Steel Phantom's Final Day - September 4th, 2000 - Kennywood Park

[@SeanFlaharty]

Check out the remastered version of this video with additional footage in 60 frames per second. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6jNk4GQoLJ3f6s

[@jeremynolan4681]

This was the first "real" roller coaster I ever rode and maaaan I miss it. Phantoms Revenge is great, especially for its lack of whiplash and massive brain trauma, but the original Steel Phantom took my roller coaster virginity so it will always be very dear to me.

[@jonb2911]

So I take it your first time was pretty rough huh?

[@ziyonnahenderson6680]

It's the same thing just green

[@jeremynolan4681]

@@ziyonnahenderson6680 uhh no, it's not. The entire second half is a completely different coaster.

[@jeremynolan4681]

@@jonb2911 What can I say? I like it rough 🔗🔐

[@jayandres7968]

@@jeremynolan4681 that’s what she said

[@ProfessorIgor]

looked like a total blast !! Arrow loopers were magical to us Gen X-ers

[@MJXtube]

Wow, thank you so much for capturing this so well pre-KZbin, and sharing for all future generations to see. I am down a wicked YT rabbit-hole of Kennywood coasters in this 14th month of the pandemic, and I thought for sure there was no way the old phantom would be documented, yet here we are. You are a true beauty! One of my bigger regrets was being too scared to ride this until it's final season. While at the time I was disappointed about all the missed opportunities, looking back I'm so fortunate that I got to ride it before all the loops were taken out.

[@SeanFlaharty]

You are welcome. Thank you for watching. I loved Steel Phantom so much I purchased one of the original yellow trains that used to operate on it. Out of all the questions I get about roller coasters, Steel Phantom is one of the most popular things that folks want to know about.

[@pioneertech-w5o]

For those of you who are too young to remember this, you can really see from the video how much that ride used to beat the shit out of you

[@joshevans1494]

Especially the turn under the Thunderbolt my head was a pinball!!! lol

[@patrickstrahm05]

I hit my head on the vertical loop!

[@Mck499]

Still does lol

[@matthanlin2335]

I'm 14 I never got to ride it but I know what steel phantom is

[@CoasterMan13Official]

Steel Assault!

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

Even with the roughness, this ride had a really nice inversion layout after the drop. I love phantoms revenge but I always wonder what this would’ve been like if B&M was around in 1991.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I wonder that as well. B&M was around in 1991 but they only debuted their second coaster that year. Their first was in 1990. I also loved the inversions on SP. So intense.

[@johnfoltz8183]

And B&M would have a bigger trick up their sleeves for the 1992 season.

[@peaceandwealthseeker4504]

@@SeanFlaharty what is b&M

[@SeanFlaharty]

@@peaceandwealthseeker4504 B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) is a coaster engineering firm that creates some of the most popular and reliable steel coasters. They are from Sweden but build coasters all over the world.

[@marcbasil]

🤨🤦🏻 …you “wonder” what “this” would have been if bnm was around in 91…? What? 1) BNM were around in 1991 lol 2) This is an Arrow. Not a BnM. What’re you even talking about…?😅

[@coasterrebel9956]

Steel Phantom/Phantom's Revenge is a ride that really fascinates me. It's like no other coaster in the world and it manages to do extremely unique and intense elements. Such as that second drop which is amazing on so many levels. Phantom is definitely a coaster in my top 10

[@SeanFlaharty]

It is a fantastic ride! Truly one of a kind.

[@brycefourn2001]

Sean Flaharty It would ARGUABLY be #2 in My Top 10 Coasters. :)

[@SeanFlaharty]

I haven't been to the park many times since they changed the design of this ride so I have only ridden it a few times. While I do like, I had ridden the original probably over 100 times or so.

[@brycefourn2001]

Sean Flaharty Cool!! :)

[@urbex_coasters]

It's currently the #6 coaster for me.

[@quiptown8976]

The Steel Phantom would still be one of the top coasters to this day. A ton of speed and elements. It was rough for sure, especially for a steel coaster. If you wore earrings they made you remove them before you rode because your head would smack back and forth off of the shoulder restraints. The Phantoms Revenge is much more prototypical of a steel rollercoaster in terms of smoothness, but because of the change in restraints from shoulder to lap bar, the ride is still intense especially with those two giant drops. Truly a great coaster.

