Balder (roller coaster)

Infobox roller coaster
name=Balder

---

caption=Balder From View
location=Liseberg
section=Saw Blazer Area
type=Wood
status=Open
opened=April 12, 2003
manufacturer=Intamin AG
designer=Werner Stengel
model=Wooden Coaster (Prefabricated Track)
track=PTC
lift=Chain lift hill
height=118
drop=100
length=3510.5
speed=55.9
duration=2:08
angle=70
capacity=1149
cost=100,000,000 SEK
acceleration=
gforce=6.9
rcdb_number=1562

Balder is a wooden roller coaster at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. It opened in 2003 and was an instant success. Balder has twice, 2003 and 2005, been voted Best Wooden Tracked Roller Coaster in the world in a major international [http://www.ushsho.com/woodrollercoasterpollresults2005.htm poll] - not because it is the biggest or fastest roller coaster, but because of the high percentage of "air time" during the ride Fact|date=April 2007.

Balder is very different from a traditional wooden roller coaster because it is a prefabricated wooden roller coaster. This means that instead of trackers cutting, shaping, and laying down the track on site by hand, the track is laser cut in a factory Fact|date=April 2007. This means that the track is manufactured to a higher degree of precision than could ever be achieved by hand. The track is also made so that it snaps together like Lego pieces Fact|date=April 2007. The track also is made of more layers of wood that are tightly bonded together instead of nailed together by hand like a traditional wooden roller coaster. This has three major benefits, two being to the park and the other being to the riders.

The "Plug and Play" aspect of the coaster speeds construction of the coaster since track does not have to be completely manufactured on site. In addition, because of the speed of construction, the costs of building the coaster are lowered due to less manhours spent on the construction. The riders benefit from a coaster, that while being wooden, is near steel smooth. However, some roller coaster enthusiasts may find that aspect to take away from the ride since it would not have the same character as a traditional wooden roller coaster Fact|date=April 2007. Three other prefabricated wooden roller coasters currently exist, Colossos at Heide Park, El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure, and T Express in Everland Fact|date=August 2008.

Facts:

* Negative G-forces: experienced 10 times during the ride
* Number of trains: 2
* Passengers per train: 30

External links

* [http://www.liseberg.se/Liseberg/Engelska/Liseberg+Island/Amusement+Park/Attractions/BALDER.htm Balder info on Liseberg home page]