Poll Question: Is Goliath a Steel? Wood? or Hybrid Coaster?

[Jackluver18]

I may not be familiar with the lingo but can someone explain to me what a Topper Track is? I've heard it said around the site but I haven't a clue as to what it is.

[DejaVu2001]

That picture is about as clear an explanation as can be given. Everything that is red is steel. The top "rail portion" is all hollow steel which is filled with some type of compound after installation.

[nick42085]

That picture is about as clear an explanation as can be given. Everything that is red is steel. The top "rail portion" is all hollow steel which is filled with some type of compound after installation.

Where was that pic taken? Is that Goliath?

[Sporlo]

It looks like a display piece. It was posted in August 2012. Check the URL.

[JimPanky]

That pic was in a coaster critic article about Outlaw Run. It does look like a display piece.

[Millennium310]

Getting back to the poll, I voted hybrid because the word hybrid, by definition, means "composed of mixed parts". Looking at the track picture, I see two parts (wood and steel) put together. In addition, it was said earlier in the thread that if the wood was taken out of the topper track, it would function like a Vekoma track. On the contrary, what would happen if the steel was taken off? Would it not function like a wooden coaster?

[DeathbyDinn]

^ But wood coasters don't run right on the wood. They run on steel track on top of the wood. So by the definition of "composed of mixed parts" all wood coasters are hybrid because they all have wood and steel.

in my opinion, there isn't such a thing as a "hybrid track" coaster, only "hybrid structure" coasters like Hades, Gemini or Texas Giant.

[Millennium310]

^ I intended not to be that literal, but you do have a point.

[w00dland]

Looking at the photos of the track, I'm not sure how a coaster could get much more "hybrid" than Goliath. A traditional woodie has one steel strip run along the center of the wooden track, which gets so beat up every year it needs to be incrementally replaced each season.

Goliath has steel completely enveloping the wooden track, and even has two layers between the top wheels and the wood, meaning it's going to be smooth as silk. It's clearly not a traditional wooden coaster, and clearly not a steel coaster either. Why hasn't anyone given a huge argument toward the middle of the road opinion yet?

[BBH]

Looking at the photos of the track, I'm not sure how a coaster could get much more "hybrid" than Goliath. A traditional woodie has one steel strip run along the center of the wooden track, which gets so beat up every year it needs to be incrementally replaced each season.

Goliath has steel completely enveloping the wooden track, and even has two layers between the top wheels and the wood, meaning it's going to be smooth as silk. It's clearly not a traditional wooden coaster, and clearly not a steel coaster either. Why hasn't anyone given a huge argument toward the middle of the road opinion yet?

Because it's a bloody wooden coaster.

[Sporlo]

Looking at the photos of the track, I'm not sure how a coaster could get much more "hybrid" than Goliath. A traditional woodie has one steel strip run along the center of the wooden track, which gets so beat up every year it needs to be incrementally replaced each season.

Goliath has steel completely enveloping the wooden track, and even has two layers between the top wheels and the wood, meaning it's going to be smooth as silk. It's clearly not a traditional wooden coaster, and clearly not a steel coaster either. Why hasn't anyone given a huge argument toward the middle of the road opinion yet?

Because it's a bloody wooden coaster.

That is not an argument, in case you were confused.

[Ace]

This should get re-polled with the recent design changes. #hybrid

[CoasterCale]

This is a toughie.

[Iron Wolf 90-11]

It's a wooden coaster. End of discussion.

[Ace]

^Brilliant Arguement

[kossdude1]

Just because the lift hill structure is made of steel beams doesn't automatically make it steel or hybrid. No re-poll is needed, Goliath is WOODEN.

[CoasterCale]

Just because the lift hill structure is made of steel beams doesn't automatically make it steel or hybrid. No re-poll is needed, Goliath is WOODEN.

True

[FParker185]

the track/trains haven't changed at all, so no matter what you chose earlier, it remains the same.

[Sporlo]

the track/trains haven't changed at all, so no matter what you chose earlier, it remains the same.

Now THIS is an argument.

[DeathbyDinn]

Hybrid is based off of track and support structure though, not track and trains. It definitely wasn't a hybrid before because it was wood track on a wood structure. Now that it's wood on wood and steel, I guess you could argue hybrid, personally for me I'm still saying wood because the majority of the structure is still wood.

[FParker185]

I never hear rides such as Hoosier Hurricane, Cornball Express, Voyage, Coney Cyclone, etc called hybrids though, they are all generally considered wood coasters.

[JimPanky]

Hurricane is all steel supports isnt it? I have wondered that seeing this debate. I have always seen Hurricane listed as wood.

Sent from my XT897 using Tapatalk

[DeathbyDinn]

^^ True, and even RCDB only puts Cyclone and Voyage in the "Hybrid" category, but not Hurricane and Cornball. I guess most people just go off of track type when classifying rides because it's both easier to explain and most probably don't care what the supports are made of.

[FParker185]

Enthusiast community has generally gone by what the track is made out of, the only arguments these days are about Topper Track and Laser cut prefab track being wood coasters which is split about 50/50 regardless of the structure holding it up. Recently a bunch of people have brought wheels into the equations, where if it's not an all steel wheel, then it's not a true wooden coaster. While I disagree with that, I can see the logic behind it, and I always make sure to bring up Wodan at Europa which is a 100% traditional wood coaster recently built by GCI but noise from the ride carrying into other sections of the park and destroying the theme would have been unacceptable, so it runs poly wheels.

[tp41190]

I still believe this track style is hybrid.

There will never be any real definition of what is a wood, steel, or hybrid coaster. A steel coaster is a steel coaster because it uses steel as the primary material for function and support. A wooden coaster uses wood for its primary structure and support. If you were to take the steel strips off of a wooden coaster, and take wheel material totally out of the equation, the ride would hypothetically still function the same way. A wooden coaster is not dependant on those steel rails for holding it together.

But looking at topper track, it is using both steel and wood to function. If you take the wood out of the design, the rails would not be able to hold themselves up properly. If you take the steel out of the design, those wooden pieces would not do anything to hold up the ride functionality either. The wood is just a filler material that could be replaced by other materials…if someone really wanted to try it. If a certain type of plastic or rubber was used instead of wood, you wouldn’t call this a plastic coaster. Since the design is dependent on both materials, it should not be classified as either steel or wood alone.

To reference another example, Gemini is classified as a hybrid coaster. Wood is not just used to hold up the steel track, it is actually holding it together in spots. Wood has a more important function then used just as a support material.