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 were the preferred type of coaster (or actually the only type really) at the time this coaster was made, they are now 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 make 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 allows 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) allow 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 century 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 offer a lot of personality but regarding forces, you are entirely at the brakeman's 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 brakeman and you will be out of your seat on several occasions while slamming into the person next to you on the turns. There are not a lot of rides that vary 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 affects 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 a damn fine rollercoaster which keeps aging like fine wine thanks to how greatly the park cares about it.

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