Expedition GeForce

Expedition GeForce is a steel roller coaster located at Holiday Park in Haßloch, Germany. It is one of the largest roller coasters in Europe and has an 82 degree first drop. The trains travel up to 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) through a course 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) long with seven periods of weightlessness. At its highest, the ride reaches 53 metres (174 ft) above ground.^[1]

Expedition GeForce
Holiday Park
Location	Holiday Park
Coordinates	49.320°N 8.295°E / 49.320; 8.295
Status	Operating
Opening date	June 18, 2001
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Intamin
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	Mega Coaster
Lift/launch system	Cable lift hill
Height	174 ft (53 m)
Drop	168 ft (51 m)
Length	4,002.7 ft (1,220.0 m)
Speed	74.6 mph (120.1 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1:15
Max vertical angle	82°
Capacity	1300 riders per hour
G-force	4.5
Height restriction	55 in (140 cm)
Expedition GeForce at RCDB

Until the opening of Silver Star at Europa-Park, it was the tallest roller coaster operating on the European mainland.

Ride information

The ride opened on June 18, 2001 to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of Holiday Park's operation, costing approximately €10 million. It has a maximum throughput of 1,300 riders per hour, with two 28-seater trains in operation. The track rests on 209 foundations, which are up to 20 metres deep.

It was constructed by Swiss manufacturers Intamin, which markets this type of coaster as Mega Coaster, in collaboration with German engineer Werner Stengel. Unlike many other coasters, the ride does not employ a conventional chain lift but a faster cable lift with a catch car, very similar to the system used for Millennium Force. It is one of the prebuilt rides in RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 and NoLimits.

Ride layout

From the station, the trains ascend the 174-foot (53 m) lift hill and encounter the first drop, which at 82°, makes a 74° right-hand turn. The ride continues with several large hills, which give a sensation of air-time, especially in the rear of the trains, and a number of overbanked turns, before becoming more twisted as the ride runs through woods and over a lake. Just before entering the brake run, the trains negotiate a series of bunny hops, again giving riders considerable amounts of air-time.

Vehicles

The coaster has two trains of seven cars each. Each car seats two across in two rows. The trains are stainless steel with stadium-style seating. Each seat has an individual lap bar in addition to a seatbelt.^{[citation needed]}

Incident

On April 28, 2010 a train full of passengers came to a sudden stop when one of the cars derailed just after completing the ride's first drop. Firefighters evacuated all riders. None were seriously injured.^{[citation needed]}

Rankings

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters

Year	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2021	2022	2023	2024
Ranking	8[2]	3[3]	4[4]	6[5]	6[6]	6[7]	5[8]	6[9]	6[10]	7[11]	6[12]	3[13]	3[14]	3[15]	4[16]	5[17]	4[18]	5[19]	6[20]	6[21]	6[22]	9[23]