[@colddekstar]

Icl, Morgan changed The Phantom into a world class ride, from a generic, rough arrow looper to a ride with some of the strongest airtime in the world, rivaled only by maybe Steel Vengeance, but even then I don't think any of Steel Vengeance's airtime moments are as intense as The Phantom's

[@donjohnson9688]

Love the old Arrow loopers. They're a dying breed. I'm glad Kennywood at least didn't tear the whole thing down. Shame on the other parks for destroying rollercoaster history completely.

[@oneandonlysound99]

I know right? Vortex at King's Island could've made an excellent coaster of this style and been more twisty to avoid being too much like a normal hyper as well (since they already have one, but even if kennywood HAD gotten a B&M hyper this would still be unique tbh). Instead they made a ditch and built a lackluster "for a giga." I think Six Flags has made uncesssary alterations or trashed stuff they could've done good with but gg with the entire cedar fair chain.

[@nickjohnson7494]

History is one thing, but those rides sucked

[@mutedmutiny9542]

Man I really cherish this ride. I thought I had gotten over my fear of roller coasters when I went to this park and then I saw that second drop - from the queue it literally looked like it was taking you straight to hell with no end of the drop in sight, it was immensely intimidating. That said it was also immensely exhilarating and I loved every second of it. I was young and most coasters were rough in the 90’s so I was never really thinking about how rough it was, it was just an insanely fast, insanely big coaster.

[@jasminstuart4014]

wow kennywood looks so different back then, i wasn’t even alive when the phantom closed down lol

[@K1200R]

If I remember right, the first time I rode this was in the mid 90s and at a later point they had to slow it down because it was that wicked. Ill never forget the neck and head trauma of those inversions lol

[@Shockzone1495]

1:48 foreshadowing of Phantom's Revenge track.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I heard they did that just to see what the green would look like. Not sure if that was true or not but it wouldn’t surprise me if they did it for some hype. During the last hour of its life, the park sold Phantom’s Revenge shirts. Needless to say that a few of us bought shirts and rode Steel Phantom while wearing them. Lol.

[@Shockzone1495]

@@SeanFlaharty that's pretty cool and interesting

[@afr0plays342]

But it’s purple now 😤

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

@@SeanFlaharty Something something happened at Cedar Point, where they started repainting Mantis's track in the summer of 2014 well before the actual floorless conversion and renaming to Rougarou was announced.

[@Stacey89]

I remember that I only got to ride this once before they changed it to the Phantom's Revenge. I also remember that by the end of it I had a terrible headache from hitting the sides of the harness constantly, especially during that part with the loop lol. Good times...

[@SeanFlaharty]

While I never had any issues with the restraints causing head banging, I know plenty of folks who did. That’s one of the reasons the park opted to “fix” the ride. While I do miss the original, I love Phantom’s Revenge.

[@2kthrills168]

That transition into the corkscrew looks brutal

[@SeanFlaharty]

It was very sudden.

[@devinmarbury4967]

Oh it hurt lol. Sitting in the front/middle of the ride is where you felt it the least.

[@ValarMorghulis...]

It was the best inversion of all. What a beautifully designed coaster. It's speed was why it didn't work out in reality. They should've changed the design to MORE HILLS & keep playing back & forth & up & down the valley back there at the Thunderbolt! So much speed it could be such a longer ride with dips & curves all around. I wanted to be a roller coaster engineer growing up.. I think I'd make some magical rides for people to enjoy forever.

[@BlueScreenBoy210]

The coaster that started my coaster enthusiastism

[@brycefourn2001]

i also love the chain lift sounds on recent Arrow coasters!

[@SeanFlaharty]

I do as well.

[@brycefourn2001]

Sean Flaharty Yeah, it reminds me of the Magnum.

[@Neptune5111.1]

1:21 the way it goes through the loop and batwing is beautiful

[@SeanFlaharty]

That was quite the intense moment.

[@VanquishDBS94]

the way the initial climb would give me whiplash

[@MrMoet]

Those Arrow loops were so tightly coiled

[@Itsyaboyharry98]

Listening to those trims fire off before the first loop is chilling, you knew you were in for a bad time.

