El Toro

I normally don't report roller coasters' top speeds.  I do this for a few different reasons.  First of all, a lot of amusement parks don't accurately measure a coaster's maximum speed.  Press releases will often round up or exaggerate a ride's top speed, so some claims can be a little suspect.  And even if a park is totally honest about a coaster's speed, there are so many variables that affect a train's velocity.  Air temperature, wind, and the amount of weight in the train all create measurable changes to the velocities attained as trains make their drops.  Even the time of day makes a difference, as a coaster typically runs faster in the afternoon as the grease in its wheel bearings heats up with use.  Even the aerodynamic drag from riders raising their arms slows the train a slight amount.

Despite the difficulties in ranking coasters by their top speeds, El Toro is one of the fastest wood coasters.  It was generally accepted that it held the record as the Fastest Wooden Roller Coaster for about five years with a speed of 70 miles an hour.  Even today, it is usually listed as the third or fourth fastest wooden coaster.  There is a little debate as to its ranking, as Wildfire at the Kolmården Wildlife Park in Sweden claims its speed as 113 kilometers per hour.  This converts to 70.2 miles per hour, so it's essentially a tie between that ride and El Toro.  Another reason for debate on the ranking is that the fastest wood coaster, Lightning Rod at Dollywood, is a launched coaster and doesn't rely on gravity to achieve its top speed of 73 miles per hour.

©2018 by Joel A. Rogers.