It was pointed out that if I had Big Thunder Mountain, I should have included Space Mountain on this list. Sorry for that oversight. The Tokyo one would have been towards the bottom of the top 10 and the Florida one would have been at the number 2 spot.
The hill up to the second midcourse on right side track of space mountain is amazing. Also does the left side run any differently to the right as I’ve never actually been on that side of the coaster only right track
The boring truth is PTC would've developed the same/very similar technology. Golden Nugget (AKA Black Diamond) demonstrates they were willing to go there. And Disney still would have wanted technology like that, and they'd go with whoever was ambitious enough. I will admit though, it's difficult to imagine coasters so different from their portfolio being built by PTC.
The more I ride Arrows, the more I love them. I like all the imperfections in the designs. It makes for some janky transitions that you've got to watch out for, but it also gives them character. The only Arrow that I feel tracks rough is Thunderation, but 1 of the 2 trains does ride quite smooth.
Arrow used computer aided design, but they never made the jump to computer aided manufacturing. Their tracks were still handmade on-site by skilled metalworkers. The company had a long history of metalwork and fabrication, from even before they made amusement park attractions. They started off as a fabrication and repair shop for cars and trucks. They aren't perfect, but that's what makes them special. Serious blood, sweat, and tears went into that track.
My favorite Arrow coasters are::: 1. Desperado: Back Seat ride only…so much extreme airtime and totally out of control Wild and fast! 2. X2 3. Magnum 4. Ninja 5. Canyon Blaster 6. Matterhorn 7. Space Mountain 8. Viper 9. Titan (defunct) Probably the 4th best overall on this list. 10. Tennessee Tornado
I grew up on the defunt Orient Express at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. It was the second coaster they built with interlocking loops after Lochness Monster. I agree Tennessee Tornado is great.
Canyon Blaster is my favorite Arrow I’ve ridden so far. I’m lucky to live just 20 minutes from the park. It’s the coaster that made me love Arrow Dynamics and their work.
I was a ride op. on XLR-8. It took them over a month to plasma cut this coaster apart. I wish I had a "chunk" of it. Got a bolt from Excalibur & Serpent though.
Vortex at Kings Island is my favorite arrow ever. I'm VERY lucky to own a piece of its track rail! (I have a video showing it off on my channel!) (My thread on KICentral was one of the sole reasons they were even sold at all, which is really cool!!) It was the original mega looper. That color scheme is my favorite ever and it was beautiful. Plus those first 2 inversions absolutely plastered you to the seat, and the corkscrews gave good hangtime. RIP Vortex. 1987-2019
I got to meet with a lot of Arrow guys @ the IAAPA Expo's. Ron Toomer (got his autograph) Ed & Dana Morgan also met them. They had even more stuff they had planned to build, like the Flying Turns & spinning coaster. Now spinners are everywhere!
I love arrow,even tho there sometimes rough I can look past a rough or boring ride experience if it has good history. That’s why arrow is my favorite manufacturer
I agree I love arrows rides I can handle the roughness of the sudden jarring and jerks in some of their roller coasters but they're fun that's what makes it a ride
I wish arrow hadn't gone bankrupt I would have liked to see How they would have adapted to the current Years Also their concept of a pipeline roller coaster they had planning was interesting
You're too young to have experienced it when it was smooth, but Orient Express at World of Fun was faster and more intense than Loch Ness Monster, the other interlocking looper. Arrow only made 2. The batwing and interlocking loops and the first drop in the 7th car made me pop out of my seat all the time! It got rough sometime in the 90s. I don't know where you'd rate it, but I'm sure it would've been on your list.
This is the one I've been waiting for. I still love Arrow. Growing up Arrow coasters were the standard but became slowly replaced by B&M as I was a teenager. But when i think of a coaster I still think of an Arrow coaster. And while their work has led other manufacturers to exceed their accomplishments, their very best coasters still remain some of the greatest coasters ever built (especially X2 and Magnum.)
I loved Vortex at KI, even though I only got one ride on it. GASM at Great Adventure was one I got to experience and I remember it being a lot rougher in comparison. I have yet to experience Viper at Magic Mountain. Big Bad Wolf was another great ride I was sad to see go. But I'm glad Loch Ness Monster is still around. It may not be the most intense ride but there's no denying that's probably helped prolong it's life compared to Arrow's larger loopers. I still think it's a great ride anyway.
Vortex at KI is my 2nd favorite from Arrow. In the back car, especially with a full train, I would get strong ejector airtime. The inversions were all great, and it did ride smooth in the back car. Viper at Magic Mountain is my 3rd favorite Arrow, not too far behind Vortex. Viper doesn't have the airtime drops, but it's faster and more intense. It's given me my only lifetime blackout. It's got a couple janky transitions, but it's overall smooth.