[@thelifeofmarek1300]

1:47 if you look closer you can see green track for the phantom’s revenge

[@jtbowman132]

That second drop is insaaaane. I really wish more coasters utilized the terrain and elevation differences like that.

[@YuukiTakemoto1996]

This video was taken a few weeks before TOM 2 debuted on Toonami. September 2000... what a time.

[@Jay-se2ym]

I remember this coaster just slamming my head side to side. I was younger though and rode it 2 yrs b4 they took it out. It was extremely rough lol

[@SeanFlaharty]

The original was very violent. But, that's why I liked it. I normally am not one to support overly rough rides but Steel Phantom was incredibly intense and wasn't for everyone. I loved it though. I do love the new version even better.

[@santi-timmy7120]

But I can hear the arrow’s chain lift 0:02 0:11 0:27 0:38 and 0:43.

[@Kreutz]

Getting to ride this in the first car first row was an experience

[@jimhurst82]

1:33 I always yelled, “Yeahhh, corkscrew mother******!!”

[@monvalleytruth5111]

Hell yea thank you for sharing an image of my childhood ❤

[@SeanFlaharty]

You are welcome! Thanks for checking out the video.

[@brycefourn2001]

The video featured a little queue walkthrough and a on-ride POV!

[@Tom-zp1rp]

This thing was awesome and I recall it fondly but I also will never forget how it smashed your head between the shoulder bars 200x a second especially under the thunderbolt.

[@yakov9542]

I had a migraine for a week after this ride, it was a good time.

[@internetvide0]

I rode it in when I was a kid when it first came out and it really bashed my head around lol

[@SeanFlaharty]

Yea, the original Steel Phantom was pretty violent. I still liked it a lot though.

[@interstate50RoadVideos]

I can't find Corkscrew Coaster 1.

[@nicoleackerman205]

I remember my dad and uncles had to ride the last year of the steel phantom.

[@afr0plays342]

1:49 damn the pitfall but what’s that building? I forgot the slingshot isn’t even there either

[@SeanFlaharty]

I think that building is the little shops that are in front of the fountain.

[@HyBr1dRaNg3r]

Going down the 2nd drop down the valley was always amazing😌Miss this one

[@SeanFlaharty]

That was always my favorite part of the original, and newer version of the coaster. It's a legendary element.

[@SoccerViewMD]

I remember going on this ride shortly after it opened. No one really knew about it and man what a surprised. Yes it was brutal and once you got off your were beat up but it was so worth it. Remembered took for ever to get up the first drop to coming down then from nowhere going straight down 225+ ft down into four loops. Man it was fun when I was YOUNG lol. Great to look back. Thanks

[@legendofhearts]

I was 1 day old when this happened. I remember in elementary school reading a book about coasters and finding the Steel Phantom in there and I was always so sad I never got to ride it. I ride the Phantom every time I go to Kennywood, but I wish I got to experience those loops.

[@Thelightning1out]

My mom told me they were painful 20 years ago so unfortunately passed away 7 years ago.

[@GamingkingzOnYT]

i wish they still had the loop :(

[@tonyisreal446]

Airtime is better

[@Darkaxelgaming-tt7ip]

Nah speed is better

[@tonyisreal446]

@@Darkaxelgaming-tt7ip laterals are better

[@ridewithace]

Great footage!!!

[@SeanFlaharty]

Thank!

[@natedonthate4291]

@@SeanFlaharty you lol

[@evangibson8020]

The second drop is iconic.

[@wildcatenthusiast8888]

Thank god we got Phantom’s Revenge out of it because it is an elite ride. Dang. I also just learned that was a drop tower right in the center of that helix.

