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Rattlesnake (roller coaster)

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Park section
  
Mexicana

Opening date
  
1998

Manufacturer
  
Maurer Söhne

Height
  
15 m

Status
  
Operating

Type
  
Steel – Wild Mouse

Designer
  
Werner Stengel

Max speed
  
45 km/h

Rattlesnake (roller coaster)

Address
  
Leatherhead Rd, Chessington KT9 2CL, UK

Park
  
Chessington World of Adventures

Hours
  
Open today · 10AM–5PMSaturday10AM–5PMSunday10AM–5PMMonday10AM–5PMTuesday10AM–5PMWednesday10AM–5PMThursday10AM–5PMFriday10AM–5PMSuggest an edit

Similar
  
Dragon's Fury, Dragon Falls, Vampire, Rameses Revenge, Scorpion Express

Rattlesnake is a steel wild mouse style roller coaster ride which opened in 1998 at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England.

Contents

History

Rattlesnake is a steel wild mouse style roller coaster ride which opened in 1998 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort as the theme park's third coaster. It was designed by Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH, and manufactured by Maurer Söhne / Wilde Maus Classic. it is over 1000 feet long. Rattlesnake was refurbished over the 2013 season, all the queue line animatronics were replaced, the station was repainted and the surrounding theming was replaced.

Due to local planning restrictions (a result of the park being on green belt land) the land designated for the ride area was excavated, resulting in the ride being partially submerged below ground level. The layout consists of a steep lift hill, sharp turns and small airtime hills.

The Rattlesnake is themed around a Mexican mine of the Wild West era, with the cars resembling mine carts and a number of wooden structures and animated figures. The installation of the ride prompted the renaming of the park's 'Calamity Canyon' area to 'Mexicana', which remains today.

Ride

Rattlesnake starts with a large climb up a 45 degree angle lift hill. Once disengaging from the chain you turn right and continue to snake your way down a length of slightly sloped track making 180 degree turns every now and then. Then you travel around an elongated 270 degree right hand turn into a straight. You go up a small slope and then into some brakes. A 180 degree turn follows with a large drop down and up. Another 180 degree right hand turn follows into a number of air time hills into a building themed to look damaged at which point the on ride photo is taken. You then travel through another 180 degree turn into another air time hill before going into the final set of brakes which will halt you hard.

Restrictions

Rattlesnake has a height restriction: minimum 1.4 metres, maximum 1.96 metres. There are also chest restrictions for waist measurements 51 inches or above. However, if the lap-bar cannot fit over one's legs, then one cannot ride as they cannot be kept restrained.

The ride is quite rough and jerky, and therefore anyone with back and neck problems cannot ride.

Incidents

  • On the 2nd June 2015, The Smiler rollercoaster at Alton towers collided causing injuries to 11 riders, 4 seriously causing 2 girls aged 18-20 to have their legs amputated, On 5 June 2015, Merlin Entertainments decided that they were closing Rattlesnake and Dragon's Fury until new safety protocols had been applied. The ride re opened on 8 September 2015.
  • References

    Rattlesnake (roller coaster) Wikipedia