I imagine Great American Scream Machine wouldn't have bothered me too much since my ears clear the top of the harnesses to make the headbanging more bearable.
As a 5'4 14 year old who rode loch ness monster earlier this month, I can say that it really isnt shaky at all. it only shakes at the top of the hills where it has a small shake where you might hit your head but it is easy not to and doesnt hurt.
I wouldn't say Viper at Magic Mountain has wonky pacing, imo the midcourse slamming you to a stop results in some of the best and most graceful hangtime around. That batwing in the back car is just magical. Though I will 100% say that I'm biased, I also have it ranked #11... overall.
It was great. So interesting to see other coasters that were built by Arrow. We have 2, Vortex, which is fast and very cool and Dragon Fyre which is a double loop and corkscrew. I love both of them. Favorites.
There was an Arrow coaster at the 19882 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. It did not have seat restraints. I believe it was driven up a corkscrew lift. Where might I find information about this coaster?
Thank you for the suggestion! I'm not a follower of coasters, so I was guessing based on various videos I've seen here on TH-cam. That coaster could very well have been the one. I can see how it might not 'need' restraints with all the pressure placed upon the riders in the turns as well as the minimal drops. Over the years I've wondered if I was merely a dumb kid (now a dumb adult) and didn't see the seatbelt. However, the ride attendant didn't check either, leading me to believe there was none. I understand that a restraintless coaster was uncommon, but not unheard of. I had just turned 9 at the time and I remember recounting to my shocked parents that it didn't have a seatbelt after getting off. @@CanobieCoaster
It is a fun ride, but what really makes it great are the setting and effects. I wonder how much Arrow had to do with creating all the stuff that makes Space Mountain so unique. I would guess it was probably mostly Disney. The coaster itself, if you take away the theming and effects, is not that amazing. Watch a lights on video of it. Either way, it’s a lot of fun and worth riding.
LONG live Arrow Dynamics!! I always love an Arrow coaster. I know that some of them have some badddd transitions. But hey they were learning and taught the entire industry! History!
Great show! It's crazy to think about this, but historically, Cedar Point is the home that Arrow built. Five Coasters - the most by manufacturers at Cedar Point for coasters, plus Snake River and I think the Auto ride as well. I'm excited to see the brand new Adventure Express theming at King's Island, but if was up to me, I'd love it to go back to it's Indiana Jones roots and finish the ride up the lift, "Temple of Doom" style with Mola Ram shouting, "Kali Ma" before entering the station. Also - King's Island Bat is my legit fave Arrow, although I have let to go on X2.
Out of 39 arrow credits, Desperado only is behind X2, Magnum, Gemini, and Tennessee Tornado for me. It is right ahead of Excalibur and Viper at SFMM. Shockwave at SFGAm is next as I rode that coaster a lot as a kid.
You should do a video on Arrows extinct coasters that are no longer in operation like Excalibur at Six Flags AstroWorld which originally opened in 1972 as Dexter Freebish Electric Roller Ride it was the first mine train to have a high lift hill it paved the way for other mine trained like Gemini to go high up in the air for a lift. Then XLR-8 Six Flags AstroWorld was the first successful swinging Coaster by Arrow it open before the Big Bad Wolf. Yes Six Flags AstroWorld was shut down in 2005.
As a former ride op. I have bolts or parts from many rides. Excalibur, Serpent, Serial, Viper, Lightnig, Cyclone, Mindbender, Astroway. BTW in the mechanics shop, the oil used for the wheel bearings was in a 55 gallon drum. The sign over it read Dexter Oil. They never renamed it Excalibur Oil. May have been sold at auction. Greezed Liightnig & XLR-8 also had signage.
A bit random but the track design for the standard arrow coasters and the old gen vekoma track (they have very similar designs as arrow essentially taught vekoma how to design rides) is by far my favourite track type aesthetically speaking; it just looks so traditional in a good way. The smoothness on the other hand…
Wow, even on the top 30 list, ShockWave is chopped liver. Lol. Oh well. I will always remember how epic that big blue coaster looked. It's really a shame it wasn't perfected and smoothed out for all the sissies out there. I personally loved how violent shockwave felt. Such a kick ass ride. No bs stomach drops, just gnarly positive G's through and through.
My favorite is Matterhorn Bobsleds. I like the theming this ride has and it's cool how it runs its way through the mountain on two tracks unpredictably. It's a shame how Arrow is no longer with us today because with how its competitor Vekoma has completely changed its image in recent years, it would've been cool to see what kind of rides Arrow could be building today.
Canobie Coaster, you never rode the defunct Arrow mega looper at Six Flags Great Adventure, that was considered by many enthusiasts as a rough ride, and could you have hated it or liked it?