[@susanray8359]

This was one coaster in my opinion, that sitting pretty much anywhere but in the very front car, made it more fun! With another car in front of yours, as you crested that hill at beginning, with the way the track turns back towards itself, it looked and felt, first like you were going to crash into the parking lot, and then next second you could see it's the road you will crash into...😂😂 The Steel Phantom was rough, especially for a steel coaster, but the 2 tight loops were also awesome, because you(or "I was" would be correct, please forgive my usage of the word "you", when obviously it was myself and I am cleary giving my own personal perspective) were definitely made to feel as if the coaster cars were going to smash into each other! The coaster was extremely fast for it's kind, especially considering the track layout, and it was unforgiving in the way those forces thrashed riders about, it played with your mind and literally shook you and your scenes. It was practically over as fast as it started and in the end, when it was over, you couldn't believe you were still in one piece! Sitting in the front car was still fun and could give you the sense of crashing after cresting the hill at the beginning, but you could see the track in front of you too well from that seat that the end of the track illusion ended a bit too quickly. It was more fun for me to watch the cars disappear over the crest and then have the car in front blocking the downward view as they begin to drop in front of you, making it look and feel like your destination is going to be that parking lot. For most roller coasters it's the first or the last seat, or both, that provide the optimal ride experience, but this was a coaster that being around the middle but just slightly towards the back, was the position that was the most fun for me, this placement maximized the "we are so about to crash" feeling. The back was fun too, but you didn't get to experience the we are about crash feeling for nearly as long during the loops. I miss the Steel Phantom!

[@JMaster9877]

As someone who was born at the end of the 90s and the Phantoms Revenge was the only one I ever knew, can someone explain the differences to me? Most of it loomd the same except for the upside down loops

[@SeanFlaharty]

The original was rougher and a lot more intense. I loved it. You had to kind of know how to ride it but once you figured it out, it was bliss! The inversions were a lot more intense than the other Arrow loopers I had ridden before it.

[@nicholasandreone2773]

I think it’s more nostalgia for the people growing up in Pittsburgh during that era. The steel phantom was my first steel rollercoaster. It was incredibly rough though so I suppose it’s best that it was reinvented lol

[@jeffs2149]

It’s a shame not all Arrow looping coasters can get the Phantom’s Revenge treatment like this one did.

[@fom3788]

What was the cave used for it’s still there to this day

[@judiplaz]

There used to be a miniature golf course. That cave was part of it

[@deluxedoorman]

Sean, I noticed an old comment of yours that said you bought the yellow train that operated on Steel Phantom. Where do you store an entire coaster train?! As an avid Arrow Dynamics fan I have to say I am jealous and what a collector’s item that is! Thanks for the awesome blast from the past video.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I may have mis-typed that comment. I actually owned a car from one of the trains. Not the whole train. I was contacted the evening before that the park was getting rid of the old yellow cars. It was just the shell. No restraints or anything like that. The park knew how much of a fan I was of the ride so they offered to sell one of the cars to me for $100, plus transportation. I had another friend that also bought one so we traveled together with a truck to pick them up. I had no place to store the car so my friend stored it with his. I never saw it once it arrived at his place. Many years went by and I was contacted by someone from ACE who asked if I wanted to get rid of it for a possible restoration for the museum. I gave them the contact info for my buddy who had both cars. My car was in bad shape so I doubt it was fixed up. Still, I can add that to my strange list of things that I actually did or owned at one point. Lol.

[@deluxedoorman]

@@SeanFlaharty Wow, thanks so much for the quick and detailed reply. That is such a cool story. What an amazing thing for Kennywood to contact you personally about the car and for $100 quite a steal. Even though you don’t still have it, just a cool thing to say you owned at one point.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I had a couple friends that worked at the park who were also coaster enthusiasts. One of them was the president of ACE during that time. I may be re-editing this video soon in 60fps.

[@dustinkuebler4801]

I miss arrow. That thing moved in its inversions. And people loved it. We have reliable restraints and methods of building rides now. These old arrow loopers could be remade today and be the best rides.

[@SeanFlaharty]

While I know I was in the minority in regard to not having issues with the restraints, I think it would be interesting to see if Steel Phantom would have remained a looping coaster had it gotten the "modern" trains that we see on so many other looping coasters nowadays.

[@greengelacid2061]

The first REAL coaster I ever rode…it was spectacularly fun for its day…

[@KeepRidinCoasters]

I was looking to create a new video on my channel about the Steel Phantom, would you mind Sean If I would use some of your footage for it? I'd give you the proper credit on the video and in the description. I really wish that I would have been able to ride this coaster! Looks painful but fun! Let me know - Thank you - Brandon

[@SeanFlaharty]

Sure, you can use my footage. Thanks for giving me credit.

