Sea Dragon (roller coaster)

Sea Dragon
Jungle Jack's Landing
Coordinates 40°09′16″N 83°07′13″W / 40.154398°N 83.120259°W / 40.154398; -83.120259Coordinates: 40°09′16″N 83°07′13″W / 40.154398°N 83.120259°W / 40.154398; -83.120259
Status Operating
Opening date 1956
Cost Columbus Zoo Admission and Ride Wristband, Gold Season Pass, or $2 ride ticket
General statistics
Type Wood
Manufacturer Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Designer John C. Allen
Track layout Figure Eight
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 37 ft (11 m)
Length 1,320 ft (400 m)
Speed 25 mph (40 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 1:30
Max vertical angle 45°
Capacity 640 riders per hour
Height restriction 42 in (107 cm)
Sea Dragon at RCDB
Pictures of Sea Dragon at RCDB

Sea Dragon is a junior wooden roller coaster located at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio. The ride is in the Jungle Jack's Landing section of the zoo. Built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) under famed designer John C. Allen, the roller coaster opened in 1956 as Jet Flyer. It was one of three junior wooden coasters that Allen designed shortly after becoming president of PTC in 1954 – the other two were Flyer at Hunt's Pier and Valley Volcano at Angela Park. They were based on earlier designs developed by another legendary coaster architect Herbert Schmeck, who was Allen's mentor.[1] Following the dismantling of the other two coasters in the late 1980s, Sea Dragon became the oldest roller coaster from John Allen to remain in operation.[2][3]

Sea Dragon's station

The coaster has one four-car train. Riders are seated two across with two rows per car, giving the coaster a capacity of 16 riders. Station brakes are manually operated using hand-controlled levers.

Following the closure of Big Dipper in 2007, the Sea Dragon became the oldest operating wooden roller coaster in the state of Ohio.

References

  1. Jenkins, Torrence (1996). "John Allen: The Coaster Renaissance Man". RollerCoaster! Magazine. Vol. 17 no. 4. pp. 22–27. ISSN 0896-7261.
  2. "Flyer". Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  3. "Valley Volcano". Retrieved January 23, 2012.
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