Montaña Suiza
| Montaña Suiza | |
|---|---|
 The leading car of a train of Montaña Suiza. | |
| Monte Igueldo Amusement Park | |
| Coordinates | 43°19′14″N 2°00′38″W / 43.320677°N 2.010657°WCoordinates: 43°19′14″N 2°00′38″W / 43.320677°N 2.010657°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 1928 |
| General statistics | |
| Designer | Erich Heidrich |
| Track layout | Terrain |
| Lift/launch system | Cable-lift |
| Height | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Length | 1,312.3 ft (400.0 m) |
| Speed | 31 mph (50 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 1:30 |
|
Montaña Suiza at RCDB Pictures of Montaña Suiza at RCDB | |
Montaña Suiza ("The Swiss Mountain" in English) is a steel scenic railway roller coaster located at Monte Igueldo Amusement Park, on the coast at San Sebastián, Spain. It was designed and built by German engineer Erich Heidrich and opened at the site in 1928.[1] It is the oldest steel roller coaster still operating in the world.
The ride was built with wooden running rails which were in a trough, like usual scenic railways; only the trough is partially set into the landscape and is concrete in construction. The ride lacks the tradition supporting trestles of scenic railways; the track running in depressions made into the ground and along the top of a coastal wall at one point. The running rails have since been changed to steel.[2]
The roller coaster operates with two trains, each of which are composed of two 2x5 person cars. The cars are wooden in construction and ride on steel bogies; like scenic railways at Margate, UK, Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, UK and Luna Park, Melbourne. A brakeman still rides on board each train to control its speed.