[@KeepRidinCoasters]

@@SeanFlaharty thank you Sean! I appreciate it!

[@SeanFlaharty]

@@KeepRidinCoasters You are welcome, dude!

[@johnfoltz8183]

0:35: Nerd shot

[@SeanFlaharty]

Absolutely!

[@MrMoet]

This has to be the best Arrow sit-down design with speed out of their full catalog .

[@SeanFlaharty]

It was a favorite, for sure.

[@nikkibaby222]

Love the ride but I think they could’ve kept at least 1 inversion

[@RMsteelerfan7]

Hi I am going to use your footage for a new video I’m working on, I will give all credit that is needed. Thank you

[@SeanFlaharty]

Yes, feel free to use. Thank you for the credit.

[@TheRubiksPilot]

My dad rode this coaster once and he said that he had neck and head pains for about a week or two. Was there any padding in the harness at all at just a little.

[@estrome8538]

I was just tall enough to ride this when it closed, I remember getting the shit kicked out of me lol roughest coaster ever. But I was pretty young so maybe that’s why

[@SirBungaminJames]

Phantom's Revenge is better nonetheless, but this is a piece of history

[@RollerCoasters62719]

I like how even with the trims it still goes way too fast through the second half

[@SeanFlaharty]

It was quite an intense ride. I was able to ride it a couple times with them off. After that, I understand why the ride was trimmed.

[@thekingofvampires40]

1:48 phantom revenge track

[@SeanFlaharty]

Indeed it is. The park started selling Phantom's Revenge t-shirts when there was about an hour left that day. A group of friends and I purchased some and wore them during the last few rides.

[@Thelightning1out]

If you pause at 1:47 you’ll notice some green track this was probably a hint they were gonna remove it at some point

[@SeanFlaharty]

At the time this video was recorded, the park had already announced it was closing. They also released a very small picture/ computer rendering of the ride with the green and black colors on the first part of the ride.. When we arrived at the park on the coaster's final day, we could't help but notice that section of green track. I was told they were testing the paint on a section of track to see what it would look like, as well as get some hype for the new version of the ride, which they kept pretty secret until a later time. I have some footage being released in a couple months which show most of the replacement track sitting in the parking lot, and its a lighter shade of green than what you seen in this video.

[@Thelightning1out]

@@SeanFlaharty intresting

[@tomh4544]

Been 15 years already wow

[@SeanFlaharty]

Wow! Time really does fly. It's hard to believe.

[@natedonthate4291]

Now 21 years!🤯

[@mike16241]

I've actually had my shoulder harness pop open on the first loop its last year. Still think it was better than phantoms revenge.

[@jimhurst82]

This always killed my ears and neck. Your head would bounce between the harness but it was still a fun ride

[@TomFeldpausch]

2:15 It's at this moment the camera person lost their camera for the rest of the ride.

[@SeanFlaharty]

Ha ha. It looks like that but in reality the battery in the camera had to be replaced as soon as the ride was over.

[@SRBAnimate]

They were so close to removing this coaster entirely. Fortunately, people convinced them to get Morgan to refurbish the ride rather than demolish it. If it weren’t for them, Phantom’s Revenge wouldn’t be with us.

[@yeshuayoursavior2522]

Have you rode the Splash Mountain Ride at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim California? I don't know why but I can handle any rollercoaster rides no problems but not sure about Splash Mountain Ride, if I can handle the big drops on rollercoasters, then I could handle the last big drop on Splash Mountain. I know certain kind of drops can be different from others.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I have ridden Splash Mountain. As it stands right now, Splash Mountain is actually the fastest ride at Disneyland, because of the drop. While it isn't the largest drop, compared to some other rides, it's still fun to ride. If you can handle coasters, I think you will like Splash Mountain.

[@reminiscer15]

I would've been able to ride it had they waited one more year but I've heard lots of people complain how rough it was so it was probably for the best that I never rode it. Just watching a POV of the ride shows the roughness when it goes through the inversions and I think the high speed and small inversions were the problem. The Phantom's Revenge can be rough too but at least it's just bunny hops and no over the shoulder restraints. I think the Phantom's Revenge is in need of an overhaul and make the bunny hops bigger to smooth it out more.

