Thunderbolt (2014 roller coaster)

Thunderbolt is a steel roller coaster at Luna Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. It is located near Surf Avenue and West 15th Street, on the Riegelmann Boardwalk next to the B&B Carousell.

For the previous roller coaster at the same site, defunct in 1982, see Thunderbolt (1925 roller coaster).

Thunderbolt
The completed Thunderbolt
Luna Park
LocationLuna Park
Coordinates40.573487°N 73.982551°W / 40.573487; -73.982551
StatusOperating
Opening dateJune 14, 2014 (2014-06-14)
CostUS$10 million
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerZamperla
Lift/launch systemVertical chain lift
Height115 ft (35 m)
Drop112 ft (34 m)
Length2,234 ft (681 m)
Speed56 mph (90 km/h)
Inversions4
Duration00:38
G-force4.3
Height restriction50 in (127 cm)
Thunderbolt at RCDB
Pictures of Thunderbolt at RCDB

History
Under construction

A wooden roller coaster named the Thunderbolt was originally operated by George Moran on Coney Island from 1925 to 1982. It was demolished in 2000 due to neglect.[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] Due to the small footprint required for the coaster, the original plans called for the coaster to use an elevator instead of a lift hill for the initial incline.[4]

Published reports stated that Thunderbolt was expected to be completed and opened by Memorial Day 2014.[3][5] This date was delayed to early June 2014;[6][7] revised to open by June 6.[8][9] In early June, the opening date was once again delayed for later that summer.[10] On June 14, 2014, the Thunderbolt was opened.[11]

Characteristics
Thunderbolt viewed from the west, June 2016

Thunderbolt was manufactured by Zamperla at a cost of US$9 million[12] and has a 90-degree vertical drop and four inversions.[13][14][15][16] From the beginning of the initial drop, to the end of ride, it takes 38 seconds. The ride features 2,234 feet (681 m) of track, a height of 115 feet (35 m), and a top speed of 56 miles per hour (90 km/h).[17]

Layout

After leaving the station, the train turns 180 degrees to the left and enters a 90-degree, 125-foot (38 m) lift hill. It immediately descends 91 degrees and enters a vertical loop, followed by a Zero-G Roll to the left. After the second inversion, the train enters a leftward-sloping Stengel dive, followed by an Immelmann loop to the right. The train goes over two camelback hills before entering a right-hand corkscrew. After the corkscrew, the train enters another camelback hill before hitting the brake run and entering the station.[4][18]

Other installations

Coney Island's Thunderbolt is the first of five Zamperla coasters manufactured under the "Thunderbolt" brand as of 2019.[19][20] There are three possible layouts for the Thunderbolt coaster model. The first version is 2,234 feet (681 m) long.[21] This layout is used by Coney Island's Thunderbolt and two other coasters: Rapid Train at Gyeongnam Mason Robotland in Gyeongnam, South Korea; and Rollin' Thunder at the Park at OWA in Foley, Alabama.[22] The second version is 2,215 feet (675 m) long while the third version is 1,230 feet (375 m) long. Both alternate versions are meant to operate on wider lots with a shorter depth.[21]

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. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  4. "Thunderbolt at Luna Park". COASTER-net. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  5. Halperin, Rory (June 5, 2013). "Restored B&B Carousell is open in Coney Island (slide show)". Timeout.com. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  6. "Memorial Day kicks off summer with a splash". NY Daily News. May 25, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  7. "News and Rumors - Luna Park". Screamscape.com. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  8. Anthony Bell (June 3, 2014). "New Thunderbolt Roller Coaster to Open Friday in Coney Island". ALL MEDIA NY. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  9. Ned Berke (June 2, 2014). "After Delays, Coney Island's Thunderbolt To Open Next Week [Updated]". Bensonhurst Bean. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  10. Kensinger, Nathan (June 5, 2014). "Change Comes Once Again for Coney Island's Thunderbolt". Curbed NY. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  11. Brown, Stephen R. (June 14, 2014). "Coney Island's new Thunderbolt roller coaster officially opens". NY Daily News. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  12. Foderaro, Lisa W. (May 23, 2014). "Got Nerves of Steel? Meet the Thunderbolt Roller Coaster". The New York Times. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  13. Marden, Duane. "Thunderbolt  (Luna Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  14. "Luna Park breaks ground on new roller coaster, the Thunderbolt, on Coney Island - News 12 Brooklyn". Brooklyn.news12.com. March 10, 2014. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  15. New Roller Coaster Promises Coney Island a Return of Thrills
  16. "Coney Island's Luna Park To Get New Roller Coaster « CBS New York". Newyork.cbslocal.com. March 10, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  17. NYCEDC Announces New "Thunderbolt" Roller Coaster to be Built at Coney Island Archived March 11, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  18. "Thunderbolt front seat on-ride HD POV Luna Park, Coney Island". CoasterForce. June 26, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2019 – via YouTube.
  19. Marden, Duane. "Thunderbolt  (Zamperla)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  20. "Seventh project with OCT Group". Zamperla. June 16, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  21. "Thunderbolt". Zamperla. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  22. Marden, Duane. "Thunderbolt: Layout 1  (Zamperla)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
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