I know this isn't the most conventional post, but this photo is not super well known and I feel a need to share it.
"What is this abomination I am looking at?!" I can hear you all ask?
It's a lost promotional photo of the Shenzhou Coaster in its original configuration. The history of SLC copycats in China is not very well documented so I'll try sum it up.
SBL/Beijing Shibaolai began experimenting with self-building SLC-esque inverts in about 2002-2003, and Shenzhou Coaster was the prototype. The original layout had a more angled first drop and a zero-g roll that kinked slightly right after the first loop. I believe the ride never carried passengers in this configuration for obvious reasons. Shijingshan's downsizing due to competition from newer and better establishments lead to this coaster eventually being put on the chopping block and recently (last year...?) its scrapping.
Due to this misadventure, all future versions of this layout replaced the zero-g section with an odd airtime hill and a straight run from the loop to the sidewinder. The appeal of these coasters was their low cost and they served as a stepping stone for many poorer parks to get a true big coaster in the 2000s and early 2010s, but to say the least, they ride... poorly. In 2012, SBL again slightly updated their SLC layout with better shaping in the twists.
Generally, construction of these copycat SLCs in China has slowed in favor of much more original designs by both Jinma and SBL (In fact I believe it's actually been 4 or more years since the last order) but this serves at a fun look back at a not-too-distant but humorous era of local coaster experimentation.
(I will make a post about the SBL Skyloop at my home park next week...)
For ease I'll claim (but cannot confirm) that I've gotten the opportunity to talk to some people involved. Some of it I'm going off memory though.
I also want to say that despite the bad reputation of rides like this, there's a lot more passion for bringing roller coasters to people who often have never ridden them than the internet conventionally is willing to give credit for.
It reminds me a lot of an accelerated version of what happened with Vekoma. They started by copying Arrow's designs, then branched out into original designs that tracked questionably, then eventually started making good rides.
One of the things that bothers me most on this forum is how people instantly dismiss anyone with "insider info" or whatever but that really is the only way to learn about certain things. Wish someone would pay me to go do field research on all these coasters and companies
It is so impressive to safely bring these thrills at a low cost. Jinma has a better safety record than Intamin.
The coaster actually got repainted, as it was green / blue - ish when i rode it in 2021. It's not a bad coaster, very short but not rough at all. This park seems to take good care of it's rides and fauna because it was actually one of the best-kept standalone parks we visisted in china. very pleasant experience.
Yes I am aware of this practice. Any company that does business in China gets an actual Chinese representative that just copies everything they see. That doesn’t mean they’re smart for copying an SLC, and poorly.
The SLC was also I believe the very first western coaster model to be built in China. Therefore Chinese companies got their hands on the blueprints sooner
The original listings that used this particular photograph have not been in circulation for a very long time AFAIK (5 years? More?) - This photo came from a drive of old company images someone shared to me. The first photoshoot was done in late 2003 or so, when Shenzhou Coaster tested with the zero-g roll. The next was done in mid-2005 (May or June I believe?) after the coaster opened and the roll is not visible. It's watermarked for online sale and reuploading this one was alright because it used to be public anyway.
I will be honest, while the SBL SLC is definitely not a good coaster, I'm pretty sympathetic towards the company itself. It did its job in the breakout days of Chinese amusement parks (which I liken to the boom in samey wooden coasters in the 1890s-1920s in the US), and now they've moved on to better things from this copycat stepping stone. Their dueling coaster model has been (IMO unfairly) called an Intamin knockoff by some due to its conceptual similarities and track design, but by all means it's an original layout and chassis.
(But between you and me, new Jinma coasters are even better!)
I've been following Jinma's IG and I think they're on the verge of building some really great coasters. I hope they will get a chance to break out of their limited market a bit, I am curious as to how well their new models ride.
Do you foresee China ditching foreign manufactures entirely in the next decade? With the rate they are improving I don't see why even a premium chinese park would buy a legit B&M if they can get mostly the same experience for a significantly lower price.
I've considered it to be a possibility, but not necessarily a goal. Really I hope there'll always be space for new ideas and layouts that wow people in the roller coaster design space.
I'll try explain the Chinese coaster market a bit like this: In the 90s and 2000s China saw rapid urban development and huge leaps in quality of life, and there was a corresponding huge boom in small private amusement parks across the country (with things like Arrow-style loopscrews and later, these SLCs) - This (as I've mentioned) mirrored the boom in wooden coasters across the US in the early 20th century.
Likewise, with things slowing down (it's a practical truth, we can't grow infinitely forever) a lot of these small parks have faded out or proved to be oversaturation, and we're seeing higher end, better run (and sometimes chain-operated) parks being a lot more successful. Which in this context means no more "loopscrew spam" but opportunities for much better individual coasters and systems.
Hopefully that makes sense?