[@SeanFlaharty]

While Steel Phantom was rough, I didn't find it to be a bad ride. It wasn't for everyone. Anytime I was at the park, I would ride it quite a few times. I remember doing a coaster event there in 1998 and a small group of us rode that thing for close to two hours, in the dark, without leaving the train. I may be releasing this footage, upgraded in 60fps, soon.

[@reminiscer15]

@@SeanFlaharty Awesome, I’ll definitely watch.

[@MasonMeyers-zd9yl]

The phantoms revenge just came

[@HockeyGUY66871]

I heard the park was highly considering an Intamin giga to replace the Steel Phantom with. But the complaints from guests got them to change their minds, im glad they did, Phantoms Revenge is amazing.

[@SeanFlaharty]

While I never had heard that rumor, it would have been interesting to see what would have happened.

[@MestizoFilipino]

Cool to see how it used to be. I love me some airtime, so I don't think it was a bad move at all, to redo the ride! I can get my fix of Arrow inversions on other coasters. I need to make a drive out to Kennywood once next season!

[@SeanFlaharty]

It's a great ride. I wasn't sure if removing the inversions would improve the ride but it really did.

[@TVBlindBonsai]

Same as Rolling X Train in a Everland Seoul Korea using of 4D MaxRider Simulation Theater

[@mbgjojo2309]

Pittsburgh is my hometown i remember that ride

[@K15A6]

I honestly cant believe this wad nearly 21 years ago

[@seansweitzer647]

Miss this version of it

[@waxdoe115]

Best ride EVER... I can honestly say I been here. This ride is better then any coaster you know I remember 90mph.

[@nunya5767]

This ride beat you to pieces. The harnesses did nothing but give your head something to smack off of. The loops killed your back because they were too small and slammed the Coaster going in and out of them. When The ride was over you left with a headache and a slipped disc.

[@atmeElijah]

That little splash of green test paint at the bottom of the first hill makes me kinda sad. Sure this coaster knocked ya around a bit. But it was truly insane to ride! And it's the type of coaster you never could get used to. Know matter how many times you waited in that line, the anticipation was real.

[@tomgardner2638]

I miss the good ol Kennywood. Now the SP is lame, the Log Jammer gone, the Turnpike Cars gone, The lagoon is blocked by a coaster...

[@soccerthrowback0664]

It literally didn’t matter how hard you held your head against the headrest because it was going to bounce off the shoulder bars no matter what you did. I don’t miss that part, but I miss the loops. Phantoms Revenge is just as awesome though.

[@NickyD]

this ride was a lot better like this

[@SeanFlaharty]

I agree. Wasn't sure if I would like it or not but I really do love it now.

[@JJJJ-he8bz]

That looks ridiculously painful it’s going to those inversions so fast even with the trims

[@SeanFlaharty]

I honestly never had a problem riding this. I know there were plenty of folks that hated the ride due to it's roughness but I loved it. I remember doing a ERT, during the night, and I rode it dozens of times without leaving the train. It was awesome!

[@judiplaz]

To fast for the elements in the small space. You had to remove earrings before riding it. It was extremely rough on the neck. I'm glad they kept the speed and put the air time in.

[@88cutty]

I wish the hennigers would buy kennywood back. Its losing more and more charm each year. I was tall enough to ride the lazerloop the lastseason it was there and i remember the ear beatings the steel phantom gave but i miss the inversions.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I also miss the inversions. Steel Phantom was one of the most intense rides I have ever ridden. I remember riding it over thirty times in a row without getting out of my seat during a coaster event. I loved every ride I was able to take on it.

[@shaydelre1898]

If you didn't know how to ride this, it was dangerous. At that those speeds, you can't DO stuff like that to normal people. That's why they changed it. 20 years later there's STILL nothing that makes you feel like this ride. I just rode Candymonium and I felt like I was floating on the back of a majestical butterfly. No pain, I felt nothing. Could have taken a nap. Steely Phan ruined me for life.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I know I was in the minority but I absolutely loved Steel Phantom. While it is true you had to find out how to ride it, once I found that out, I enjoyed every ride. It wasn't for everyone though.

[@shaydelre1898]

@@SeanFlaharty i LOVED it!

[@Bradyoup]

What's Funny Is They Showed The Drop Tower As Well.