I've heard from multiple people that "Eagles Fortress" was the best coaster they've ever experienced. Basically Big Bad Wolf on steroids. An experience unlike anything else. I'm just sad I never got to ride it.
Probably the best defunct manufacturer, Arrow coasters are honestly some if my favorites. Arrow Loopers would have intense positive G Loops, the suspended coaster were fun and nuts at times. And then the unique ones like hypers and the 4d coaster. I hear X2 is the vest Arrow but iv only ridden Magnum which is easily one of the best coasters to exist, without a doubt top 3 at CP. Arrow was one if the best manufacturers and even if they were still around to this day and didn't make any more coasters, they would still be one of the best. Extremely sad what happened.
I'd like to see Anacomda get the Phantom's Revenge treatment. It's got a good location, and it would be able to keep the areas of high investment (chassis, station, lift, footers), thus reducing cost. In the case of Anaconda, I imagine they'd also reuse the drop into the tunnel. I honestly find it surprising that more parks with larger scale Arrow loopers haven't done that yet.
@@CanobieCoaster True. I'm more thinking about the potential, that being something like Lightning Run with a setting over water and a tunnel. And perhaps better trains being that the Morgan refit of Arrow trains is a lot better than the trains with shinguards on Lightning Run. The concept has very strong potential if KD wanted a lower cost replacement for Anaconda that would be high quality and be able to play to any nostalgia locals may have for it.
Shockwave was great! 💙🤍 janky and headache inducing, but the drop and height were awesome, especially when I rode it for the first time when I was 8. Made me feel I could conquer Raging Bull when it opened.
One of the best by Arrow that I enjoyed was Shockwave in Great America. Awesome ride. To bad it was taken down and replaced by a lesser thriller in Superman
I would argue that the coaster that ended Arrow Dynamics wasn't X, but Drachen Fire. I wanna say they lost a lot of business due to that coaster, thanks in great part to B&M's own looper in Tampa showing how much better a looping coaster could be done. And while Arrow did figure out how to do a similarly good looper (see Tennessee Tornado), they weren't getting as much business after Drachen Fire. I see X as the last gasp of a mortally wounded company trying one last gamble to survive, and that gamble _almost_ working... but not quite.
I count X2 as Arrow since the track and layout is all Arrow. I agree S&S made some changes, most notably to the trains. Whereas Phantom's Revenge had 75% of the layout completely redone.
I didn't like Magnum in the one back seat ride I had. Maybe we had a bad ride, I don't know. This was in 2001, 22 years ago, and it wasn't rough per se, it was just really "janky". On my return visit to CP years later, I skipped it, no jokes! Had a half day there so prioritised things like dragster which I hadn't ridden and so forth. We just didn't get much airtime on Magnum at all, much like Steel force where we actually got zero on a back car ride (cold rainy night maybe)? Then again, I wonder if you had really bad rides on Ninja cause I've always had great ones in the back car. I would have put it about 15th. No airtime or anything but I always found it a heap of fun speeding around the mountain. Surprised you didn't.
Just start into your subject - you do not need to spend so long explaining the factors u will use. Hope you get to ride Loch Ness now that the Monster is back in its lair and w some retracking. Glad you gave some credit to Anaconda. It was not rough ( and did not come to a jarring, mid ride jolt stop until after 2010). Arrow legacy is hurt because the coasters are not getting adequately serviced. I thought Anaconda was a really fun mid level coaster with a good 1st drop and it was my first time in a corkscrew
You can’t listen to enthusiasts who complain about Desperado being too rough which is not any rougher then Magnum. Enthusiasts in my experience are way over sensitive to a rough coaster. They consider a rattle to be rough and a lot of these enthusiasts are too young so they think everything is rough that was built before the year 2000. Until an enthusiast has at least over 500 non kiddie Coaster credits will I listen to their opinions
Matterhorn Bobsled Is Not On my Top 25 Favorite Roller Coasters That I Ridden Coming Soon Is In My Top 10 Worst Roller Coasters Coming Soon How I Re-Ride This with no Pain
Currently x2 is my favorite arrow, but IMO it's extremely overrated, and I could see Magnum taking its spot. Edit: Rode Magnum, its my number 3 coaster out of about 100 credits.
Disneys big thunder mountain was made by vekoma. Idk why disney stopped doing buisness with arrow and did buisness with vekoma instead. Why leave one comoany for another that builds the exact same coasters.
I do some open mic comedy - you get 5 minutes and need to train to introduce yourself; thank the MC; mention the venue; work the crowd 1-2 sentences but get to your routine within a minute. I think you will find getting started and then 'breaking up' the countdown to add a few asides may - to use a coaster theme - transition smoother . For example on the first defunct mention ' I am including 3 defunct coasters I rode and this is the first... Or on the first Pa coaster or Kennywood add' I am going to note I am not considering Arrow's Steel Phantom - as it had been modified too much by the time I rode it.