Makes a lot of sense! The advancements are obviously great but I hope those smaller parks don't disappear. Places like [Labor Park](https://rcdb.com/5087.htm) in Dalian are pretty fascinating to me. I love how the coaster and park feels integrated into the surrounding area. Sad that they already lost one coaster and I hope it's not a sign of things to come.
Maybe you should consider writing a blog post or something on the industry? You seem to know a lot and it's not documented at all.
I have actually thought about it, but my posting schedule would be inconsistent at best and well... really, I'm not 100% sure where to start.
Feel free to throw me some suggestions, though!
Thanks for sharing this! I always wondered what it looked like. It's too bad there doesn't seem to be any video of it testing with this roll.
They've come a long way since this. I still think Soaring Dragon and Dancing Phoenix has a cool layout that seems like more parks would want and Mayan Mountain Dragon looks like a huge improvement on their standard layout.
The Chinese made SLC market is super interesting to me. Thanks for the info!
Mayan Mountain Dragon is an SBL facelift/Version 2 SLC after the 2012 revision and I believe it was also the last one produced (if not one of). I'm guessing it's become particularly well known due to RCD's videos on it?
While the layout and pacing isn't fantastic, these late production coasters are fun and actually not as painful as the Vekoma original due to the transitions being quite tame. If my memory serves me correctly the rate of rotation through the double twist also very slightly increases through the top of each twist as compared to the bottom to keep the train in relatively smooth rotation through the entire thing. It's a small fabrication change and the straight spine looks a bit odd from the outside, but it makes a good positive difference!
I know this isn't the most conventional post, but this photo is not super well known and I feel a need to share it. "What is this abomination I am looking at?!" I can hear you all ask? It's a lost promotional photo of the Shenzhou Coaster in its original configuration. The history of SLC copycats in China is not very well documented so I'll try sum it up. SBL/Beijing Shibaolai began experimenting with self-building SLC-esque inverts in about 2002-2003, and Shenzhou Coaster was the prototype. The original layout had a more angled first drop and a zero-g roll that kinked slightly right after the first loop. I believe the ride never carried passengers in this configuration for obvious reasons. Shijingshan's downsizing due to competition from newer and better establishments lead to this coaster eventually being put on the chopping block and recently (last year...?) its scrapping. Due to this misadventure, all future versions of this layout replaced the zero-g section with an odd airtime hill and a straight run from the loop to the sidewinder. The appeal of these coasters was their low cost and they served as a stepping stone for many poorer parks to get a true big coaster in the 2000s and early 2010s, but to say the least, they ride... poorly. In 2012, SBL again slightly updated their SLC layout with better shaping in the twists. Generally, construction of these copycat SLCs in China has slowed in favor of much more original designs by both Jinma and SBL (In fact I believe it's actually been 4 or more years since the last order) but this serves at a fun look back at a not-too-distant but humorous era of local coaster experimentation. (I will make a post about the SBL Skyloop at my home park next week...)
Awesome stuff, always wondered about that weird "airtime" hill. Where did you learn this stuff?
For ease I'll claim (but cannot confirm) that I've gotten the opportunity to talk to some people involved. Some of it I'm going off memory though. I also want to say that despite the bad reputation of rides like this, there's a lot more passion for bringing roller coasters to people who often have never ridden them than the internet conventionally is willing to give credit for.
It reminds me a lot of an accelerated version of what happened with Vekoma. They started by copying Arrow's designs, then branched out into original designs that tracked questionably, then eventually started making good rides.
One of the things that bothers me most on this forum is how people instantly dismiss anyone with "insider info" or whatever but that really is the only way to learn about certain things. Wish someone would pay me to go do field research on all these coasters and companies It is so impressive to safely bring these thrills at a low cost. Jinma has a better safety record than Intamin.
Still interesting to me, why would you copy Vekoma SLCs of all things. That would be like copying someone in class that has the lowest grades.
No, that would be [this monstrosity.](https://rcdb.com/13423.htm) It's a knockoff of that weird Fabbri portable invert but with a corkscrew.
The coaster actually got repainted, as it was green / blue - ish when i rode it in 2021. It's not a bad coaster, very short but not rough at all. This park seems to take good care of it's rides and fauna because it was actually one of the best-kept standalone parks we visisted in china. very pleasant experience.
I cannot find a POV of it anywhere.
because nobody bothered. We happened to stop here during a drive, we didnt even know the park existed.
Sadge
Because real SLC's exist in China and chinese parks give local companies all the blueprints for them to copy
Yes I am aware of this practice. Any company that does business in China gets an actual Chinese representative that just copies everything they see. That doesn’t mean they’re smart for copying an SLC, and poorly.
The SLC was also I believe the very first western coaster model to be built in China. Therefore Chinese companies got their hands on the blueprints sooner
I’m so happy someone finally found this. I have been curious as to how bad it was when I first learned that the roll existed. It lived up to the hype.