[@SeanFlaharty]

Yes, Pittfall was only a couple years old when I recorded this video.

[@micoasters]

Kennywood said after this closed there history of breaking records wasn’t over making people think an intamin giga would replace it but outcries made them hire Morgan instead

[@SeanFlaharty]

From what I was told, the park never looked at Intamin as an option as they weren't too keen on their track record. Morgan was considered early on and they went with them. I have heard so many stories about the creation of this ride that it's confusing to know what is true.

[@johnpackowski]

I worked this ride for its first 3 years

[@SeanFlaharty]

That's cool. I remember meeting a guy named Jason who also worked on the ride the first few years. He was another coaster enthusiast who knew a lot about Steel Phantom.

[@johnpackowski]

@@SeanFlaharty I worked with him! I can’t recall his last name, but yeah he was these year 2 or 3. I can’t recall! How cool.

[@SeanFlaharty]

@@johnpackowski I may be way off, but I think his last name was Arch or something like that. Maybe way off with that. My first visit to the park was in the summer of 1994. I have a video I recorded from the station that is elsewhere on this channel. It featured the original yellow trains. I purchased one of those old yellow car bodies from the park on the closing day of the 1998 season,

[@johnpackowski]

@@SeanFlaharty get out of here. You have one of the original train cars?! That’s so flipping cool. Wow. You’re neat.

[@nicks.12]

When this ride first opened, it actually was faster and more intense. It was advertised as 88 mph and it was found to go much faster and was way too intense for most riders the way they had the shoulder restraints, people's heads would get beaten side to side on the curb and the speed it would hit the loop was too fast. They eventually slowed it down some but was still deemed too intense so they removed the loops and changed the restraints to lap and renamed it phantoms revenge,

[@Shadowsoftime9706]

Steel phantom is phantoms revenge steel phantoms revenge

[@sportsygirl8]

I would have loved Steel Phantom for the inversion aspect, but for as rough as it was and being manufactured by Arrow I don't think I'd have enjoyed it at all. glad I was too young and too scared to ride it. I have been on Phantom's Revenge and it is a fun coaster and hate the violent ejector airtime hills at the end.

[@SeanFlaharty]

While it was a very intense ride, I never had an issue with the head banging. Having said that, I do like Phantom’s Revenge better. The airtime at the end really is insane.

[@sportsygirl8]

@@SeanFlaharty That's good to hear. My dad never had problems with the headbanging either. My cousin got whip lash from it. Oh my gosh yes! That airtime at the end of Phantom's Revenge is insane!!!

[@michaelaschenbrenner5251]

That is wild as shit

[@scott12061972]

I have been on both and I must say steel phantom was a far more intense and far greater ride. I'm sorry it was changed

[@SeanFlaharty]

I agree that it was a lot more intense. I think I do like the newer version better though. It's easier to re-ride. This is coming from someone that was a HUGE fan of the original. So much so that I purchased one of the old yellow cars in 1998. Lol

[@john-ic9vj]

It was definitely more intense, but at what cost. I rode this at 12 and although I loved it, I would always have a headache for a good 20 minutes after where I couldn't ride anything. I can't imagine how I would feel now being near 40...

[@theshortschannel7411]

1:47 da green track peice

[@SeanFlaharty]

That was more or less a test section but also to get some hype up for the new version. I thought it was cool they did that.

[@HockeyGUY66871]

I wish we had waited a few years and had Morgan do it the first time around. I was born a few months before Phantoms Revenge opened so i never had the misfortune of getting beaten up on the original. I consider that a good thing. As of this date ive ridden Phantoms Revenge 718 times. And its still butter smooth. Ive experienced other Arrow custom loopers and with that i can safely say this ride just absolutely sucked. Kennywood is my home park and if i was around at the time, Steel Phantom would a one and done, like every other Arrow looper (besides Loch Ness Monster) ive ridden, I would have ridden it for the credit and never again.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I know I was in the minority but I enjoyed the original a lot. It was easily my favorite Arrow looper of the time. I had ridden it hundreds of times before it was converted. I loved the ride so much that I purchased one of it's original yellow cars in 1998.

