Thunderbolt Express
History
Anton Schwarzkopf and Intamin co-developed the first shuttle loop design, which opened as King Kobra at Kings Dominion in 1977. A total of six shuttle loop roller coasters opened that same year throughout the United States, including Screamin' Demon at Kings Island. It had the distinction of being the first from Arrow Development to open to the public. Unlike the vertical track used as a reverse point at one end of King Kobra, Arrow used loading platforms on both sides instead.
At the end of the 1987 season, the ride was sold and relocated to Camden Park in West Virginia where it was renamed Thunderbolt Express. It was closed in 1999 after a circuit board malfunctioned and never reopened. It was eventually scrapped in 2004.
Ride experience
After riders board the train in the loading station, they are launched forward into an immediate drop. The propulsion system consists of an electric motor and pulley system. The drop leads into a vertical loop as riders experience a maximum of 4 g. The train exits the loop and ascends to a horizontal section of track similar in length to the loading station's track. After coming to complete stop for a brief moment, the train is launched in reverse to repeat the course and return to the loading station.
References
- ^ Marden, Duane. "King Kobra (Kings Dominion)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Demon (Kings Island)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
- ^ Rutherford, Scott (2004). "5". The American Roller Coaster. St. Paul, MN: Motorbooks International. p. 117. ISBN 0-7603-1929-4.
- ^ Scheinin, Lisa (2007). "100 Moments in Roller Coaster History: The First Launched Coasters — 1977". RollerCoaster! Magazine. 28 (2): 20–21. ISSN 0896-7261.
- ^ "Theme Park Timelines". Archived from the original on 2009-04-14. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ^ "Thunderbolt Express: Camden Park". Retrieved 2010-05-15.