Iron Dragon (roller coaster)

Infobox roller coaster
name=Iron Dragon


caption=Iron Dragon
location=Cedar Point
type=Steel
type2= Suspended
status=Open
opened=1987
manufacturer=Arrow Dynamics
model=
designer=Ron Toomer
track=
lift=Two chain lift hills
cost=$4,000,000 USD
capacity=2,000
length=2800
height=76
drop=
inversions=
speed=35
duration=2:00
angle=
acceleration=
gforce=
rcdb_number=17
restriction=

"Iron Dragon" is a steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was built in 1987 by Arrow Dynamics. It is a suspended model where the cars hang beneath the track with free lateral movement by a chassis allowing them to swing side to side. Some parts of the ride is built on artificial lagoons and takes riders into wooded areas and over water.

Before the "Iron Dragon’s" 1987 debut, the Western Cruise (now known as Paddlewheel Excursions) boats circumvented the waters around this island. The popular boat ride’s station sat on the same part of the midway where Iron Dragon’s station rests today (In fact, observant "Iron Dragon" riders can still spot the docking cleats welded to the dock while climbing the stairs to the boarding station). The Monster circular ride used to call the land under "Iron Dragon’s" transfer track home. Monster closed on Labor Day weekend in 1986 so "Iron Dragon" construction could begin. Planning for the Iron Dragon began in 1985, the same year the Frontier Lift cable car ride (similar to the Sky Ride found on Cedar Point’s main midway) opened for its final season.

Iron Dragon's previous color scheme was red track with gray supports, similar to that of "Ninja's" (also an Arrow suspended swing coaster) paint scheme at Six Flags Magic Mountain. In 2004, the supports where repainted yellow, and the track repainted the same color of red in order to resemble the color scheme of "Top Thrill Dragster".

In the early and mid-1990s, a "remote a boat" game was housed in the water under Iron Dragon's final helex element. This was removed in 1997.

External links

* [http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/park/rides/coasters/iron_dragon/index.cfm Iron Dragon's page on the official Cedar Point website]