- The first piece of steel track for the new Iron Menace coaster has arrived at Dorney Park
- It made a more than 500-mile journey from Clermont Steel Fabricators in Batavia, Ohio
- It's the first truckload of what will be about 68 total
SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP, Pa. – The first piece of steel track for Dorney Park’s new roller coaster arrived Thursday, officials said.
The piece of track made the more-than-500-mile journey from Clermont Steel Fabricators in Batavia, Ohio.
Park officials said the piece, which is part of the station, represents the first truckload of what will be about 68 total.
“Once [it was] secured on the site, Dorney Park team members draped a Phillies flag on the track piece, making it official… the Iron Menace is a Phillies fan,” a release said.
Days earlier, park electrician Mike Hartkorn carried a Phillies flag to the top of the 205-foot lift hill of Dorney’s Steel Force roller coaster.
Hartkorn could be seen waving the Phillies flag attached to a pole from the top of the ride.
A 95-degree drop
Iron Menace will be the Northeast’s first ever “dive” roller coaster, featuring a 95-degree drop. Its design will pay homage to the Lehigh Valley’s industrial heritage.
It's the first new roller coaster constructed at the park since Hydra was built in 2005.
Riders will start their journey in the remains of an old steel mill, then climb 160 feet. The coaster then will suspend passengers before a 95-degree drop, looking straight down before a sudden release.
It also will have the first-ever tilted, or inclined, loop on a dive coaster — meaning the train will enter a vertical loop at an angle.
On track to opening
The new ride is being built on the site of the former Stinger roller coaster, north of Dorney Park Road and Lincoln Avenue.
The coaster will feature nearly 2,200 feet of steel track and reach speeds up to 64 mph.
After the initial drop, the train will pull up sharply and flip 180 degrees in an Immelmann inversion. A zero G-roll will dish out a 360-degree inversion, followed by a tilted loop and a 360-degree corkscrew spin.
Construction is slated to finish in spring 2024, and the ride will open that season.
