a layout that was extremely common when originally designed. Many others similar to the Steamin' Demon have been dismantled over the years. The ride itself is rather rough, but it still attracts a regular stream of riders.

History

Steamin' Demon was the first major ride, and the first roller coaster, built after Storytown USA changed its name to the Great Escape. Previously, the coaster was located at Pontchartrain Beach and was named the Ragin’ Cajun.

Six Flags announced on March 3, 2016, that Steamin' Demon would be among several rides at various parks that would receive a virtual reality (VR) upgrade. Riders will have the option to wear Samsung Gear VR headsets, powered by Oculus, to create a 360-degree, 3D experience while riding. The illusion is themed to a fighter jet, where riders fly through a futuristic city as co-pilots battling alien invaders. The feature debuted on the coaster when it reopened in summer of 2016.[2]

References

1. Geimann, Steve (May 17, 1984). "Parks switching gears to attract older crowds". Democrat and Chronicle. United Press International. Retrieved July 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Boxall, Andy (March 3, 2016). "Six Flags launches a virtual reality roller coaster". Digital Trends. Retrieved March 17, 2016.