[@lochnessamonster1912]

@@SeanFlaharty The original was so much better. The loops would almost push my head into my lap as a kid, then back against the seat, there was no control against the forces it created at those speeds. It would have me in such a loop that it was hard walking at first after stepping off the coaster. My favorite memories ever at a park are with this coaster and an evening late in the season with no line. My sister and I rode seven times in a row, in the dark. It was well worth the brain damage for those memories. It was rough but the best coaster I’ve ever ridden and I’ve ridden a few others known for hurting riders like the premiere season of Mean Streak and The Mantis.

[@jonathang7735]

I remember they made everyone take all ear piercings out. That coaster would violently bang your head

[@SeanFlaharty]

Yes, it was quite the headbanger for a lot of folks. I personally never had an issue with the roughness of the ride as I figured out a way to ride it where it didn't bang my head around. I miss the intensity of this ride.

[@jonathang7735]

@@SeanFlaharty it’s sooo much better now then back then. I remember going around the bottom of the second hill and everything would be grey and blurry and my head would be slamming side to side so fast lol

[@maincoasters]

the inversions don’t look half bad

[@SeanFlaharty]

They were taken at higher speeds than similar elements on similar coasters. While I didn't have an issue with the roughness of the ride, I could easily see why there were a lot of people that didn't care for the ride. I loved to marathon ride SP.

[@Derek032789]

Everyone’s head used to bang against the overhead restraints.

[@SeanFlaharty]

@@Derek032789 Out of all the rides I had on SP, I don't think I banged my head. But that might be because of the way I rode it or something. Folks smaller than me often complained about the head banging on the ride. I tried to keep my head away from the restraints and never had an issue. It threw my body around though in certain parts.

[@maincoasters]

@@SeanFlaharty higher speeds = more forceful right? did you think it was pretty forceful?

[@SeanFlaharty]

@@maincoasters Actually, higher speeds don't always translate to more forces. You can have a top speed of 100mph and have a very wide curve that takes up most of the forces depending on the design. The most intense coaster I have ever ridden is Dododonpa in Japan. It launches the train at 112mph in less than two seconds and has the largest turn on any coaster, which doesn't feel nearly as strong as you would think. There are coasters that have a much less top speed but have tighter turns that provide more g's. It's all about the design. Having said all of that, Steel Phantom was very forceful. It had an "old school" design that wasn't perfect, but it was so much fun and forceful as well.

[@Dylandoesstuff24]

I kinda wish I when on it to bad I wasn’t born when it was still operating

[@Ironcabbit]

Phantom’s Revenge seems nerfed from what Steel Phantom was.

[@SeanFlaharty]

While Phantom's Revenge isn't as intense as the original, I do enjoy riding it. It's easier to re-ride.

[@OakViewFilms]

Very good idea in conception, but very painful and not too fun. Glad it was remade into PR. Though I do wonder if Hyper Coasters someday will ever try to add inversions again...I'd imagine I'd have to have lapbars only and no shoulder restraints.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I honestly didn't have a problem riding this coaster. I have had a few marathons on it and never found it to be a ride I would quit riding. I know it wasn't for everyone though. Son of Beast was a looping hyper with lap bars....but we all know how that turned out. :)

[@OakViewFilms]

Sean Flaharty Son Of Beast tops my list for the #1 Most Dissapointing Rollercoaster of all time. I expected so much greatness from it, and was dissapointed it was painful and not fun. Glad that at least RMC can make good inverting wooden rollercoasters with the brilliant Outlaw Run ( still have yet to ride Goliath).

[@SeanFlaharty]

OakViewFilms I never understood 'Sonny'. The majority of my rides on it were pretty bad but I have had some incredible rides on it as well. I am glad it's gone though. I love all four RMC wooden coasters I have ridden. It would have been interesting to see that treatment on Son of Beast.

[@750joshua]

In an interview/Q&A with B&M one of the questions asked was if in the future we would see hyper coasters with inversions, and with that Bolliger responded by brushing it off with a laugh and saying I can't tell you that. So you never know:)!!

[@OakViewFilms]

maddjosh69 Where did you hear this interview at?

[@TheRAMBO9191]

Never rode it. I experienced revenge. But.. I'm now headed to big leagues...Cedar point for first time. Nervous af. Makes this look wimpy.