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Thunderbolt (2014 roller coaster)

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Coordinates: 40°34′25″N 73°58′57″W / 40.573487°N 73.982551°W / 40.573487; -73.982551
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For the previous roller coaster at the same site, defunct in 1982, see Thunderbolt (1925 roller coaster).

Thunderbolt
The completed Thunderbolt
Luna Park
LocationLuna Park
Coordinates40°34′25″N 73°58′57″W / 40.573487°N 73.982551°W / 40.573487; -73.982551
StatusOperating
Opening dateJune 14, 2014 (2014-06-14)
CostUS$9 million
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerZamperla
Lift/launch systemVertical chain lift
Height115 ft (35 m)
Drop112 ft (34 m)
Length2,234 ft (681 m)
Speed56 mph (90 km/h)
Inversions4
Duration00:38
G-force4.3
Height restriction50 in (127 cm)
Thunderbolt at RCDB

Thunderbolt is a steel roller coaster at Luna Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. It is located near Surf Avenue and West 15th Street, on the Riegelmann Boardwalk next to the B&B Carousell.

History

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Under construction

A wooden roller coaster named the Thunderbolt was originally operated by George Moran on Coney Island from 1925 to 1982. It was demolished in 2000 due to neglect.[1][2]

In June 2013, it was announced that the operators of Luna Park at Coney Island, Zamperla, would construct a new steel roller coaster which would use the Thunderbolt name.[2][3] Due to the small footprint required for the coaster, the original plans called for the coaster to use an elevator instead of a lift hill.[4] The ride's manufacturer Zamperla announced further details in November 2013, which showed that the ride would have a vertical lift hill.[5]

Published reports stated that Thunderbolt was expected to be completed and opened by Memorial Day 2014,[3][6] but construction delays pushed the opening date back.[7] On Memorial Day, which fell on May 25, 2014, the opening was delayed to early June[8][9] and revised to open by June 6.[10][11] Just before the scheduled opening on June 6, the opening date was once again delayed.[12] Thunderbolt finally opened on June 14, 2014.[13]

Characteristics

[edit]
Thunderbolt viewed from the west, June 2016

Thunderbolt was manufactured by Zamperla at a cost of US$9 million[14] and has a 90-degree vertical drop and four inversions.[15][16][17][18] From the beginning of the initial drop, to the end of ride, it takes 38 seconds. The ride features 2,234 feet (681 m) of track and runs at a top speed of 56 miles per hour (90 km/h).[19] Thunderbolt is a pay-per-use attraction, as guests must pay $10 for each time they ride on the coaster.[7]

After leaving the station, the train turns 180 degrees to the left and enters a 90-degree, 125-foot (38 m) lift hill. It immediately descends 90 degrees and enters a vertical loop, followed by a Zero-G Roll to the left. After the second inversion, the train enters a leftward-sloping Stengel dive, followed by an Immelmann loop to the right. The train goes over two camelback hills before entering a right-hand corkscrew. After the corkscrew, the train enters another camelback hill before hitting the brake run and entering the station.[4][20]

Each train consists of a single car with nine seats, arranged in three rows of three. This is different from conventional coaster trains, which are usually arranged in rows of two or four across.[7]

Other installations

[edit]

Coney Island's Thunderbolt is the first of five Zamperla coasters manufactured under the "Thunderbolt" brand as of 2019.[21][22] There are three possible layouts for the Thunderbolt coaster model. The first version is 2,234 feet (681 m) long.[23] This layout is used by Coney Island's Thunderbolt and two other coasters: Rapid Train at Gyeongnam Mason Robotland in Gyeongnam, South Korea; and Rollin' Thunder at the Park at OWA in Foley, Alabama.[24] The second version is 2,215 feet (675 m) long while the third version is 1,230 feet (375 m) long. Both alternate versions are meant to operate on wider lots with a shorter depth.[23]

References

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  1. ^ Marden, Duane. "Thunderbolt  (Coney Island - George Moran)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Calder, Rich (June 11, 2013). "New Thunderbolt roller coaster to join Cyclone at Coney Island". New York Post. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Coming Soon! The Thunderbolt". Official Website of Luna Park. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Thunderbolt at Luna Park". COASTER-net. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  5. ^ Blau, Reuven (November 14, 2013). "SEE IT: New Thunderbolt roller coaster to open at Coney Island summer 2014". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Halperin, Rory (June 5, 2013). "Restored B&B Carousell is open in Coney Island (slide show)". Timeout.com. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Foderaro, Lisa W. (May 23, 2014). "Got Nerves of Steel? Meet the Thunderbolt Roller Coaster". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  8. ^ Pesce, Nicole Lyn (May 25, 2014). "Memorial Day kicks off summer with a splash". NY Daily News. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  9. ^ "News and Rumors - Luna Park". Screamscape.com. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  10. ^ Anthony Bell (June 3, 2014). "New Thunderbolt Roller Coaster to Open Friday in Coney Island". ALL MEDIA NY. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  11. ^ Ned Berke (June 2, 2014). "After Delays, Coney Island's Thunderbolt To Open Next Week [Updated]". Bensonhurst Bean. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  12. ^ Kensinger, Nathan (June 5, 2014). "Change Comes Once Again for Coney Island's Thunderbolt". Curbed NY. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  13. ^ Brown, Stephen R. (June 14, 2014). "Coney Island's new Thunderbolt roller coaster officially opens". NY Daily News. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  14. ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. (May 23, 2014). "Got Nerves of Steel? Meet the Thunderbolt Roller Coaster". The New York Times. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  15. ^ Marden, Duane. "Thunderbolt  (Luna Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  16. ^ "Luna Park breaks ground on new roller coaster, the Thunderbolt, on Coney Island - News 12 Brooklyn". Brooklyn.news12.com. March 10, 2014. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  17. ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. (March 10, 2014). "New Roller Coaster Promises Coney Island a Return of Thrills". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  18. ^ "Coney Island's Luna Park To Get New Roller Coaster « CBS New York". Newyork.cbslocal.com. March 10, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  19. ^ NYCEDC Announces New "Thunderbolt" Roller Coaster to be Built at Coney Island Archived March 11, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ "Thunderbolt front seat on-ride HD POV Luna Park, Coney Island". CoasterForce. June 26, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2019 – via YouTube.
  21. ^ Marden, Duane. "Thunderbolt  (Zamperla)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  22. ^ "Seventh project with OCT Group". Zamperla. June 16, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  23. ^ a b "Thunderbolt". Zamperla. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  24. ^ Marden, Duane. "Thunderbolt: Layout 1  (Zamperla)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
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