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Rolling Thunder (roller coaster)
Encyclopedia
Rolling Thunder is a racing
wooden
roller coaster
at Six Flags Great Adventure
in Jackson, NJ
. Rolling Thunder is the park's first wooden coaster, and debuted in 1979 during the park's fifth anniversary season. The line for the ride begins at an adjoining entrance and has separate queues for each track. The queue to the right of the entrance leads to the Coaster 1 track and Coaster 2 can be reached by the queue on the left. Guests who are not tall enough for 54-inch (137 cm) height-requiring coasters can ride Rolling Thunder as it has a 44-inch (112 cm) height requirement.
The track is made by bolting seven layers of wood. In most places on the ride, there are two layers of southern yellow pine, which sit atop five layers of Douglas-Fir. Older sections of track still have 7 layers of Douglas-Fir (mostly on the lift) and there are refurbished sections of track with seven layers of southern pine. A 7 inches (177.8 mm) strip of steel is bolted onto the top layer of wood track and three-inch-wide pieces of steel are bolted onto the sides.
Unlike most racing coasters, Rolling Thunder's tracks are not always next to each other, they separate at several points in the ride. After the first drop, the left track goes over a big hill, followed by a small hill, whereas the second track reverses this. On the turnaround at the back, the left track rises up and makes a level turn, while the right track rises and falls while turning. The hills on the return segment are also staggered. The trains are not always raced.
cars held together by hitch bars. Each car contains 6 seats. Each train can hold a maximum of 24 riders.
The trains use buzz bars that lock in one position. Ratcheting lap bars, which are capable of locking in multiple positions, are used on many new coasters today. Buzz bars are preferred by coaster enthusiasts for the extra room they provide in the seat. The ride is not considered an ACE Coaster Classic
however, as seat dividers and headrests were added in 1981 to prevent people from standing on the ride while it is in operation.
Seat belts were added on the ride's 25th anniversary and guests often have trouble buckling the seat belts or sit on the belts after closing their locked lap bar. The seat belts can get caught under the seats because they are not designed to accommodate belts. The boarding process can take long due to the restraints being unlocked so that guests can buckle their seat belts. Furthermore, guests who are overweight may not be able to comfortably sit in the seats.
There are three types of wheels used on the trains. Sixteen road wheels ride on the steel layer on top of the track. Sixteen guide wheels guide the trains around the turns on a separate steel track located on the sides of the wooden track. Sixteen upstop wheels ride on the bottom of the track only in moments of negative forces when the road wheels leave the track (when the trains are cresting hills).
There are three sets of brakes. The trim and ready brakes are located in the tunnel at the end of the ride. The trim brake slows and stops the train and serves as a holding place for one train until the second train leaves the station. The train can then be advanced off the trim and onto the ready brake. The ready brake holds the train until the second train reaches the top half of the lift hill. The leave brake holds the train in the station while it is being unloaded and loaded for the next ride. The trains are stopped manually and will not always aligned with the queue stalls in the station. Therefore the attendants will have to direct the guests to their rows from time to time before the airgates are opened.
When the brake pads and wheels get wet, there is little friction to stop the trains and they will slide too far onto the brakes. For safety reasons, only one train can run per side in rainy weather.
s in the USA, Rolling Thunder's Coaster 2 side was renamed Rednuht Gnillor, the backwards spelling of "Rolling Thunder," in 1984. The trains were turned around so riders would view the ride while riding backwards. During this season, Rednuht Gnillor's warning signs were placed in the back of the station and on the back of the lift hill so riders could see them.
Rolling Thunder was standing but not operating in September and October 2005 and through most of the Spring of 2006 due to the construction of the Plaza del Carnival section and El Toro.
Racing roller coaster
A racing roller coaster, sometimes referred to as a dual track coaster, consists of one whole track or two separate coasters that travels along parallel or mirrored tracks to simulate a race between the trains. The coaster trains travel along tracks just a few feet apart of one another...
wooden
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
at Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
in Jackson, NJ
Jackson Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,816 people, 14,176 households, and 11,269 families residing in the township. The population density was 427.9 people per square mile . There were 14,640 housing units at an average density of 146.3 per square mile...
. Rolling Thunder is the park's first wooden coaster, and debuted in 1979 during the park's fifth anniversary season. The line for the ride begins at an adjoining entrance and has separate queues for each track. The queue to the right of the entrance leads to the Coaster 1 track and Coaster 2 can be reached by the queue on the left. Guests who are not tall enough for 54-inch (137 cm) height-requiring coasters can ride Rolling Thunder as it has a 44-inch (112 cm) height requirement.
