Fans React to the Improvements
Generally, fans were happy with the compromise and welcomed any improvements.
The changes were largely celebrated as one fan remarked in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “There is no reason that [Steel Phantom] should maintain its current configuration, which often left this rider feeling as if he had been beaten around the head with a baseball bat.” In the same publication, the president of the American Coaster Enthusiasts organization applauded the decision, complimenting Kennywood’s ability to stay innovative and maintain its traditional charm.
“We can do this better. It’s going to be faster. It’s going to be smoother. It’s going to be more exciting.”
Harry “Henny” Henninger, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2000
Some fans criticized the decision and the park officials responsible for it. They argued Steel Phantom, without its inversions, would lose what set it apart, making it too similar to the nearby wooden coasters.
Henny addressed the concerns by saying, “I’m very confident that after this opens, the overwhelming opinion will be, ‘They did a good thing. They made this better.’” Supporters of the change of course disagreed with the doubters, saying the people against it were “standing in the way of progress,” as reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
No matter where opinions fell, everyone could agree: People cared about this ride. However, as developments were underway, the original Steel Phantom had only a few days left of operation.
‘Pharewell’ to Steel Phantom
On its final day—Monday, Sept. 5, 2000—Steel Phantom received a proper “Pharewell” with crowd and energy levels that matched its debut a decade prior.
As one fan commented online, “I can’t remember the last time I saw so many people riding the Steel Phantom!” The organizer behind SaveThePhantom.com, who was on the final public train, described the sendoff by saying, “The feeling was indescribable. Everyone cheering, clapping. Even though it was an end to a great ride, it seemed more like a celebration. That final ride will stay imprinted in my head as long as I walk the Earth.”
The following morning, park employees, family, and friends had the chance to ride one final time.
After the coaster’s closure, the nearby Carnegie Science Center preserved Steel Phantom as a motion simulator experience.
Constructing The Phantom’s Revenge
The deconstruction of Steel Phantom began in autumn 2000, starting with the removal of its inversions.
The off-season construction process had complications early on while prepping the ground. As a park spokesperson put it in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “The underground part of the Revenge was as much of a challenge, if not more so, than the actual coaster building.”
Crews dug as deep as 32 feet to reach bedrock and install the massive caissons for the support footers, as underground utilities complicated the work.
Some steps were more straightforward as the station, lift, and brakes were already in place. Over the course of three and a half weeks, those surviving sections were painted with the attraction’s new colors: teal track with black supports.
The 2,368 feet of new track arrived in 75 truckloads while construction was going strong. However, off-season rain caused muddy conditions and delays. Thus, The Phantom’s Revenge was not ready in time for Kennywood’s opening day. Thunderbolt, which was partly disassembled during construction because of the near-miss, also missed the park’s opening that season.
The delay was not for a lack of effort as crews put in full seven-day workweeks of 10-hour shifts to get back on track. The job reached a milestone in late April 2001 when the final piece of track was installed, and the eight-month construction project wrapped up shortly after on May 8.
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