The Legend (roller coaster)
Encyclopedia
The Legend is a wooden roller coaster
at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
in Santa Claus
, Indiana
, USA. It was designed and built beginning in 1999 by the now-defunct roller coaster manufacturer Custom Coasters International
, with the help of designers Dennis McNulty and Larry Bill; it opened on May 6, 2000. The Legend is themed after Washington Irving
's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
and mimics the frightful ride Ichabod Crane
took as he was chased through the woods by the Headless Horseman
. The Legend has been consistently ranked among the world's top twenty-five wooden roller coasters at the Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented annually by Amusement Today
magazine.
, park President Will Koch began making plans for a second wooden roller coaster. Koch contacted Custom Coasters International
and began to form initial plans for the roller coaster. When the initial plans were completed, rather than starting work on the new project, Koch took a different route. He posted the initial plans online and asked for input from roller coaster enthusiasts from around the world on things such as design, theme, and name. After receiving a multitude of email
s, Koch determined that "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" was by far the most popular theming suggestion. Construction began in April 1999 with the pouring of concrete footers. The final design and name, The Legend, was released on June 15, 1999.
The Legend opened on May 6, 2000, five years to the day after The Raven. When the roller coaster opened, it operated with a single 24-passenger train made by Gerstlauer
. Roller coaster enthusiasts traveled from across the country to ride the roller coaster that had been built with some of their input. Many of these enthusiasts proclaimed The Legend to be their "new #1 wooden coaster".
. The additional train helped to improve capacity on The Legend from 550 riders per hour to 800 riders per hour.
In order to accommodate and store the second train when it was not being used, Holiday World added a transfer track to the ride right before the lift hill. A transfer track allows a portion of the track to be moved and redirected to a storage bay. This allows an unused train to be stored during normal operation and also provides an additional area for maintenance crews to inspect the roller coaster train.
The third change made to The Legend was an extension of the station. Adding a second train necessitated that an independent brake zone be added. The roller coaster already had a brake zone, but it would have allowed an incoming train to get too close to a train parked in the station to be considered safe. In response, the park extended the station so that a train parked in the station would be have a buffer roughly the size of a full train. The ride operator's controls, air-powered queue gates, exit gate, and even the pull handle for the bell were moved further down the newly extended station towards the lift hill.
taught at in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
. The station has only one accessible level, plus an enclosure for a school bell on the roof. Before entering the station, guests first go down a flight of stairs and under the roller coaster's brake run. At the bottom of the stairs, there is a multitude of queue
switchbacks, going all the way back to the beginning of the brake run and the final two turns of the ride. After navigating the switchbacks, guests walk up a flight of stairs that is right next to the third-to-last turn of the ride. At the top of the stairs guests enter the station, where more switchbacks must be navigated before continuing on to the loading area of the ride. On loading side of the station, there are twelve air-powered queue gates, one for each row of the train, as well as the pull handle for the bell. On the unloading side of the station there are free shelves and lockers that riders may use to hold their belongings for the duration of the ride. The unloading side is also the location of the ride operator's controls and a single swinging exit gate.
. Each train is made up of six cars that hold four riders each. Each car has two rows holding two riders each. Each row has a seat divider that separates the two riders in that row and ensures each rider remains in a position allowing their restraints to work effectively. The Legends safety restraints include an individual ratcheting
lap bar and an individual, two-point lap belt.
, topped with a single layer of steel along the top, sides, and underside of the track where the train's wheels make contact. The supports for the track itself are wooden as well. The total length of the track is 4042 feet (1,232 m) and includes 113 feet (34.4 m), 77 feet (23.5 m), and 64 feet (19.5 m) drops in addition to four above-ground and underground tunnels. The track features a chain lift hill
and three block sections, which allows a maximum of two trains to operate at a time. The Legend uses fin brakes throughout the ride to allow the train to be stopped in the brake run
, the station, and the transfer track.
chain. While ascending the lift hill, the train passes over the drop on Frightful Falls. Once at the top of the lift hill, the train makes a small dip down and then back up as the train makes a turn to the right. The train then dives down its initial 113 feet (34.4 m) drop at almost 60 miles per hour (26.8 m/s).