Structure & track
The structure and track is mostly built from 850,000 feet (259,080 m) of Douglas Fir. In the past, the Douglas Fir had been treated with pesticides which are not considered environmentally friendly and the track and supports are slowly being replaced with southern yellow pine.The track is made by bolting seven layers of wood. In most places on the ride, there are two layers of southern yellow pine, which sit atop five layers of Douglas-Fir. Older sections of track still have 7 layers of Douglas-Fir (mostly on the lift) and there are refurbished sections of track with seven layers of southern pine. A 7 inches (177.8 mm) strip of steel is bolted onto the top layer of wood track and three-inch-wide pieces of steel are bolted onto the sides.
Unlike most racing coasters, Rolling Thunder's tracks are not always next to each other, they separate at several points in the ride. After the first drop, the left track goes over a big hill, followed by a small hill, whereas the second track reverses this. On the turnaround at the back, the left track rises up and makes a level turn, while the right track rises and falls while turning. The hills on the return segment are also staggered. The trains are not always raced.
Trains
There are four trains that are distinguishable by color: Red, Blue, Yellow and Green. In 2009, Red and Blue run on Coaster 1 and Green and Yellow run on Coaster 2. In July 2009, the Blue train has been transferred to Coaster 2 and the Green train has been moved to Coaster 1. Each train has 4 three-bench Philadelphia Toboggan CompanyPhiladelphia Toboggan Company
The Philadelphia Toboggan Company is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world.Mack Rides of Germany dates back to 1781, but it did not start building coasters until 1921 Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry B...
cars held together by hitch bars. Each car contains 6 seats. Each train can hold a maximum of 24 riders.
The trains use buzz bars that lock in one position. Ratcheting lap bars, which are capable of locking in multiple positions, are used on many new coasters today. Buzz bars are preferred by coaster enthusiasts for the extra room they provide in the seat. The ride is not considered an ACE Coaster Classic
American Coaster Enthusiasts
The American Coaster Enthusiasts is an organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of roller coasters. Membership is open to anyone with payment of yearly dues, and membership benefits may include discounted admission to certain amusement parks...
however, as seat dividers and headrests were added in 1981 to prevent people from standing on the ride while it is in operation.
Seat belts were added on the ride's 25th anniversary and guests often have trouble buckling the seat belts or sit on the belts after closing their locked lap bar. The seat belts can get caught under the seats because they are not designed to accommodate belts. The boarding process can take long due to the restraints being unlocked so that guests can buckle their seat belts. Furthermore, guests who are overweight may not be able to comfortably sit in the seats.
There are three types of wheels used on the trains. Sixteen road wheels ride on the steel layer on top of the track. Sixteen guide wheels guide the trains around the turns on a separate steel track located on the sides of the wooden track. Sixteen upstop wheels ride on the bottom of the track only in moments of negative forces when the road wheels leave the track (when the trains are cresting hills).
Brakes
Rolling Thunder uses skid brakes to stop the trains rather than modern fin brakes. The trains have brake pads underneath each car which slide against the brakes to lift the train's wheels off the track. The brakes are always in the up position unless the operator, in conjunction with the rear unloader attendant, advances a train. The road wheels can be heard spinning at the end of the ride and will continue to spin until the operator, in conjunction with the unload attendant, advances the train.There are three sets of brakes. The trim and ready brakes are located in the tunnel at the end of the ride. The trim brake slows and stops the train and serves as a holding place for one train until the second train leaves the station. The train can then be advanced off the trim and onto the ready brake. The ready brake holds the train until the second train reaches the top half of the lift hill. The leave brake holds the train in the station while it is being unloaded and loaded for the next ride. The trains are stopped manually and will not always aligned with the queue stalls in the station. Therefore the attendants will have to direct the guests to their rows from time to time before the airgates are opened.
When the brake pads and wheels get wet, there is little friction to stop the trains and they will slide too far onto the brakes. For safety reasons, only one train can run per side in rainy weather.
History
To mark the 100th anniversary of roller coasterRoller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s in the USA, Rolling Thunder's Coaster 2 side was renamed Rednuht Gnillor, the backwards spelling of "Rolling Thunder," in 1984. The trains were turned around so riders would view the ride while riding backwards. During this season, Rednuht Gnillor's warning signs were placed in the back of the station and on the back of the lift hill so riders could see them.
Rolling Thunder was standing but not operating in September and October 2005 and through most of the Spring of 2006 due to the construction of the Plaza del Carnival section and El Toro.