Status Operating Track layout Terrain Height 21 m Height restriction 1.32 m Track length 880 m | Type Wood Drop 95 ft (29 m) Max speed 88 km/h Opened 1924 Park Kennywood | |
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Opening date 1924 (as the Pippin)
1968 (as the Thunderbolt) Designer Andy Vettel & John A. Miller Address West Mifflin, PA 15122, USA Similar Jack Rabbit, Phantom's Revenge, Racer, Exterminator, Sky Rocket | ||
The Thunderbolt is a wooden roller coaster located at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. It was built by John A. Miller in 1924. The ride's name was EH until 1967, when it was changed to Thunderbolt beginning with the 1968 season, coinciding with an expansion of the track headed up by Andy Vettel. The all-wood coaster follows the surrounding terrain with a track length of 2,887 feet (880 m). Its maximum height is 70 feet (21 m), but because of the track layout and the natural ravines on which the ride is set, the maximum drop is 95 feet (29 m). Reaching a maximum speed of 55 mph (88.5 km/h), the ride takes 108 seconds to complete its circuit.
Contents
An interesting feature of the Thunderbolt is that after departing from the station, the train does not immediately go up the lift hill as on most other coasters. Instead, it immediately goes into the first drop and the lift hill is in the middle of the ride after the second drop.
Most of the ride was left intact except for the double dip, station, and station turn-around to the first hill which were removed in 1968 for the addition of the new front helix hills necessary for the transformation of The Pippin into the new Thunderbolt roller coaster. The four drops down a ravine were incorporated in the Andy Vettel-designed Thunderbolt coaster. The Thunderbolt was rated the #1 roller coaster by the New York Times in 1974, and it still is the most popular ride at Kennywood. The Thunderbolt still uses the 1958 Pippin trains manufactured by the National Amusement Device Company, known as "Century Flyers."
Timeline
In 1924, the Pippin roller coaster was built.
In 1958, the Pippin's open-front trains were replaced with Century Flyer trains made by the National Amusement Device company. These are the trains used on the Thunderbolt today.
In 1968, the Pippin roller coaster was rebuilt and the Thunderbolt was born
In 1969, a small "speed bump" hill was removed from the inner helix of the front of the coaster near the loading station.
In 1991, the tunnel located at the end of the first dip was removed, allowing the Steel Phantom to go through Thunderbolt.
In 1998, for Kennywood's 100th anniversary, the headlights on the front of the trains were restored when the trains themselves were refurbished.
In 1999, there was an accident on the Thunderbolt when the operators failed to brake the train coming into the station and it collided with the train being loaded. Thirty people were injured in the crash. After the accident the headlights on the cars were removed partially because the electrical system did not hold up well to the vibration of the cars.
In 2001, installation of Phantom's Revenge resulted in the ride being closed for a few weeks so that the new ride could be built through the structure near the Turtle Ride. Phantom's Revenge still however retains Steel Phantom's drop through the Thunderbolt. The ride was still being rebuilt even a few weeks after the new ride opened.
In 2006, the trains could be seen sporting the famous T-bolt logo on the fronts of the cars where the center headlights had been.
In 2008, Thunderbolt celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Awards and rankings
Thunderbolt is an ACE Coaster Classic.
Thunderbolt is an ACE Coaster Landmark.