New Mexico Rattler
| New Mexico Rattler | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Cliff's Amusement Park | |
| Coordinates | 35°08′35″N 106°35′18″W / 35.143028°N 106.588417°WCoordinates: 35°08′35″N 106°35′18″W / 35.143028°N 106.588417°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | September 28, 2002 |
| Cost | $2,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood – Steel |
| Manufacturer | Custom Coasters International |
| Track layout | Out and back |
| Height | 80 ft (24 m) |
| Drop | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Length | 2,750 ft (840 m) |
| Speed | 47 mph (76 km/h) |
| Duration | 1:15 |
| Max vertical angle | 52° |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | Single train with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. |
| Manufacturer |
Custom Coasters International (prior to bankruptcy) Cliff's Amusement Park (completion) |
|
New Mexico Rattler at RCDB Pictures of New Mexico Rattler at RCDB | |
New Mexico Rattler, commonly referred to as The Rattler, is an outdoor wooden roller coaster located at Cliff's Amusement Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[1] This is what is known as a "hybrid coaster," since it has a wooden track with a steel structure.[2] The ride also features a New Mexico style Western themed entrance.
History
This coaster was the final coaster designed by Custom Coasters International, which filed for bankruptcy midway through its construction. Cliff's took over construction on the less than half-completed ride, and finished building the roller coaster just before the end of the 2002 season.[3][4]
Ride experience
Queue
The ride's entrance features a building style reminiscent of New Mexico's Pueblo Revival and Territorial Revival architecture. The building is topped with paintings of a rattle snake and desert prickly pear, with three Western-style wooden doors, with a broader door at center, underneath a wood and steel awning.[5] Before approaching the loading station there is a waiting area, with rails to guide a line of people. There are then stairs leading up to a wood and steel Western style loading station.
Layout
Once the train departs the station, there is right turn and it begins its first 25-degree 100-foot chain lifted ascent with red, white, and blue flags to the left and right of the tracks. At its peak, with the Flag of the United States to the left and the Flag of New Mexico to the right and a view of the Sandia Mountains in front, the track curves to the right while diving 75 feet into a metal tunnel. The ride levels and speeds along to climbs its first turnaround section. The track leads the train around over a 200 degree curvature to the left and then to a couple of rises and dips. The coaster then dives down, into and out of another tunnel, and levels out again into a pseudo-Double Dip around to a curving ascent, to the left in parallel to a lift hill. Riders drop back down and then climb over a camelback hump. Dipping back down, the track begins to veer to the right and then climbs up again, curving to the left and over another hill. The course banks and begins a large 270-degree rotation, underneath a black canvas-like awning, whisking the train around to the right. After the large curve is complete the ride dives into another tunnel, towards the ground, and begins a second curve up and then gradually back down running alongside the back of the large curve. The tracks bank around and then sends the train up over another camelback hill and then through a banked helix climbing, dipping, then climbing once more up and over the fifth drop. The train then slows back into the station.[6]
Train
The train is glossy black with 6 individual cars, the sides and front of the train have paintings of a rattlesnake and the words "The Rattler." The train was built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters.
Awards and reception
According to Cliff's, The Rattler was voted as one of the top 25 wooden coasters in the world.
In 2014, the ride was featured by a film group for Theme Park Review, its filming was discussed on KRQE.[7] This video footage was used on their official YouTube Channel, and on their "Roller Coasters in the Raw" discs on the "HD Volume 5" Blu-ray Disc and the "Volume 9" DVD.
| Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2007 | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||
| Ranking | 35[8] | 49[9] | ||||||||||||||||
References
- ↑ Throgmorton, T.H. (2009). Roller Coasters: United States and Canada, 3d ed. McFarland, Incorporated Publishers. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-7864-5339-9. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Hybrid (Steel Structure)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ↑ "RCDB: New Mexico Ratttler". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- ↑ Emmons, Natasha (August 5, 2002). "Title: Cliff's Amusement Park scrambles to complete unfinished 'Rattler'.". Amusement Business. (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.). p. 7.
- ↑ Theme Park Review (July 14, 2014). "New Mexico Rattler Roller Coaster POV Cliffs Amusement Park Woodie". YouTube. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ↑ "New Mexico Rattler Article COASTER-net.com: Amusement Park and Roller Coaster News, Information, Photographs, & more!". Home -> COASTER-net.com. April 10, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ↑ Gutierrez, Crystal (July 21, 2014). "Film group features Cliff’s Rattler". KRQE News 13. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 11 (6.2): 42–43. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 12 (6.2): 42–43. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to New Mexico Rattler. |