Back in 1989, Dorney Park added the world’s tallest wooden roller coaster and the name “Hercules” had never been more appropriate. This gigantic woodie gave the park worldwide attention and set the tone for future thrill rides at Dorney Park. That same year, Cedar Point (Cedar Fair’s flagship park and Dorney’s sister park) added the world’s tallest and fastest steel roller coaster, Magnum XL-200. This “hypercoaster,” as industry experts and enthusiasts referred to it, was the first roller coaster in the world to stand over 200-feet tall. Magnum XL-200 was undoubtedly the greatest thing to hit the amusement industry since the carousel. Everybody knew that these 200-footers would someday be the future wave of coasters, and they were right.
It wasn’t until the mid-1990’s that more parks began adopting the “hypercoaster.” Finally, in 1997, it was Dorney Park’s turn to do something huge. Standing 200-feet tall, featuring an amazing 205-foot drop at a 60-degree angle and reaching scorching speeds of nearly 75 miles per hour, Steel Force would reign as the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster on the East Coast.

During the month of July in 1997, I took the 2-hour drive up to Allentown, Pennsylvania with my family and another family. Although I thought I could conquer anything at the time, the sheer sight of Steel Force terrified me. The ride seemed endless as my eyes wandered all the way up the red structure, all the way down the enormous drop, and all the way to the end of the giant 5,600-foot long course.
I had to ride it. Nothing could conquer the fear of the force better than strapping myself into the front seat and taking a whirl of my own. That was exactly what I did. Securing myself into the front car, far-right seat, the only thing I could do was gaze up the seemingly endless lift hill in anticipation. Finally, when the ride operator dispatched the train, I began to sweat like an overweight woman in church on a hot, summer Sunday. Our train dipped out of the station into a short, left turn and began the gargantuan climb up the lift.

With each foot we rose above the rest of Dorney Park, the view became more spectacular. When we finally reached the crest of the lift hill, the clanking of the chain became less irritating and the train leaned farther and farther over the top. When the last riders glided over the last section of the lift, the giant train slowly inched further over the top of the hill until we could all finally see the bottom of the drop. Each second brought the tiny 200-foot tunnel at the bottom screaming closer towards me, until finally we rocketed at 75 miles per hour through it, barely missing having our heads cut off.

Without giving us a moment to recover, our train careened up another huge hill before sending us plummeting right back down again. Following those first two mind-boggling drops, we were carried back up a small hill into a long straight section before tilting the train to the right into a huge, 540-degree helix. By the time we exited the helix, it seemed as though we were roaring along faster than we had previously been. This sensation was given by the fact that the track was so close to the ground that it made us seem like we were moving along at an insurmountable pace. Barely making it between each support without losing limbs, the train quickly brought us back up another hill into the midcourse breaks.

For about five seconds, we were all given a sudden chance to catch our breath. With us now being just a few feet to the right of our “out” route, it was now time to put the “back” in “out and back.” The final break grabbed the train before we began a series of bunny-hops giving some of the best airtime you’ll find. The second bunny-hop takes us into another 200-foot tunnel directly parallel to the tunnel following the first drop. Following those first 2 bunny-hops, we still have a few more to go. Up and over the next leads us into the on-ride photo section where you must strike your best pose despite the rapid speed at which we’re moving. The next couple of small hops take us over the track directly preceding the lift hill. We cross over onto the other side of the station into a banked right-hand turn and the final break run. As the breaks are eased on, everybody in the train is left breathless at the wrath Steel Force has just unleashed on all of us. Another right-hand turn into the station ends our ride on one of the best steel coasters you can find.

Anybody who has ridden Steel Force can tell you that it’s one heck of a ride, but let me be the first to extend the favor of telling you that Steel Force is a must-ride for some great airtime, head-chopper effects, and an all-around smooth, fun time.

By Brett Stevens