It was pointed out that if I had Big Thunder Mountain, I should have included Space Mountain on this list. Sorry for that oversight. The Tokyo one would have been towards the bottom of the top 10 and the Florida one would have been at the number 2 spot.
The hill up to the second midcourse on right side track of space mountain is amazing. Also does the left side run any differently to the right as I’ve never actually been on that side of the coaster only right track
@@braxtonradcliffe8448 the right station/left side of ride is absolutely the best. It's smoother, and faster. I did both sides back to back twice each
Are you on the spectrum?
It’s hard to imagine what the amusement industry would be like without Arrow.
True.
The boring truth is PTC would've developed the same/very similar technology. Golden Nugget (AKA Black Diamond) demonstrates they were willing to go there. And Disney still would have wanted technology like that, and they'd go with whoever was ambitious enough. I will admit though, it's difficult to imagine coasters so different from their portfolio being built by PTC.
Less intense but Smoother
They definitely made their mark.
@@CanobieCoaster i'm so glad that Vampire still exists in Chessington world of adventures.
Big One is my favourite out of the three I have ridden and that drop is just insane and the interaction with the other rides is amazing!
That drop doesn't get enough credit.
The more I ride Arrows, the more I love them. I like all the imperfections in the designs. It makes for some janky transitions that you've got to watch out for, but it also gives them character. The only Arrow that I feel tracks rough is Thunderation, but 1 of the 2 trains does ride quite smooth.
I prefer smoother transitions, but they can cause some odd sensations.
Arrow used computer aided design, but they never made the jump to computer aided manufacturing. Their tracks were still handmade on-site by skilled metalworkers. The company had a long history of metalwork and fabrication, from even before they made amusement park attractions. They started off as a fabrication and repair shop for cars and trucks. They aren't perfect, but that's what makes them special. Serious blood, sweat, and tears went into that track.
They did a lot of innovating and I respect that.
I miss the Orient Express at Worlds of fun. That was my first steel coaster.
Never rode that one sadly.
I’ve ridden Desperado several times. It is rough, but I’ve always enjoyed it.
I hope to try it someday.
My favorite Arrow coasters are:::
1. Desperado: Back Seat ride only…so much extreme airtime and totally out of control Wild and fast!
2. X2
3. Magnum
4. Ninja
5. Canyon Blaster
6. Matterhorn
7. Space Mountain
8. Viper
9. Titan (defunct) Probably the 4th best overall on this list.
10. Tennessee Tornado
Wow, that's one of the best reviews of Desperado that I've heard.
Arrow deserves more love.
They innovated a lot.
I grew up on the defunt Orient Express at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. It was the second coaster they built with interlocking loops after Lochness Monster. I agree Tennessee Tornado is great.
Wish I could have tried Orient Express.
Canyon Blaster is my favorite Arrow I’ve ridden so far. I’m lucky to live just 20 minutes from the park. It’s the coaster that made me love Arrow Dynamics and their work.
Nice!
Special place in my heart. XLR8 at Astroworld is the first rollercoaster I remember riding.
I was a ride op. on XLR-8. It took them over a month to plasma cut this coaster apart. I wish I had a "chunk" of it. Got a bolt from Excalibur & Serpent though.
Wish I could have made it to that park.
@@CanobieCoaster Astroworld at night had serious charm. Keep up the good work!
Absolutely love the thumbnail of this video!
Thanks!
Vortex at Kings Island is my favorite arrow ever. I'm VERY lucky to own a piece of its track rail! (I have a video showing it off on my channel!) (My thread on KICentral was one of the sole reasons they were even sold at all, which is really cool!!) It was the original mega looper. That color scheme is my favorite ever and it was beautiful. Plus those first 2 inversions absolutely plastered you to the seat, and the corkscrews gave good hangtime. RIP Vortex. 1987-2019
That's cool you bought a piece of it!
I’ve been on Desperado, Dragon Mountain, Vortex (CW), Big Thunder, Viper (SFDL), my fave: Canyon Blaster (Adventuredome)
Nice!
I got to meet with a lot of Arrow guys @ the IAAPA Expo's. Ron Toomer (got his autograph) Ed & Dana Morgan also met them. They had even more stuff they had planned to build, like the Flying Turns & spinning coaster. Now spinners are everywhere!
Very cool!
I love arrow,even tho there sometimes rough I can look past a rough or boring ride experience if it has good history. That’s why arrow is my favorite manufacturer
I agree I love arrows rides I can handle the roughness of the sudden jarring and jerks in some of their roller coasters but they're fun that's what makes it a ride
They did so much for the industry.
I wish arrow hadn't gone bankrupt I would have liked to see How they would have adapted to the current Years Also their concept of a pipeline roller coaster they had planning was interesting
They really had some great rides at the end.
