X2, stylized as X2, is a "4th Dimension" steel roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain, located in Baja Ridge. It opened on January 12, 2002 as X, after numerous delays that kept it from debuting in 2001 as was originally anticipated.
The ride was later remodeled and reopened on May 24, 2008 as X2. It is the world's first 4th Dimension roller coaster and was the final roller coaster conceived and installed by ride manufacturer Arrow Dynamics. The ride is unique in that the trains' seats pitch 360 degrees forwards and in reverse independent of the main chassis.
The ride features a unique prototype design, in which the seats can rotate forward or backward 360 degrees in a controlled spin. This is achieved by having four rails on the track. Two of these are running rails while the other two are for spin control. The two rails that control the spin of the seats move up and down relative to the main track and spin the seats using a rack and pinion gear mechanism. The ride also has an on-board audio soundtrack.
History[]
X (2002–2007)[]
On January 12, 2002, X opened to the public.
Although the ride has received mostly rave reviews from enthusiasts and is a huge hit among the general public, X had problems. Due to design flaws, particularly with the trains, the ride's opening was delayed from Summer 2001 until January 2002. In June 2002, the ride closed to modify the trains.[1] In August 2002, the ride reopened and has been running smoothly ever since, except for a train in the summer of 2005. The ride also closed down sometime in mid-August 2006 due to a blown gear box part and reopened on February 3, 2007.
X2 (2008–present)[]
On November 1, 2007, Six Flags Magic Mountain announced a redesign. X closed on December 2, 2007, to be redesigned including new trains with a pneumatic restraint system (an improvement over the original mechanically operated restraints that would frequently jam), a new color scheme of red track and black supports (originally pink track and yellow supports), and an all-new, innovative state-of-the-art visual, audio and sensory effects. In a projected $10 million investment, X reopened on May 24, 2008, renamed as X2. Six Flags Magic Mountain hired S&S Arrow to build new trains for X2. The new trains are lighter to reduce the amount of wear and downtime. X2 also took on a new load/unload method and third train to increase the ride capacity by 50%. Testing of the trains began on March 6, 2008.
Ride experience[]
After departing from the loading station, the ride makes a 180-degree turn traveling over the queue and onto the lift hill. After ascending 175 feet (53 m), the train enters a short drop and then ascends an additional 15 feet (4.6 m) to a maximum height of 190 feet (58 m) before dropping 215 feet (66 m). Each car on the train spins on its own independent axis 360 degrees forward or backward, which is being controlled by the outer rails of the track.
During the main drop, the cars are rotated 180 degrees so that riders are facing toward the ground. The train then enters an inside raven loop, where the cars are rotated again halfway through the loop to create a "lie-to-fly" maneuver; riders transition from laying on their backs facing backward to a flying prone position facing forward. After exiting the loop, the cars rotate backwards 360 degrees simulating a backflip. This is followed by a sweeping fan turn and a half twist "fly-to-lie" maneuver, in which riders flip forward 180 degrees to return to the original position of laying on their backs. Flame throwing special effects can be seen overhead as the train enters an outside raven loop immediately followed by another half twist. The track levels out and the train enters the final brake run before returning to the station.
Characteristics[]
Mechanism[]
A) Rotation of Seats
B) Seat on Axle
C) Rack Gear
D) Rails The prototype vehicle design on X2 allows riders to spin 360-degrees forwards and backwards, independent of the train's primary movement. Weighing 5 tons, each vehicle has a wing-shaped design that spans 20 feet (6.1 m). Riders sit on the outside of the coaster track in pairs. Four, 1-foot (0.30 m) tall rack gears move up and down following the profile of the seat rotation rails below the vehicle. This gear rotates the seats forwards and backwards throughout the ride. Unlike traditional roller coasters, 4th Dimension roller coasters, like X2, have four rails. The seat rotation rails bend up and down slightly pushing the rack gear up and down which in turn rotates the seats. These "rotation" rails don't support the train. The other two rails are for the weight-bearing wheels, capable of supporting these heavy trains.
Awards[]
| Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Rank | 20* | 15* | 15* | 12* | 20* | 17* | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 31 | 23 (tie) | — | 26 (tie) | 32 |
- * Awarded while as "X" until 2007.
Trivia[]
X in the Six Flags Magic Mountain scenario in RollerCoaster Tycoon 2.
- The original X appears in RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 as a pre-built ride in the Six Flags Magic Mountain scenario.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Queue photos[]
Exterior photos[]
References[]
- ↑ X's Failure Threatens Many in Theme Park Industry by Robert Niles, Theme Park Insider. 2002-06-12.
- ↑ Golden Ticket Winners, Golden Ticket Awards, Amusements Today. Accessed 2023-02-27.
See also[]
External links[]
- X2 - Six Flags Magic Mountain at Six Flags
- X - No Limits (archived 2004-02-12, 2001-10-06)
- X2 at Coasterpedia
X2 at the Roller Coaster DataBase- X2 (roller coaster) at Wikipedia
