The Experience
Introduction
Rutschebanen is a classic side friction, scenic railway wooden coaster made by L.A. Thompson in 1914. The coaster is currently one of the oldest rollercoasters still in operation and thankfully, it doesn't seem like it - or its iconic brakemen(or women) - are going anywhere, anytime soon.
They don't make them like this anymore (literally)
While the side friction wooden roller coasters where the preferred type of coaster (or actually the only type really) at the time this coaster what made, they are not a rare breed. Out of all of them, Rutschebanen in Tivoli Gardens might be the most prominent of them all, both for the park it sits in but also for its unique ride experience. Not only is the brakeman a feature that brings both energy and re-rideability and not just novelty, but the large mountain the coaster resides in, gives it a unique touch and sense of personality that doesn't mirror any modern coaster. In other words, Rutschebanen is a true classic and that becomes clear as stone as soon as you ride it.
A buzzbar, a brakeman and a dream
While Rutschebanen doesn't have beyond vertical drops at 200ft or powerful LSM launches or inversions of any kind, what it does have, are two things that makes most enthusiasts even more excited. The brakeman is a completely unique feature, especially now that Bakken removed theirs (a big downgrade btw), which adds so much energy and gives the possibility for staff-passenger interactions even while on the ride itself. The very sought after buzzbar also allow a free and open ride experience that you don't even get on junior coasters, and this ride ain't no junior coaster, aight. The restraints (or lack thereof) allows you to feel all the turns and airtime that this coaster CAN offer (more about that in a minute). Overall this ancient coaster, despite its age, still manages to thrill riders well over a centaury after it was built.
At the Brakeman's mercy
Now when it comes to the ride experience itself, the mountain and its many dark tunnels offers a lot of personality but regarding forces, you are entirely at the brakemans mercy. Get a strict brakeman and you will stay firmly seated the entire way through with some mild laterals on the turns. Get a lenient brakemen and you will be out of your seat at several occasions while slamming into the person next to you on the turns. There are not a lot of rides that varies this heavily in terms of the speed you take the elements at but while the brakemen obviously follow a strict plan of when and how much to brake, the very nature of a person-controlled brake system allows for a much bigger difference in how it effects the ride experience.
Conclusion
Rutschebanen is a true classic with a unique ride experience that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else. It is by no means the fastest, wildest or most intense ride experience out there but for a family coaster, it's top tier and even just as a rollercoaster, it's damn fine rollercoaster which keeps aging like fine wine thanks to how greatly the parks cares about it.
Gallery
Rutschebanen Gallery
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Strengths & Weaknesses
| Theming & Immersion | |
| Buzzbar & Brakeman | |
| Long ride experience | |
| Can give some very good rides | |
| Strict brakeman kills the ride |
Information
NameRutschebanen
Year1914
ParkLoading...
ManufacturerL.A. Thompson
ModelScenic Railway
ScaleFamily-Thrill
Ride Count5
Technical Specs
Specifications
Sit DownScenic RailwaySide FrictionBrakemanCustom
TypeWood
Length2362,2 ft
Height39,4 ft
Drop42,3 ft
Speed37,3 mph
Inversions0
Duration130 sec
Notes
Rutschebanen is "Roller Coaster" in danish. The coaster is one of the oldest operating coasters in the world.