You're too young to have experienced it when it was smooth, but Orient Express at World of Fun was faster and more intense than Loch Ness Monster, the other interlocking looper. Arrow only made 2. The batwing and interlocking loops and the first drop in the 7th car made me pop out of my seat all the time! It got rough sometime in the 90s. I don't know where you'd rate it, but I'm sure it would've been on your list.
That one looked pretty good.
This is the one I've been waiting for. I still love Arrow. Growing up Arrow coasters were the standard but became slowly replaced by B&M as I was a teenager. But when i think of a coaster I still think of an Arrow coaster. And while their work has led other manufacturers to exceed their accomplishments, their very best coasters still remain some of the greatest coasters ever built (especially X2 and Magnum.)
They were so innovative.
Great video, this has been a unique and fun series! Arrow was pretty great
Glad you enjoyed it!
I loved Vortex at KI, even though I only got one ride on it. GASM at Great Adventure was one I got to experience and I remember it being a lot rougher in comparison. I have yet to experience Viper at Magic Mountain. Big Bad Wolf was another great ride I was sad to see go. But I'm glad Loch Ness Monster is still around. It may not be the most intense ride but there's no denying that's probably helped prolong it's life compared to Arrow's larger loopers. I still think it's a great ride anyway.
As a fellow Vortex lover, I suspect you will also love Viper as well
Vortex at KI is my 2nd favorite from Arrow. In the back car, especially with a full train, I would get strong ejector airtime. The inversions were all great, and it did ride smooth in the back car. Viper at Magic Mountain is my 3rd favorite Arrow, not too far behind Vortex. Viper doesn't have the airtime drops, but it's faster and more intense. It's given me my only lifetime blackout. It's got a couple janky transitions, but it's overall smooth.
I imagine Great American Scream Machine wouldn't have bothered me too much since my ears clear the top of the harnesses to make the headbanging more bearable.
As a 5'4 14 year old who rode loch ness monster earlier this month, I can say that it really isnt shaky at all. it only shakes at the top of the hills where it has a small shake where you might hit your head but it is easy not to and doesnt hurt.
It's worse the shorter you are.
I've been on what's ranked No. VI recently. Like a month and a half ago amid winter break.
Nice!
I wouldn't say Viper at Magic Mountain has wonky pacing, imo the midcourse slamming you to a stop results in some of the best and most graceful hangtime around. That batwing in the back car is just magical. Though I will 100% say that I'm biased, I also have it ranked #11... overall.
You definitely like it more than me.
It was great. So interesting to see other coasters that were built by Arrow. We have 2, Vortex, which is fast and very cool and Dragon Fyre which is a double loop and corkscrew. I love both of them. Favorites.
I think Vortex is my third favorite at the park behind Leviathan and Behemoth. Great ride
Vortex is the far better of those 2.
@@deluxedoorman yep! Agreed, it is a great ride.
Yes X2 is the king of Arrow coasters!
Sure is.
Before I watch I am predicting X2 in the top spot, Magnum top 5, probably Tennessee Tornado top 5 also.
How did I do?
Will watch now.
Correct!
I’m surprised you included the big Thunder mountains, but not space mountain at magic kingdom. I believe arrow had a play in that coaster
Oh yeah good point. I consider Space Mountain an Arrow, it definitely feels like one lol.
That was an oversight. Space Mountain should have been on there.
There was an Arrow coaster at the 19882 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. It did not have seat restraints. I believe it was driven up a corkscrew lift. Where might I find information about this coaster?
Fair coasters can be tricky to find information about unfortunately. I haven't heard of that one. Are you sure it wasn't a Schwarzkopf Jumbo Jet?
Thank you for the suggestion! I'm not a follower of coasters, so I was guessing based on various videos I've seen here on TH-cam. That coaster could very well have been the one. I can see how it might not 'need' restraints with all the pressure placed upon the riders in the turns as well as the minimal drops. Over the years I've wondered if I was merely a dumb kid (now a dumb adult) and didn't see the seatbelt. However, the ride attendant didn't check either, leading me to believe there was none. I understand that a restraintless coaster was uncommon, but not unheard of. I had just turned 9 at the time and I remember recounting to my shocked parents that it didn't have a seatbelt after getting off. @@CanobieCoaster
I would put space mountain at Disneyland in the top five personally, but I enjoy looking at your list
It is a fun ride, but what really makes it great are the setting and effects. I wonder how much Arrow had to do with creating all the stuff that makes Space Mountain so unique. I would guess it was probably mostly Disney. The coaster itself, if you take away the theming and effects, is not that amazing. Watch a lights on video of it. Either way, it’s a lot of fun and worth riding.
