Thunderbolt (2014 roller coaster)

Under construction

Thunderbolt
The completed Thunderbolt
Luna Park, Coney Island
Coordinates	40°34′25″N 73°58′57″W / 40.573487°N 73.982551°WCoordinates: 40°34′25″N 73°58′57″W / 40.573487°N 73.982551°W
Status	Operating
Opening date	June 14, 2014
Cost	US$10 million
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Zamperla
Lift/launch system	Vertical chain lift
Height	125 ft (38 m)
Length	2,000 ft (610 m)
Speed	65 mph (105 km/h)
Inversions	4
Height restriction	50 in (127 cm)
Thunderbolt at RCDB Pictures of Thunderbolt at RCDB

Thunderbolt is a steel roller coaster at Luna Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City.

History

A wooden roller coaster named the Thunderbolt was originally operated by George Moran on Coney Island from 1925 to 1982.^[1][2] In June 2013, it was announced that the operators of Luna Park at Coney Island, Zamperla, would construct a new steel roller coaster which would utilize the Thunderbolt name.^[2][3]

Characteristics

Thunderbolt was manufactured by Zamperla at a cost of US$10 million^[4] and has a 90-degree vertical drop, followed by a 100-foot loop and a zero-gravity roll, along with dives, hills and a corkscrew — all within two minutes. The ride features 2,000 feet (610 m) of track, a height of 125 feet (38 m), and a top speed of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h).^[5] Thunderbolt features four inversions including a vertical loop, Zero-G Roll, Immelmann loop and a corkscrew.^[6][7][8][9] The Thunderbolt is located near Surf Avenue and West 15th Street in Coney Island, and is constructed with 2,000 feet (610 m) of track that stretches to a height of 125 feet (38 m) and is built next to the B&B Carousell, an antique merry-go-round that underwent an extensive restoration and reopened in summer 2013. Published reports state that Thunderbolt is expected to be completed and open by Memorial Day 2014.^[10][3] However, the planned opening of the coaster had been pushed back to early June 2014;^[11][12] it was revised to open on June 6.^[13][14] In early June, it was delayed once again to later in summer 2014.^[15] Finally, on June 14, the Thunderbolt was opened.^[16]

References

1. Marden, Duane. "Thunderbolt  (Coney Island - George Moran)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
2. Calder, Rich (June 11, 2013). "New Thunderbolt roller coaster to join Cyclone at Coney Island". New York Post. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
3. "Coming Soon! The Thunderbolt". Official Website of Luna Park. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
4. "Coney Island's 2014 Season, Kickoff". Theepochtimes.com. 2014-05-26. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
5. NYCEDC Announces New "Thunderbolt" Roller Coaster to be Built at Coney Island
6. Marden, Duane. "Thunderbolt  (Luna Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
7. "Luna Park breaks ground on new roller coaster, the Thunderbolt, on Coney Island - News 12 Brooklyn". Brooklyn.news12.com. 2014-03-10. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
8. New Roller Coaster Promises Coney Island a Return of Thrills
9. "Coney Island’s Luna Park To Get New Roller Coaster « CBS New York". Newyork.cbslocal.com. 2014-03-10. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
10. Halperin, Rory (2013-06-05). "Restored B&B Carousell is open in Coney Island (slide show)". Timeout.com. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
11. "Memorial Day kicks off summer with a splash". NY Daily News. 2014-05-25. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
12. "News and Rumors - Luna Park". Screamscape.com. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
13. Anthony Bell (3 June 2014). "New Thunderbolt Roller Coaster to Open Friday in Coney Island". ALL MEDIA NY. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
14. Ned Berke (2 June 2014). "After Delays, Coney Island’s Thunderbolt To Open Next Week [Updated]". Bensonhurst Bean. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
15. Kensinger, Nathan (5 June 2014). "Change Comes Once Again for Coney Island's Thunderbolt". Curbed NY. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
16. Brown, Stephen R. (14 June 2014). "Coney Island's new Thunderbolt roller coaster officially opens". NY Daily News. Retrieved 29 June 2014.