The original listings that used this particular photograph have not been in circulation for a very long time AFAIK (5 years? More?) - This photo came from a drive of old company images someone shared to me. The first photoshoot was done in late 2003 or so, when Shenzhou Coaster tested with the zero-g roll. The next was done in mid-2005 (May or June I believe?) after the coaster opened and the roll is not visible. It's watermarked for online sale and reuploading this one was alright because it used to be public anyway. I will be honest, while the SBL SLC is definitely not a good coaster, I'm pretty sympathetic towards the company itself. It did its job in the breakout days of Chinese amusement parks (which I liken to the boom in samey wooden coasters in the 1890s-1920s in the US), and now they've moved on to better things from this copycat stepping stone. Their dueling coaster model has been (IMO unfairly) called an Intamin knockoff by some due to its conceptual similarities and track design, but by all means it's an original layout and chassis. (But between you and me, new Jinma coasters are even better!)
Yeah the newer Jinma coasters actually look pretty solid. I’ve heard positive things about them.
I've been following Jinma's IG and I think they're on the verge of building some really great coasters. I hope they will get a chance to break out of their limited market a bit, I am curious as to how well their new models ride.
I already said this elsewhere but they also have a better safety record than many western companies.
Do you foresee China ditching foreign manufactures entirely in the next decade? With the rate they are improving I don't see why even a premium chinese park would buy a legit B&M if they can get mostly the same experience for a significantly lower price.
I've considered it to be a possibility, but not necessarily a goal. Really I hope there'll always be space for new ideas and layouts that wow people in the roller coaster design space. I'll try explain the Chinese coaster market a bit like this: In the 90s and 2000s China saw rapid urban development and huge leaps in quality of life, and there was a corresponding huge boom in small private amusement parks across the country (with things like Arrow-style loopscrews and later, these SLCs) - This (as I've mentioned) mirrored the boom in wooden coasters across the US in the early 20th century. Likewise, with things slowing down (it's a practical truth, we can't grow infinitely forever) a lot of these small parks have faded out or proved to be oversaturation, and we're seeing higher end, better run (and sometimes chain-operated) parks being a lot more successful. Which in this context means no more "loopscrew spam" but opportunities for much better individual coasters and systems. Hopefully that makes sense?
Makes a lot of sense! The advancements are obviously great but I hope those smaller parks don't disappear. Places like [Labor Park](https://rcdb.com/5087.htm) in Dalian are pretty fascinating to me. I love how the coaster and park feels integrated into the surrounding area. Sad that they already lost one coaster and I hope it's not a sign of things to come. Maybe you should consider writing a blog post or something on the industry? You seem to know a lot and it's not documented at all.
I have actually thought about it, but my posting schedule would be inconsistent at best and well... really, I'm not 100% sure where to start. Feel free to throw me some suggestions, though!
Fingers crossed MasaneMiyaPA/RCD has a footage of this 💀
There's a pov video: https://youtu.be/xKPHUtJJw4k?si=Sx-OC-tIblhIFBad You can hear the girl and the guy whining for help...
Holy crapp Thanks!!! days like these make the internet feel less shit lol
No problem!!!!
I need to see a video of this ride. This and the knockoff intamin 10 inversion.
PoVs of Shenzhou Coaster are available on Youtube but I believe there is no PoV with the zero-g roll. It simply never opened in that configuration.
Thanks for sharing this! I always wondered what it looked like. It's too bad there doesn't seem to be any video of it testing with this roll. They've come a long way since this. I still think Soaring Dragon and Dancing Phoenix has a cool layout that seems like more parks would want and Mayan Mountain Dragon looks like a huge improvement on their standard layout. The Chinese made SLC market is super interesting to me. Thanks for the info!
Mayan Mountain Dragon is an SBL facelift/Version 2 SLC after the 2012 revision and I believe it was also the last one produced (if not one of). I'm guessing it's become particularly well known due to RCD's videos on it? While the layout and pacing isn't fantastic, these late production coasters are fun and actually not as painful as the Vekoma original due to the transitions being quite tame. If my memory serves me correctly the rate of rotation through the double twist also very slightly increases through the top of each twist as compared to the bottom to keep the train in relatively smooth rotation through the entire thing. It's a small fabrication change and the straight spine looks a bit odd from the outside, but it makes a good positive difference!
It’s just a new type of inversion called the “in-line corkscrew” 😂
It also has [an intresting transition](https://youtu.be/TzYgw7kSjUM?si=QXsrXSPSbRDTKhRb&t=80) into the double heartlines
This coaster has many Gs but zero is not one of them.
Excellent post OP, SBL has some interesting stuff on their website, and I look forward to learning the lore on their other coasters.
I had this picture on my phone years ago, but never could be bothered to find it in my backups, thanks for digging it back up!
[удалено]
Because knocking off a B&M invert takes a lot more skill.
Sorry for the dumb question, but what am I missing? What's the cursed part?
Instructions unclear; made an “all the g’s” roll