Wooden Roller Coaster (Playland)

The PNE Roller Coaster is a wooden roller coaster at Playland in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1958, it is the oldest roller coaster in Canada. ^[2] The ride is 2,840 ft (870 m) long—which established it as the largest roller coaster in Canada at the time it was completed—and has a height of 68 ft (21 m) and speeds of up to 76 km/h (47 mph).^[3][4] The coaster was awarded the Coaster Classic and Roller Coaster Landmark statuses by American Coaster Enthusiasts.^[5][6][1]

Wooden Roller Coaster
Playland
Location	Playland
Coordinates	49.28245°N 123.03524°W / 49.28245; -123.03524
Status	Operating
Opening date	1958
Cost	$200,000
General statistics
Type	Wood
Designer	Carl Phare, Walker LeRoy
Model	Twister[1]
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	75 ft (23 m)
Drop	67 ft (20 m)
Length	2,840 ft (870 m)
Speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Inversions	0
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 16 riders per train.
Website	Official website
Wooden Roller Coaster at RCDB

History

The Wooden Roller Coaster opened in 1958. At the time, it cost over $200,000 to make, and was 40 cents for guests to ride.^[7] Designed by Carl Phare and Walker LeRoy, the ride was the final design of Phare's career, and is his only creation that is still standing.^[4]

In film and television

The Coaster was featured in the 2004 horror movie Riding the Bullet and was the "Bullet". It also made a brief appearance in the 1996 teenage thriller Fear.

The Coaster was also featured in the background of the MacGyver episode “Brainwashed”

Awards

Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters

Year	1998	1999	2000	2001	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2021	2022	2023	2024
Ranking	22[8]	20[9]	22[10]	23[11]	24[12]	31[13]	29[14]	28[15]	29[16]	31[17]	26[18]	26[19]	34[20]	29[21]	30[22]	37[23]	30[24]	30[25]	39[26]	42[27]	32[28]	34[29]	29[30]	30 (tie)[31]	33[32]