@@Incuensuocha I agree standing alone in a field it wouldn’t impress, but same could be said for big thunder and Matterhorn both which made the list
I never rode the old Space Mountain at Disneyland, but I absolutely should have had the Florida one on there. That was an oversight.
@@CanobieCoaster the Disneyland one is so superior even to the magic kingdom one
Still loved the list mate!
@@zacharygambler9306 The new Disneyland one is a Dynamics Attractions one (since it was rebuilt in full).
LONG live Arrow Dynamics!! I always love an Arrow coaster. I know that some of them have some badddd transitions. But hey they were learning and taught the entire industry! History!
They did so much!
Great show!
It's crazy to think about this, but historically, Cedar Point is the home that Arrow built. Five Coasters - the most by manufacturers at Cedar Point for coasters, plus Snake River and I think the Auto ride as well.
I'm excited to see the brand new Adventure Express theming at King's Island, but if was up to me, I'd love it to go back to it's Indiana Jones roots and finish the ride up the lift, "Temple of Doom" style with Mola Ram shouting, "Kali Ma" before entering the station.
Also - King's Island Bat is my legit fave Arrow, although I have let to go on X2.
Arrow helped those 2 parks a lot.
Out of 39 arrow credits, Desperado only is behind X2, Magnum, Gemini, and Tennessee Tornado for me. It is right ahead of Excalibur and Viper at SFMM. Shockwave at SFGAm is next as I rode that coaster a lot as a kid.
I hope I can get on it someday!
As someone who is 6/7 and all torso I can appreciate Gemini and Magnum as they are some of the only old steel coasters I can ride.
That's a fair point.
Do you think Desperado will ever operate again?
I hope so. I wanna ride it lol
I hope so, but I'm very skeptical.
Is ninja at six flags St Louis not on this list or is it on the vekoma video
Vekoma
You should do a video on Arrows extinct coasters that are no longer in operation like Excalibur at Six Flags AstroWorld which originally opened in 1972 as Dexter Freebish Electric Roller Ride it was the first mine train to have a high lift hill it paved the way for other mine trained like Gemini to go high up in the air for a lift. Then XLR-8 Six Flags AstroWorld was the first successful swinging Coaster by Arrow it open before the Big Bad Wolf. Yes Six Flags AstroWorld was shut down in 2005.
As a former ride op. I have bolts or parts from many rides. Excalibur, Serpent, Serial, Viper, Lightnig, Cyclone, Mindbender, Astroway. BTW in the mechanics shop, the oil used for the wheel bearings was in a 55 gallon drum. The sign over it read Dexter Oil. They never renamed it Excalibur Oil. May have been sold at auction. Greezed Liightnig & XLR-8 also had signage.
Excalibur looked like a cool mine train with that big drop.
A bit random but the track design for the standard arrow coasters and the old gen vekoma track (they have very similar designs as arrow essentially taught vekoma how to design rides) is by far my favourite track type aesthetically speaking; it just looks so traditional in a good way. The smoothness on the other hand…
It does look good!
Which restraints does Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain use? How are your head and ears positioned there?
Over the shoulder harnesses. I'm tall enough my ears are above them.
To ride, of the operating Arrow suspended coasters, what do you think about Iron Dragon at Cedar Point and Vortex at Canada's Wonderland?
Iron Dragon is a tame one, but Vortex is fast and forceful.
Sad that there arent alot of those in eurpe.
It is.
First time I went on runaway mine train at great adventure I was laughing the entire time. I love those old janky mine trains lol
They can be fun.
Arrow changed everything
They really did.
I love ur thumbnail ❤
Thanks!
Wow, even on the top 30 list, ShockWave is chopped liver. Lol. Oh well. I will always remember how epic that big blue coaster looked. It's really a shame it wasn't perfected and smoothed out for all the sissies out there. I personally loved how violent shockwave felt. Such a kick ass ride. No bs stomach drops, just gnarly positive G's through and through.
I never rode Shock Wave, which is why it did not make the list. I suspect it would have placed near Magic Mountain's Viper.
@@CanobieCoasterShockwave was the original bad boy. The wild one. Also the prettiest to look at. Lol
What do you think about Bat at Kings Island in comparison to Vortex at Canada's Wonderland in positive Gs?
Vortex has more Gs.
My current favorite coaster by Arrow Dynamics is Tennesee Tornado at Dollywood. It's short but sweet.
That's a great one.
My favorite is Matterhorn Bobsleds. I like the theming this ride has and it's cool how it runs its way through the mountain on two tracks unpredictably. It's a shame how Arrow is no longer with us today because with how its competitor Vekoma has completely changed its image in recent years, it would've been cool to see what kind of rides Arrow could be building today.
It would be interesting to see what Arrow would do today given how much their later rides changed.
How many Arrow and Vekoma looping coasters do you know in the world with hangtime?
Vekoma has put more hangtime on their newer coasters.
