Designed by renowned Swiss company, Intamin AG, the Tower of Terror is the first of its kind in the world, using the very the latest freefall technology available.
The Tower of Terror was built in December 1997 in the Dreamworld themepark, after more than 12 months of planning and research, at an incredible cost of $16 million - while the cost of erecting the tower alone totalled over one million dollars.
Peaking at 38 storeys high (115 metres) and stretching the equivalent of three football fields across the Park (330 metres), the Tower of Terror is the world’s leading edge thrill ride, achieving unprecedented speeds of up to 160 km per hour using newly developed electro-magnetic acceleration technology.
The Tower of Terror also held the world record as the tallest freefall tower in the world for around 12 months, before being narrowly beaten by Knottsberry Farm’s [California USA] new tower with a higher flagpole on top of it (although this does not feature the dual vehicle option)
Riders achieve maximum thrills rocketing up the ride’s 115 metre tower before free-falling back down to earth backwards, while experiencing 6.5 magnificent seconds of weightlessness.
The ride sensation is FANTASTIC! - and in my humble opinion, was worth every bit of the 16 million AUS dollars it cost to build it. This ride has really transformed Dreamworld into a world class themepark.
Although the ride itself lasts little over 15 seconds, I can honestly say it was the best adrenaline rush I’ve ever experienced. Accelerating from 0 to 165km in just over 3 seconds, all you can hear is the loud roaring wind, while your eyes water as you struggle to keep them open. Before you realise, you’ve turned 90° into the air - and are soon plummeting back down the 38-story tower. Within 3 seconds, the electro-magnetic acceleration bricks are reversed - stopping the 15-person vehicle back at the loading station.
A unique, state-of-the-art linear motor system propels the passengers to reach this incredible 160 km/hour speed, making it the most technologically-advanced ride in the world. To generate these intense speeds, an incredible 2,200,000 watts (2.2 megawatts) of power, enough to power a small town!, is applied for six or seven seconds. This momentarily doubles Dreamworld’s total power usage. This compares to the 20 watts used by the average fluorescent light.
Electro-magnetic forces propel the ride’s launch pod progressively faster and faster until it reaches top speed. The 300 metre horizontal track acts like a series of powerful magnets, forcing the metallic passenger vehicle forward with a series of ever-increasing electrical charges. The same magnetic forces are then reversed to create a braking system as the ride speeds to its dramatic end.
The magnets themselves are so powerful that it would take a winch to prise them apart if their opposite poles were ever joined together.
Some Interesting Facts on the ToT:
- More than 600 tonnes of steel were used to construct the Tower of Terror, with around 450 tonnes for the 115 metre tower alone.
- “Tower of Terror” is spelled out on the ride’s 115 metre tower using 4.5 tonnes of steel. Each letter measures between 1.5 and 2.5 metres wide and high.
- One hundred and seventy-five concrete trucks were needed to deliver the 3,500 tonnes of concrete used to build Tower of Terror.
- Around 1,200 tonnes of concrete are dedicated to the ride’s 37 huge pylons. The 600 millimetre diameter pylons stretch across the ride’s 330 metre length, with one placed every nine metres.
- Over 16,000 bolts hold the structure together.
- It took around 3,500 litres of paint to coat the ride’s exterior.
- The futuristic steel passenger vehicle weighs around six tonnes. The car is equipped with four large wheels measuring 600 millimetres in diameter at the front and 900 millimetres at the rear.
- Five kilometres of electrical cable are used to ensure the ride’s power source.
- The full life of the magnets used to power the Tower of Terror is estimated to be 1.2 million years.
- Around 600 cubic metres, or thirty truck loads, of soil were removed to make way for the ride’s foundations.
- Up to 200 sub-contractors from around 15 local firms were engaged to work on the building project.
JUST FOR THE RECORD…
Dreamworld’s new $16 million high-tech thrill ride, the Tower of Terror will retain its title as “the fastest, tallest ride in the world” despite recent claims made by a United States theme park.
Chief Executive Officer of Dreamworld, Mr Fred Maybury today dismissed statements made in the media that “Superman - the Escape”, located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California had exceeded Dreamworld’s world speed record as “inaccurate and misleading”.
“The fact is, by design, both rides are identical reverse free fall rollercoasters and not designed to achieve a speed greater than 161 km/hour (100mph) and operate safely,” Mr Maybury said.
This has been confirmed by the ride’s manufacturer, Intamin AG of Switzerland.
“Dreamworld’s Tower of Terror is capable of matching or exceeding speeds recorded by the US ride, but for safety reasons Dreamworld chooses not to”, Mr Maybury added.
No verification or confirmation has been provided that the Tower of Terror’s speed record had been broken other than reports made in the media.
On February 7, 1997 Dreamworld’s Tower of Terror officially claimed the world speed record reaching a speed of 162 kilometres per hour (101 mph). The speed was registered on a Police calibrated hand-held Falcon radar gun and verified by a Justice of the Peace.
