XLR-8
XLR-8 (pronounced "accelerate") was a steel suspended roller coaster. It was designed by Arrow Dynamics (at the time called 'Arrow-Huss') and located at Six Flags AstroWorld from when it was constructed in 1984 until the park closed in 2005. It was the successor to the troubled Bat at Kings Island, which had closed due to several problems.
| XLR-8 | |
|---|---|
 XLR-8 in 2004 showing the different orientation of cars | |
| Six Flags AstroWorld | |
| Location | Six Flags AstroWorld |
| Coordinates | 29.674818°N 95.405643°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | May 12, 1984 |
| Closing date | October 30, 2005 |
| Cost | $3,200,000[1] |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Suspended |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Model | Suspended roller coaster |
| Height | 81 ft (25 m) |
| Length | 3,000 ft (910 m) |
| Speed | 34.1 mph (54.9 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 3:00 |
| Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) |
| XLR-8 at RCDB Pictures of XLR-8 at RCDB | |
Car reversal
For AstroWorld's Fright Fest 2002 event, the last four cars on XLR-8's trains were reversed, which had never been done before on any other suspended roller coaster.[2] The change was successful, and the trains remained like that until the park's closure in 2005.[3]
Closure
On September 12, 2005, it was announced that AstroWorld would close permanently at the end of the 2005 season and would be demolished shortly afterwards.[4] XLR-8 closed along with the rest of the park on October 30, 2005.[2] Some of the train cars, if not all, were sent to Six Flags Magic Mountain, where they are now used on Ninja.[2][3]
References
- "Astroworld to introduce new coaster". Houston: The Baytown Sun. April 12, 1984. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- "XLR-8". Roller Coaster DataBase.
- Rouner, Jef (March 18, 2015). "Where Are AstroWorld's Roller Coasters Now?". Houston Press.
It was the first suspended coaster to ever try reversing some of the cars so that riders could experience the thrills backwards, though it sadly only did so for the last three years of the park's life.
- Houston Business Journal (September 12, 2005). "Houston's AstroWorld theme park to close". Houston Business Journal. Archived from the original on March 22, 2009.