Canobie Coaster, you never rode the defunct Arrow mega looper at Six Flags Great Adventure, that was considered by many enthusiasts as a rough ride, and could you have hated it or liked it?
I probably would have rated it similar to the Magic Mountain Viper.
The only Arrows ive been pn are the ones at cedar point, and im going to need an x2 and a tennesse tornado to make up for those five rides
Magnum is one of their best in my opinion.
X² is my favorite, but Viper is at Magic Mountain is a close second.
I much prefer X2.
I've heard from multiple people that "Eagles Fortress" was the best coaster they've ever experienced. Basically Big Bad Wolf on steroids. An experience unlike anything else. I'm just sad I never got to ride it.
I've heard it was amazing.
See Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds. So what would you rate it?
I believe I made a review for that one answering that.
So what would you rate Road Runner Express at Six Flags Fiesta Texas?
See my review.
Probably the best defunct manufacturer, Arrow coasters are honestly some if my favorites. Arrow Loopers would have intense positive G Loops, the suspended coaster were fun and nuts at times. And then the unique ones like hypers and the 4d coaster. I hear X2 is the vest Arrow but iv only ridden Magnum which is easily one of the best coasters to exist, without a doubt top 3 at CP. Arrow was one if the best manufacturers and even if they were still around to this day and didn't make any more coasters, they would still be one of the best. Extremely sad what happened.
I wish they were still around.
So what would you rate Anaconda at Kings Dominion?
Probably a 5.
Love Magnum XL-200. My favorite Arrow Ive done over X2
I can see why people could prefer that.
I miss Arrow so much
They did so much.
I really like the arrow loopers
They're solid rides.
How have you been to so many countries
I have a good job that also includes some travel.
I'd like to see Anacomda get the Phantom's Revenge treatment. It's got a good location, and it would be able to keep the areas of high investment (chassis, station, lift, footers), thus reducing cost. In the case of Anaconda, I imagine they'd also reuse the drop into the tunnel. I honestly find it surprising that more parks with larger scale Arrow loopers haven't done that yet.
That's interesting. I don't think the ride has as big of a following though.
@@CanobieCoaster True. I'm more thinking about the potential, that being something like Lightning Run with a setting over water and a tunnel. And perhaps better trains being that the Morgan refit of Arrow trains is a lot better than the trains with shinguards on Lightning Run. The concept has very strong potential if KD wanted a lower cost replacement for Anaconda that would be high quality and be able to play to any nostalgia locals may have for it.
Shockwave was great! 💙🤍 janky and headache inducing, but the drop and height were awesome, especially when I rode it for the first time when I was 8. Made me feel I could conquer Raging Bull when it opened.
It's a bummer it was removed.
So what would you rate Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point?
Probably an 8-9.
Are you going to ride and review exodus when that releases in 2024?
I'd like to.
So what would you rate Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain?
Probably a 6 or 7.
One of the best by Arrow that I enjoyed was Shockwave in Great America. Awesome ride. To bad it was taken down and replaced by a lesser thriller in Superman
I heard that ride was intense, but rough.
My favorite Arrow is Magnum XL at Cedar Point. X2 at Magic Mountain may change that in 2024.
Hope you like X2!
Is Big Thunder Mountain even an Arrow coaster? I’d like to know the history behind this, the transitions don’t look like Arrow transitions
I've heard Arrow was heavily involved in the two US Big Thunder Mountains.
@@CanobieCoaster oh ok, I didn’t know that
Where is space mountain?
I put a comment. I forgot about that one since RCDB doesn't list Arrow as the manufacturer officially.
if you ride ninja at night in the back, it becomes a much wilder experience. can’t recommend it enough
I can see how that would be a great night ride.
Where is Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom?
That was an oversight since RCDB pulled up WED even though Arrow was involved.
With steeplechase when you said it would be fun, as someone who is 6ft 5 and has been on the big one with steeplechase what you meant is pure terror
Big One's drop is excellent.
@@CanobieCoaster really is
I think Big Bad John is quite underrated. I’d personally put it miles above River King.
I haven't ridden River King in quite some time, so I may need to reride it to see if it's noticeably worse than Big Bad John.
Have you ridden all of these?
Yes
I would argue that the coaster that ended Arrow Dynamics wasn't X, but Drachen Fire. I wanna say they lost a lot of business due to that coaster, thanks in great part to B&M's own looper in Tampa showing how much better a looping coaster could be done. And while Arrow did figure out how to do a similarly good looper (see Tennessee Tornado), they weren't getting as much business after Drachen Fire. I see X as the last gasp of a mortally wounded company trying one last gamble to survive, and that gamble _almost_ working... but not quite.
That possibly helped, but X was the nail in the coffin.