. After heading uphill again, the train enters its 64 feet (19.5 m) drop and the underground tunnel immediately following the drop. After exiting the tunnel, the train makes a turn to the right and then the left before dipping down and under two sections of its own track in preparation for the double helix
.
to end the ride. If there are two trains operating, the train will wait in the brake run until the second train has left the station. If not, the train will continue directly into the station at which point riders will unload.
In addition to weather conditions, some riders may be prohibited from boarding. Although there is no age limit, riders must be at least 48 inches (121.9 cm) tall to ride The Legend. Riders must also be able to fasten both the lap bar and seat belt to ride; due to this restriction, larger riders may not be permitted to ride. All riders must abide by Holiday World's dress code, which includes wearing a shirt, shorts, and shoes, in order to ride. In addition, riders must leave all loose items in the station; riders who refuse to leave their loose items in the station will not be permitted to ride.
Each year, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, in coordination with the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center of Southwestern Indiana, publishes an accessibility guide for guests with disabilities. It is recommended, though not necessarily required, that all guests with the following conditions refrain from riding The Legend:
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...
at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari is a family owned and operated combination theme park and water park, located near Interstate 64 and U.S. 231 in Santa Claus, Indiana, USA. The theme park is divided into four sections that celebrate Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July with...
in Santa Claus
Santa Claus, Indiana
Santa Claus is a town in Carter, Clay and Harrison townships, Spencer County in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana, between Interstate 64 and the Ohio River. The population was 2,041 at the 2000 census.Santa Claus was established in 1854...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, USA. It was designed and built beginning in 1999 by the now-defunct roller coaster manufacturer Custom Coasters International
Custom Coasters International
Custom Coasters International was one of the premier wooden roller coaster manufacturers in the world and produced more wooden coasters in recent times than any other company...
, with the help of designers Dennis McNulty and Larry Bill; it opened on May 6, 2000. The Legend is themed after Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving contained in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., written while he was living in Birmingham, England, and first published in 1820...
and mimics the frightful ride Ichabod Crane
Ichabod Crane
Ichabod Crane is a fictional character in Washington Irving's short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, first published in 1820.-Origin:...
took as he was chased through the woods by the Headless Horseman
Headless Horseman
The headless horseman has been a motif of European folklore since at least the Middle ages.The Headless Horseman is a fictional character who appears in a short story called “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” which is in a collection of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon written by Washington Irving...
. The Legend has been consistently ranked among the world's top twenty-five wooden roller coasters at the Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented annually by Amusement Today
Amusement Today
Amusement Today is a monthly periodical featuring articles, news, pictures, and reviews about all things relating to the amusement park industry, including parks, rides, and ride manufacturers. The magazine, which is based in Arlington, Texas, USA, was founded in 1997 by Gary Slade and Virgil...
magazine.
Development
Following the success of The RavenThe Raven (roller coaster)
The Raven is a wooden roller coaster at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, USA. It was designed and built beginning in 1994 by the now-defunct roller coaster manufacturer Custom Coasters International, with the help of designers Dennis McNulty and Larry Bill; it opened on May...
, park President Will Koch began making plans for a second wooden roller coaster. Koch contacted Custom Coasters International
Custom Coasters International
Custom Coasters International was one of the premier wooden roller coaster manufacturers in the world and produced more wooden coasters in recent times than any other company...
and began to form initial plans for the roller coaster. When the initial plans were completed, rather than starting work on the new project, Koch took a different route. He posted the initial plans online and asked for input from roller coaster enthusiasts from around the world on things such as design, theme, and name. After receiving a multitude of email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
s, Koch determined that "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" was by far the most popular theming suggestion. Construction began in April 1999 with the pouring of concrete footers. The final design and name, The Legend, was released on June 15, 1999.
The Legend opened on May 6, 2000, five years to the day after The Raven. When the roller coaster opened, it operated with a single 24-passenger train made by Gerstlauer
Gerstlauer
Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH is a German manufacturer of stationary and transportable amusement rides and roller coasters, located in Münsterhausen, Germany.-History:...
