originally posted on 11/3/2025
Rendering: courtesy S&S. View full-sized image.
S&S Worldwide of Logan, Utah, has always captured the interest of coaster enthusiasts. The company’s rides have introduced some notable installations. The air-launched coaster, such as Maxx Force at Coaster Con 47 cohost Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois), is one such genre to bring thrills. More than a decade ago, people watched as the cantilevered massive vehicles of a 4-D Free Spin churned out flips on a vertical plane. Enthusiasts’ zeal for that model was tempered a little when it was rapidly duplicated, stripping away its uniqueness, but there was no denying it found its place in the market. And those ACE members who hopped aboard the Axis prototype, specifically during the 2023 Preservation Conference, cannot wait to see one of those built closer to home; three that are under construction have been sold to facilities overseas.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
But now S&S has offered something new: Rail Ryder. This new product is actually an evolution of the company’s attempt to bring back the single-rail steeplechase. That prototype didn’t catch fire, mostly owing to issues with capacity. To bring it to what a park might desire in ridership would take multiple tracks, such as the remaining example at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Blackpool, England). To solve this problem, the engineers looked at the ride in a different way and opted to produce a train.
The ribbon-like plate is attractive in both appearance and cost for the customer.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
Other changes also occurred in the rethink. Instead of an upper rail and a lower rail connected by ties, S&S opted for a plate, which looks very ribbon-like. The plate not only is aesthetically cool, but also reduces the price for the customer because the stability of the track allows for longer spans between support columns.
ACEers might ask, “There are already single-rail coasters on the market, so why introduce another?” S&S is fully aware of this, but the company isn’t competing with what’s out there. In contrast to its white-knuckle rides such as The Steel Curtain (Kennywood, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania), Rail Ryder is marketed specifically toward the family audience. Think “a kid’s first ‘big’ coaster.” Anyone who might think it doesn’t look as fast as the raptor track from Rocky Mountain Construction would be correct. That’s the point. This smaller, unintimidating layout is meant for family fun.
Taking this direction, the price point is very approachable, not just for theme parks but for family entertainment centers, nature parks and the like.
Three layouts have been designed. The smallest one is already installed at the company’s factory in Utah. In fact, a customer could go out, test ride it, buy it and have it relocated to its own facility. It features a lift height of 45 feet. The middle-sized version has a lift of 60 feet. The larger version has both lifts, and with four trains, it can reach an hourly capacity of more than a thousand riders an hour. Each train seats 12.
Photos: courtesy S&S. View full-sized image.
View full-sized image.
Although thrills are on the milder side with Rail Ryder, the ride is still fun. The most applaudable characteristic is the openness of the vehicle. Whether the parent has their arms around their child in front of them, the child wants to hold on or the child raises their hands in the air, the vehicle is supremely comfortable.
Mine train and racing options are two possible themes for Rail Ryder coasters.
Renderings: courtesy S&S. View full-sized image.
View full-sized image.
S&S is also already thinking about themes for the new line. As the caretaker of the Arrow catalog, one of the concepts for a themed vehicle is a mine train.
As enthusiasts always welcome additions, it is hoped that the affordable approach allows for a wider range of properties to think of adding a fun, new coaster.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News
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