Lightning Rod (roller coaster)

Lightning Rod

Lightning Rod main entrance
Dollywood
Park section Jukebox Junction
Coordinates 35°48′21″N 83°31′44″W / 35.805702°N 83.528838°W / 35.805702; -83.528838[1]Coordinates: 35°48′21″N 83°31′44″W / 35.805702°N 83.528838°W / 35.805702; -83.528838[2]
Status Testing
Cost $22 million
General statistics
Type Wood – Launched
Manufacturer Rocky Mountain Construction
Designer Alan Schilke
Track layout Terrain
Lift/launch system Linear Synchronous Motor
Drop 165 ft (50 m)
Length 3,800 ft (1,200 m)
Speed 73 mph (117 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 1:38
Max vertical angle 73°
Height restriction 48 in (122 cm)
Trains Unknown number of trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Lightning Rod at RCDB
Pictures of Lightning Rod at RCDB

Lightning Rod is an upcoming wooden roller coaster at Dollywood. Marketed as the world's first launched wooden roller coaster, the ride, themed to hot rod cars from the 1950s, is being designed by Rocky Mountain Construction and was originally planned to open with the park in March 2016. However, a problem with the ride's unique launch system forced a delay of the opening to a currently-unspecified date.

History

Lightning Rod was first unveiled by Dolly Parton at a presentation at the Dollywood amusement park on August 7, 2015.[3] Lightning Rod will be the first wooden roller coaster in the world to use a launch system instead of a traditional chain lift hill.[3] The ride's peak speed of 73 miles per hour will also make it the world's fastest wooden roller coaster.[3] The ride, estimated to cost $22 million, represents the largest single investment in the history of the park, and it is another component of a multi-year, $300 million expansion that began in 2013.[3]

Lightning Rod was scheduled to open on the park's opening day in 2016, but on March 15, 2016, the opening was postponed to an unknown date.[3][4][5] On March 24, 2016, Fred Grubb of RMC stated that the roller coaster's magnetic launch system, which was being developed by an outside contractor, "would not be able to perform at the level required for proper operation".[6] Grubb did not elaborate on the exact problem with the launch system, nor did he estimate when the attraction would be ready to open to the public,[6] although park officials did tell a USA Today reporter that they were hoping for an opening by the end of April 2016.[7]

Ride experience

Lightning Rod's trains are themed to hot rod cars from the middle 20th century.[8] Each train will have six cars, each seating four people (in two rows of two riders), for a total capacity of 24 riders per train.[8] Lightning Rod will depart the station and be launched up its first hill, accelerating from zero to 45 mph, before dropping 165 feet and attaining its maximum speed of 73 miles per hour.[8] Riders will encounter multiple overbanked turns, a wave turn, and a "quadruple-down" drop during the course of the ride.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Google (April 27, 2016). "Lightning Rod (roller coaster)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  2. ↑ Google (April 27, 2016). "Lightning Rod (roller coaster)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Carly Harrington (August 7, 2015). "Wood coaster, 'Lightning Rod,' is coming to Dollywood in 2016". knoxnews.com. Journal Media Group. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Lightning Rod: World's Fastest Wooden Coaster". Dollywood. March 15, 2016. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Dollywood's new "Lightning Rod" coaster delayed". WBIR.com. March 15, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "RMC's Statement on the Delayed Opening of Lightning Rod Roller Coaster at Dollywood Theme Park". rockymtnconstruction.com. March 24, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Dollywood hopes to capture lightning in a coaster in 2016". usatoday.com. Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Dollywood Adds World's Fastest Wood Roller Coaster For 2016". dollypartonentertainment.com. August 7, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, April 30, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.