It used to be a wooden coaster known simply as the Rattler, and I wasn’t very good at it.
In 2013, Six Flags Fiesta Texas worked with a travel manufacturer to rip out the traditional wood track, retrofit a sleek orange IBox steel track (more on that later), and make a number of modifications to the structure (including a first drop much longer) and, significantly, a barrel investment, more on that later as well). And now? Not only has the park drastically improved the roller coaster, it has also created a wonderful, remarkably smooth ride that is completely fun and enjoyable in its own right.
- Roller coaster type: wood and steel hybrid; Also a mountain of terrain.
- Top speed: 70 mph
- Height: 179 feet
- Drop: 171 feet
- Angle of descent: 81 degrees
- Amusement Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction
Snakes on a train
Among its unique attributes, Six Flags Fiesta Texas is built on the site of a former limestone quarry and is surrounded by a quarry wall over 100 feet high. Like some of the park’s rides, Iron Rattler is situated next to the wall, and the juxtaposition of the beautiful and imposing wooden structure, now adorned with its bright orange track, against the multi-toned limestone rock face is visually Awesome.
Riders queue up between two sculptures of a snake’s head and its rattlesnake tail and come across a vehicle outfitted with snake paraphernalia as, um, they meander through the line. To get to the charging station, they climb the stairs with railings painted the same electric orange hue as the roller coaster track.
The trains, made by well-known wooden mountain car maker Gerstlauer Amusement Rides, use polyurethane wheels (the kind generally used on traditional tubular steel roller coasters) to accommodate the all-steel track. A rattlesnake head adorns the front of each train and, you have it, a rattlesnake tail is attached to the back.
The seats, which are arranged in pairs, are quite comfortable. A single bar, which rests against passenger turns and includes shin guards, is the only restriction. Although the roller coaster includes an inversion, it does not have over-the-shoulder harnesses. A single knob on each passenger’s lap bar, which almost resembles a saddle horn, gives passengers who refrain from holding their hands (like me) something to grip.
I [insert heart sign here] IBox
The train leaves the station, turns a curve, and begins to ascend the 179-foot elevation hill. While not as fast as the elevator cable rises on roller coasters that feature them (like El Toro in Six Flags Great Adventure), the chain elevator seemed faster than a standard roller coaster. However, as the train approaches the top, the elevator slows almost to a crawl, adding a dramatic touch and heightened anticipation for the madness to come. Passengers in the middle and back of the train get a slight adrenaline rush when the train almost comes to a stop, but those in the front of the train get the full effect as they hang dangerously over the edge of the hill and look straight ahead. the quarry basin far below.
When the train finally lets go, the first drop is a delight. The track slopes and curves slightly to the left as riders dive almost downward and reach a top speed of 70 mph.
When it was first opened in 1992, the original Rattler dropped 166 feet, making it the longest drop for a wooden coaster at the time. But when it quickly gained a reputation for its excessively rough ride, Six Flags reduced the length of the first fall to 124 feet to try and improve it. After truncating the fall, the coaster still had a poisonous bite and a bad reputation.
The people behind the makeover must have really had confidence in the IBox steel track. Not only did they restore the length of the drop, they added a few feet. This fanged naked monster now collapses 171 feet. And its 81-degree angle of descent makes it an especially precarious hummingbird from a fall. Thank goodness for posting dear life on the lap bar.
After sprinting to the quarry floor, the riders rise up and hit the first, and most powerful, of a few minutes of airtime. (A little more general trip airtime would be even better.) While many (most?) Roller coasters tend to offer a more wild and time-filled ride on the back of the train, we found the front to be more intense, in a good way. (The middle and back of the train also provide nice bursts of airtime – they’re just not that intense.)
Acrobatic grace
For people who love roller coasters, intense in a good way is a good thing, and Iron Rattler is loaded with intense and very good stuff. He takes his 179 feet of pent-up energy, the first 171 foot drop, the 70 mph rush to the sky with its wicked surge of airtime, and everything else that follows in stride. There are no chills, no shaking, no squeals, no sharp, forceful blows. There is nothing but a wonderful ride (although intense in a good way).
For that, congratulations should go to Rocky Mountain Construction, the ride’s manufacturer and the engineering wizards who built the new ride and developed the IBox steel track which it also calls its ‘Iron Horse’ track. As its name implies, the track consists of I-shaped steel girders with channels created by the upper and lower parts of the “I” in which the upper stop wheels of the trains fit perfectly. Thanks to the voodoo behind the IBox track design advance, what had once been an infamously hard ride is now a ride famous for its smoothness.
Fiesta Texas Park President Jeffrey Siebert refers to Iron Rattler as a “museum-quality ride.”
It’s a remarkable makeover and represents Rocky Mountain Construction’s second installation of their groundbreaking track. The first was completed in 2012 for the upgrade from the Texas Lumber Giant to the New Texas Giant hybrid at Six Flags Over Texas. Given that revamped thrill machine also received rave reviews, it’s no wonder the park chain actually relied on the IBox steel track for its Fiesta Texas roller coaster reboot. (Since Iron Rattler opened, RMC has turned a number of “forests” into hybrid roller coasters.)
But Iron Rattler makes a better Texas giant sister: It goes the other way around. Sure, tubular steel roller coasters have long included inversions, but they can be remarkably rough at times. Given the stats close to Iron Rattler’s hypercoaster, the silky smoothness of the barrel inversion on this IBox-enhanced ride is even more remarkable. After going through its first airtime pop at roughly 70 mph, the coaster stays near the top of the quarry, curves and enters the barrel with acrobatic grace.
If rollercoaster investing were an Olympic sport, all judges would have “10” cards after the ride unwinds its twisted element with poise.
Forget the conventional wisdom
Emerging from the right side up from the inversion, the train runs up and over the quarry wall. It offers some powerful (but, once again, mild) lateral G-forces as the track slopes severely to the right and left. There are also some bursts of airtime more courtesy of some small hills. The ride starts to lose a bit of speed here, and in the confusion of the moment, passengers may think that the roller coaster has almost reached its lowest point and that it should return to the station soon.
But as you move along the edge of the wall, they are reminded, “Oh yeah. We’ve been to the top of a 100 foot quarry cliff for the past few moments and… wait a sec! «The final fall in the quarry is unexpected, long and powerful. A synchronized geyser of water erupts on the quarry floor. (when it works) to rate the fall.
The train runs up the quarry wall and enters a tunnel drilled next to it for a few disorienting moments of semi-darkness and flashing light effects. The riders emerge back into daylight and launch themselves to a firm brake that abruptly stops the action. Iron Rattler then returns to the station.
Have you ever petted a snake? Despite conventional wisdom, scaly creatures do not have rough skin and are actually quite smooth. Forget past history and the conventional wisdom that a wooden thrill machine of such large proportions must impart a tough, hard ride. Intense in a good way? Of course. Prepare to be amazed and in awe of this hybrid’s wonderfully smooth ride.