. Roller coaster enthusiasts traveled from across the country to ride the roller coaster that had been built with some of their input. Many of these enthusiasts proclaimed The Legend to be their "new #1 wooden coaster".
2002 Changes
In 2002, Holiday World made three changes to The Legend. First, the park sold the single Gerstlauer train and bought two new trains made by the 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...
. The additional train helped to improve capacity on The Legend from 550 riders per hour to 800 riders per hour.
In order to accommodate and store the second train when it was not being used, Holiday World added a transfer track to the ride right before the lift hill. A transfer track allows a portion of the track to be moved and redirected to a storage bay. This allows an unused train to be stored during normal operation and also provides an additional area for maintenance crews to inspect the roller coaster train.
The third change made to The Legend was an extension of the station. Adding a second train necessitated that an independent brake zone be added. The roller coaster already had a brake zone, but it would have allowed an incoming train to get too close to a train parked in the station to be considered safe. In response, the park extended the station so that a train parked in the station would be have a buffer roughly the size of a full train. The ride operator's controls, air-powered queue gates, exit gate, and even the pull handle for the bell were moved further down the newly extended station towards the lift hill.
Station
The Legends station is themed after a schoolhouse such as the one Ichabod CraneIchabod Crane
Ichabod Crane is a fictional character in Washington Irving's short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, first published in 1820.-Origin:...
taught at in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving contained in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., written while he was living in Birmingham, England, and first published in 1820...
. The station has only one accessible level, plus an enclosure for a school bell on the roof. Before entering the station, guests first go down a flight of stairs and under the roller coaster's brake run. At the bottom of the stairs, there is a multitude of queue
Queue area
Queue areas are places in which people queue for goods or services. Examples include checking out groceries or other goods that have been collected in a self service shop, in a shop without self service, at an ATM, at a ticket desk, a city bus, or in a taxi stand.Queueing is a phenomenon in a...
switchbacks, going all the way back to the beginning of the brake run and the final two turns of the ride. After navigating the switchbacks, guests walk up a flight of stairs that is right next to the third-to-last turn of the ride. At the top of the stairs guests enter the station, where more switchbacks must be navigated before continuing on to the loading area of the ride. On loading side of the station, there are twelve air-powered queue gates, one for each row of the train, as well as the pull handle for the bell. On the unloading side of the station there are free shelves and lockers that riders may use to hold their belongings for the duration of the ride. The unloading side is also the location of the ride operator's controls and a single swinging exit gate.
Trains
The Legend uses two purple, 24-passenger trains made by the 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...
. Each train is made up of six cars that hold four riders each. Each car has two rows holding two riders each. Each row has a seat divider that separates the two riders in that row and ensures each rider remains in a position allowing their restraints to work effectively. The Legends safety restraints include an individual ratcheting
Ratchet (device)
A ratchet is a device that allows continuous linear or rotary motion in only one direction while preventing motion in the opposite direction. Because most socket wrenches today use ratcheting handles, the term "ratchet" alone is often used to refer to a ratcheting wrench, and the terms "ratchet"...
lap bar and an individual, two-point lap belt.
Track
The wooden track on The Legend is made out of numerous layers of Southern Yellow PineSouthern Yellow Pine
Southern Yellow Pine doesn't refer to any one species of tree, but rather a group of species which are classified as yellow pine , and are native to the Southern United States. They grow very well in the acidic red clay soil found in most of the region. The varieties include Loblolly, Longleaf,...
, topped with a single layer of steel along the top, sides, and underside of the track where the train's wheels make contact. The supports for the track itself are wooden as well. The total length of the track is 4042 feet (1,232 m) and includes 113 feet (34.4 m), 77 feet (23.5 m), and 64 feet (19.5 m) drops in addition to four above-ground and underground tunnels. The track features a chain lift hill
Lift hill
A lift hill, or chain hill, is often the initial upward-sloping section of track on a typical roller coaster that initially transports the roller coaster train to an elevated point or peak in the roller coaster ride...
and three block sections, which allows a maximum of two trains to operate at a time. The Legend uses fin brakes throughout the ride to allow the train to be stopped in the brake run
Brake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed...