Top 3 agree. Not sure if you can call x2 a arrow alone. By your logic phantom revenge should be on this list
I count X2 as Arrow since the track and layout is all Arrow. I agree S&S made some changes, most notably to the trains. Whereas Phantom's Revenge had 75% of the layout completely redone.
I didn't like Magnum in the one back seat ride I had. Maybe we had a bad ride, I don't know. This was in 2001, 22 years ago, and it wasn't rough per se, it was just really "janky". On my return visit to CP years later, I skipped it, no jokes! Had a half day there so prioritised things like dragster which I hadn't ridden and so forth. We just didn't get much airtime on Magnum at all, much like Steel force where we actually got zero on a back car ride (cold rainy night maybe)? Then again, I wonder if you had really bad rides on Ninja cause I've always had great ones in the back car. I would have put it about 15th. No airtime or anything but I always found it a heap of fun speeding around the mountain. Surprised you didn't.
Magnum is definitely janky. I know it's not for everyone, but I genuinely like it.
I love Demon at Great America, because there is never a line and I can ride it 20 times in a row
Nice!
That runaway mine train was kinda cool and I'd call it good if it weren't for all 3 of my friends and I walking away with bruises and pain
Yikes!
The Florida Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom was actually built by Vekoma, not arrow.
Ah ok, thanks!
Just start into your subject - you do not need to spend so long explaining the factors u will use. Hope you get to ride Loch Ness now that the Monster is back in its lair and w some retracking. Glad you gave some credit to Anaconda. It was not rough ( and did not come to a jarring, mid ride jolt stop until after 2010). Arrow legacy is hurt because the coasters are not getting adequately serviced. I thought Anaconda was a really fun mid level coaster with a good 1st drop and it was my first time in a corkscrew
Thanks for the feedback. I like to start with that for anyone who hasn't seen my videos.
I love thunderation at sdc its 3 miles from my house but it recently hit a worker and under investigation😢
Oh no!
Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😄
Thanks!
@@CanobieCoaster No Problem😄
Last Thing I Would Call Loch Ness Monster Is Shaky Or Rough
I definitely find it shaky at points. Still fun though.
runawayyyyy mineee trainnnnn
A classic.
Magnum is my favriot normal hyper coaster
Guessing you love the ejector on the return run.
the whole ride is awsome
Never been to Cedar Point?
Nevermind I guess you’ve never ridden the three other arrows there. All smoother than Demon
I've been to Cedar Point several times.
I would have put Iron Dragon on the list above a few of the mine trains.
I find that to be a weak suspended unfortunately.
Magnum is #1!
I prefer X2, but Magnum is up there.
honestly i find it hilarious that X2 made arrow go bankrupt
It's honestly sad since Arrow was doing so well at the end.
@@CanobieCoaster yea got a point
You can’t listen to enthusiasts who complain about Desperado being too rough which is not any rougher then Magnum. Enthusiasts in my experience are way over sensitive to a rough coaster. They consider a rattle to be rough and a lot of these enthusiasts are too young so they think everything is rough that was built before the year 2000. Until an enthusiast has at least over 500 non kiddie Coaster credits will I listen to their opinions
People who love Magnum seem to bash Desperado, so I'd love to ride it for myself someday.
Epic
Thanks!
Consider yourself LUCKY you never rode Scream Machine. It made your head into a pinball. Too many rides would have put you at risk for CTE.
I think my head would have cleared the top of the harness, avoiding headbanging.
Matterhorn Bobsled Is Not On my Top 25 Favorite Roller Coasters That I Ridden Coming Soon
Is In My Top 10 Worst Roller Coasters Coming Soon
How I Re-Ride This with no Pain
I don't mind how Matterhorn throws yoh around, but I know some find it uncomfortable.
Currently x2 is my favorite arrow, but IMO it's extremely overrated, and I could see Magnum taking its spot.
Edit: Rode Magnum, its my number 3 coaster out of about 100 credits.
I love how unique X2 is.
Disneys big thunder mountain was made by vekoma. Idk why disney stopped doing buisness with arrow and did buisness with vekoma instead. Why leave one comoany for another that builds the exact same coasters.
Not sure why.
I do some open mic comedy - you get 5 minutes and need to train to introduce yourself; thank the MC; mention the venue; work the crowd 1-2 sentences but get to your routine within a minute. I think you will find getting started and then 'breaking up' the countdown to add a few asides may - to use a coaster theme - transition smoother . For example on the first defunct mention ' I am including 3 defunct coasters I rode and this is the first... Or on the first Pa coaster or Kennywood add' I am going to note I am not considering Arrow's Steel Phantom - as it had been modified too much by the time I rode it.
Thanks for the suggestion and I'll consider doing that in the future.
Runaway Mine Train will always be one of my least favorites.
Which one?
@@CanobieCoaster The one at Six Flags Great Adventure.