Top Thrill 2: Difference between revisions
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==The ride== |
==The ride== |
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''Top Thrill Dragster'' is easily seen from nearly anywhere in the park. |
''Top Thrill Dragster'' is easily seen from nearly anywhere in the park. |
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Revision as of 01:51, 21 September 2009
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| Top Thrill Dragster | |
|---|---|
 Top Thrill Dragster | |
| Cedar Point | |
| Location | Cedar Point |
| Park section | Top Thrill Dragster Midway |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 4, 2003 |
| Cost | US$ 25,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Launched |
| Manufacturer | Intamin AG |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Model | Stratacoaster |
| Track layout | square-boxed structure with red and white paint and yellow supports. |
| Lift/launch system | Hydraulic Launch |
| Height | 420 ft (130 m) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 17 sec. |
| Capacity | approximately 1,500[1] riders per hour |
| Acceleration | 0 to 120 mph (0 to 193 km/h) in 3.8 seconds |
| Top Thrill Dragster at RCDB | |
Top Thrill Dragster is a steel, hydraulically-launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. It was the first "Strata Coaster," loosely defined as a complete circuit coaster that is 420 feet tall. It was built by Intamin AG and debuted to the public on May 4, 2003. It is one of only 2 stratacoasters in existence, the other being Kingda Ka (2005) at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey.
Top Thrill Dragster if it were placed on the Skyline of nearby Cleveland, Ohio, would be tied with Cuyahoga County Justice Center Complex(1976) as the 8th tallest building in Downtown Cleveland. If it were placed in Downtown Toledo, it would be Toledo's tallest structure. The Tallest Structure in Toledo, Ohio is One Seagate.
Top Thrill Dragster was the second hydraulically-launched roller coaster built by Intamin AG, following Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm. The tagline for Top Thrill Dragster is "Race for the sky."
Due to aviation safety concerns, for the purpose of warning air traffic, the tower is equipped with four dual strobes: three mid-way up, and one on the highest point on the coaster.
Records
When Top Thrill Dragster first debuted, it set two new records:
- Highest drop of any coaster
- Fastest top speed of any coaster
Top Thrill Dragster was the fourth roller coaster to break the 100 mph speed barrier. It was preceded in this feat by Tower of Terror at Dreamworld, Australia, Superman: The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California and Dodonpa (located at Fuji-Q Highland).
The previous record holder for overall height was Superman: The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California (415 feet tall). Top Thrill Dragster broke this record at 420 feet. Top Thrill Dragster's record was broken in 2005 when Kingda Ka opened at Six Flags Great Adventure, standing 456 feet tall.
The previous record holder for speed was Dodonpa, at 107 mph. This record was broken by Top Thrill Dragster, which reaches speeds up to 120 (depending on wind and other conditions), which was later broken by Kingda Ka which reached a top speed of 128 mph.
The ride
Top Thrill Dragster is easily seen from nearly anywhere in the park.
The entrance to the queue leads park guests in between two parts of the coaster's track. Near the end of the wait, the queue branches off into two sides. Riders may choose to follow the queue to the front or rear station. In the stations, two trains are loaded at the same time before both are dispatched into the waiting area outside of the loading area. There, the front train is launched first, and the second after that. While this is occurring, two more trains have entered the station and loading has begun again. While in the station the ride's theme song is played, which is "Ready to Go" by Republica.
To the left of the track is a "Christmas tree" light, similar those employed at the starting line of a drag strip. At this time, a brief message is played to the riders. Once the ride is prepared to launch, a motor revving sound effect begins. The magnetic braking fins lower from the launch track, and the train rolls backwards a slight amount in order to connect with the launch car below the tracks. The lights from three yellows to a green light and the train launches into its initial acceleration to 120mph in just 3.8 seconds.[2]
Near the end of the first stretch of track is a sign which displays the maximum speed during launch and ride-photo camera. Shortly after reaching its maximum velocity, the train begins its ascent up a 90-degree incline that has a 90-degree counter-clockwise twist that takes the train straight over the top of the 420 foot hill, where riders will experience negative G-force. In descent, there is a 270-degree clockwise twist that leads into the next photo section before the train enters the braking run and stops. Riders disembark and can purchase their photo within 3–4 minutes after the picture is taken.
Theme
The theme of the roller coaster is based on the Top Fuel Drag Racing motor sport and many riders state that this ride feels exactly like a dragster starting to accelerate, however, the actual acceleration of a Top Fuel Dragster is far more significant than that of the ride. A real Top Fuel dragster usually weighs about one ton, while each empty train on Top Thrill Dragster weighs 5.3 tons.[citation needed]
Rollbacks
The speed of Top Thrill Dragster is controlled by a computer which regulates the speed of the launch in order to minimize forces as the train crests the hill. Occasionally, a train is not launched with enough speed to clear the crest. This tends to happen in cool, wet or breezy weather, when the wind is working against the train.[citation needed] When the track is wet or the weather is cold, the standard launch speed is typically not enough to force the train over the hill. The train's momentum can also be hindered by a good headwind. When this happens, the train will climb the hill, stop just short of the apex, and roll back down the hill in reverse, hence the name "rollback". To avert disaster, the launch track is equipped with retractable magnetic braking fins. After every launch these fins are quickly and systematically deployed, as if chasing the coaster train, to make absolutely sure to slow down a train that happens to roll backwards afterward to stop it safely and comfortably.
A sign near the split in the queue line warns that rollbacks are expected and safe, as systems are set in place to bring a rollback to a safe and comfortable stop.
These "rollbacks" are something that many Cedar Point fans look forward to, and hope to receive at some point. Since the launch is arguably the most exciting and intense part of the ride, a rollback means you get the option to either ride it again without waiting in line, or exit the ride.
Intamin's term for this phenomenon is "short shot" rather than "rollback", but the term "rollback" is used almost exclusively in the parks that operate Accelerator Coasters, as well as in the coaster enthusiast community.
On rare occasion a combination of the weight distribution of the train, the force of the launch, and the wind can balance the train on top of the tower causing it to stall. This has happened three times when loaded. Once on Friday, June 24, 2005, the green train was launched and came to rest at the top of the tower. The same incident occurred on Saturday, October 25, 2008 and also on[3] [4] Monday, May 25, 2009.[5]
Awards
| Golden Ticket Awards: Best Steel Coaster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ^ "Top Thrill Dragster". Cedar Point. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ "Top Thrill Dragster". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ "Top Thrill Dragster Stuck at Top". Xtreme Coastin. 2005-06-24. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Read the article at http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/fun/blog/index.cfm
- ^ http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/fun/blog/index.cfm?entry=546e3519-1f9c-4d11-a74b-e3e2251f419b
External links
- Articles needing cleanup from November 2008
- Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field from November 2008
- Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from November 2008
- Operating roller coasters
- Roller coasters introduced in 2003
- Steel roller coasters
- Launched roller coasters
- Stratacoasters
- Cedar Point
- Amusement park accidents