Jump to content

Texas Tornado (roller coaster)

Coordinates: 35°14′37″N 101°49′55″W / 35.243721°N 101.832064°W / 35.243721; -101.832064
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Texas Tornado
Looking south towards the Texas Tornado and Shoot the Chute in 2008
Wonderland Park (Texas)
LocationWonderland Park (Texas)
Coordinates35°14′37″N 101°49′55″W / 35.243721°N 101.832064°W / 35.243721; -101.832064
StatusOperating
Opening date1985
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerHopkins Rides
Height80 ft (24 m)
Length2,050 ft (620 m)
Inversions2
Height restriction50 in (127 cm)
TrainsSingle train with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 20 riders per train.
Texas Tornado at RCDB

The Texas Tornado is a steel roller coaster at Wonderland amusement park in Amarillo, Texas. It is the first coaster to be designed by North American water ride company Hopkins Rides. The design for Texas Tornado was scribbled on a napkin at a cocktail party at a trade show.[1]

During testing, the loops were reprofiled while retaining their original structures due to the trains being unable to complete the loop. During the park's 2009 winter off-season, the all-white coaster was repainted red, white and blue.

Ride Layout

[edit]

Riders begin by climbing the chain lift hill beside the highway to the coaster's highest point of 80 ft (24.4 m) before it heads down the first drop. Immediately after the drop, the train powers through a 72 ft (21.9 m) tall vertical loop before heading along an elevated section nearly level section of track with a slight dip to the right. The train turns downwards and left and then back up and left towards the second 52 ft (15.8 m) tall vertical loop. After the second loop, the train heads down and through a 13 ft (4 m) deep, 200 ft (61 m) long tunnel before climbing back to the brake run.[2] The Texas Tornado's famous double loops do not occur in a row, but are lined up to appear that way.

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Wonderland Park". Archived from the original on 2013-07-04. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
  2. ^ "Texas Tornado". Archived from the original on 2015-02-08. Retrieved 2013-06-25.