The Orient Express...A Lost Friend.

Okay, so the title is a bit mellow dramatic, but by this time of the year I have severe cabin fever and I'm ready to go ride some coasters. However, I am saddened that my favorite coaster of all time - The Orient Express of Worlds of Fun - was laid to rest a few years ago. Granted, it was certainly a timely death because all of the wear and tear over its glorious lifespan had left it a maintenance and accident prone nightmare. And though, in its final years, I continued to enjoy my rides on it, the ride experience had deteriorated to the point of causing the average rider much pain and discomfort.

The Orient was, in fact, my first major roller coaster and, as every coaster lover knows, your first always holds a special place in your heart. However, my infatuation of this coaster was based on more than it it just being my first. I've ridden several amazing coasters over the years and while they certainly have particular elements that make them great, the Orient was great at accentuating a range of different elements that, today, would seem rather average, but back in the day, it was a fairly formidable monster. With a first drop of 115 feet and four inversions, it was a world-class coaster when it opened in 1980. The signature features included a set of 2 interlocking elliptical loops, an element found on only 2 other coasters to date, and the first of its kind Kamikaze Kurve element also known as a bowtie or 1st generation boomerang inversion.

To be honest, my first few rides were terrifying for me, from the initial tunnel leading to the chain lift, to the anticipation-building slow curving approach to the first drop, and that moment when the track seemed to fall out from under you as you plummeted 115 feet towards the ground. From that point on it seemed to be a blur of ecstasy intermingled with fear until the final brake run. Of course, the more I rode it, the less I feared it, and before long, I was hooked.

Well, it had a good life and I'll miss it. So, here's to my favorite coaster, The Orient Express, and the man behind the design, Ron Toomer formerly of Arrow Dynamics. I've included a Point-Of-View video of the ride for you to enjoy, please forgive the quality. Also, I shot this video before I was aware of onride video etiquette and the permissions necessary to shoot video of this nature. I am, of course aware of that now, so please spare the lectures. Enjoy!