, the station, and the transfer track.
Dispatch to First Drop
The ride begins with riders in the station facing the Frightful Falls station. After dispatch, the train immediately passes the transfer track, which is to the right of the main track, and dips down while taking a right turn before latching onto the lift hillLift hill
A lift hill, or chain hill, is often the initial upward-sloping section of track on a typical roller coaster that initially transports the roller coaster train to an elevated point or peak in the roller coaster ride...
chain. While ascending the lift hill, the train passes over the drop on Frightful Falls. Once at the top of the lift hill, the train makes a small dip down and then back up as the train makes a turn to the right. The train then dives down its initial 113 feet (34.4 m) drop at almost 60 miles per hour (26.8 m/s).
First Drop to Double Helix
Immediately at the bottom of the first drop The Legend enters an above-ground tunnel while making a slight turn to the left. Then, the train goes up and over Watubee before going under ZOOMbabwe and its own structure. The ride then returns uphill in preparation for the spiral drop. At the crest of the hill, the train enters a 77 feet (23.5 m) spiral drop to the right. During the drop, the train passes under Zinga before crossing over the ride's track in a hill that delivers a quick burst of air-timeAir-time
Air time is the feeling of weightlessness or negative gravity force experienced on a roller coaster or other amusement rides. On roller coasters this feeling is usually achieved by the train going over a hill. Hypercoasters such as Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point and Bizarro at Six Flags New England...
. After heading uphill again, the train enters its 64 feet (19.5 m) drop and the underground tunnel immediately following the drop. After exiting the tunnel, the train makes a turn to the right and then the left before dipping down and under two sections of its own track in preparation for the double helix
Helix
A helix is a type of smooth space curve, i.e. a curve in three-dimensional space. It has the property that the tangent line at any point makes a constant angle with a fixed line called the axis. Examples of helixes are coil springs and the handrails of spiral staircases. A "filled-in" helix – for...
.
Double Helix to End
Once the train has crossed under its track, it heads back uphill and into the double helix, in which the train turns to the right, making two complete circles while passing through two above-ground tunnels and several hills and drops. At the conclusion of the double helix the train goes down hill and crosses over its track in preparation for what has been called the "four corners of death" by many roller coaster enthusiasts. The first corner is a 90° right turn. After the first corner the train dives down hill under the lift hill of Frightful Falls before going back up to the second corner, a banked, 90° turn to the left. The train then travels next to the outdoor queue switchbacks before making a 180° turn to the right, forming the last two corners in the "four corners of death". Once the train exits the last corner, it immediately enters the brake runBrake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed...
to end the ride. If there are two trains operating, the train will wait in the brake run until the second train has left the station. If not, the train will continue directly into the station at which point riders will unload.
Operation
The Legend operates in high altitudes and in heavily-wooded areas. Due to these factors, The Legend closes when there is lightning or high wind in Holiday World's immediate area.In addition to weather conditions, some riders may be prohibited from boarding. Although there is no age limit, riders must be at least 48 inches (121.9 cm) tall to ride The Legend. Riders must also be able to fasten both the lap bar and seat belt to ride; due to this restriction, larger riders may not be permitted to ride. All riders must abide by Holiday World's dress code, which includes wearing a shirt, shorts, and shoes, in order to ride. In addition, riders must leave all loose items in the station; riders who refuse to leave their loose items in the station will not be permitted to ride.
Each year, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, in coordination with the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center of Southwestern Indiana, publishes an accessibility guide for guests with disabilities. It is recommended, though not necessarily required, that all guests with the following conditions refrain from riding The Legend:
- Back, Neck, or Bone Injury
- Heart Trouble
- High Blood Pressure
- Pregnancy
- Recent Surgery or Illness
Awards
| Golden Ticket Awards: Best Wooden Roller Coaster | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Ranking | ||||||||||||
| Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Wooden-Tracked Roller Coaster | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Ranking | |||||||||||