View source for Diamond Back

{{about|the roller coaster at Frontier City|the roller coaster at Kings Island|Diamondback}}
{{Infobox roller coaster
|video        = GqSVEWznj7Q <!-- Youtube video ID -->
|image        = Diamond Back (Frontier City) 2004 01.jpg
|caption      = Diamond Back in 2004.
|name         = Diamond Back
|park         = [[Frontier City]]
|location     = Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
|country      = USA
|state        = Oklahoma
|status       = operating
|opened       = 1993
|closed       = 
|cost         = 
|min_height   = 48
|manufacturer = [[Arrow Dynamics]]
|builder      = 
|designer     = 
|category1    = Steel
|category2    = Launched
|category3    = Shuttle
|category4    = 
|model        = [[Launched Loop]]
|riders/train = 24
|riders/hour  = 
|lift/launch  = [[Electric winch launch]]
|layout       = shuttle loop
|height       = 56
|drop         = 47
|speed        = 45
|length       = 635
|duration     = 1:06
|rider_inversions=2
|track_inversions=1
|angle        = 
|g-force      = 4
|past-locations={{past location
 |park        = [[Six Flags Great Adventure]]
 |location    = Jackson, New Jersey, USA
 |country     = USA
 |opened      = May 23, 1978
 |closed      = 1986
 |replaced    = 
 |replacement = [[Batman The Ride (Six Flags Great Adventure)|Batman The Ride]]
 |name        = Lightnin' Loops
}}
}}
[[File:Diamond Back (Frontier City) 2021 01.jpg|thumb|Diamond Back in 2021|left]]
'''Diamond Back''' is a [[steel]] [[launched]] [[shuttle]] [[roller coaster]] currently located at [[Frontier City]] in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. It originally operated at [[Six Flags Great Adventure]] as the lower coaster of ''Lightnin' Loops''.

==History==
{{Wikipedia}}
''Lightnin' Loops'' was built in 1977 and opened in 1978 at [[Six Flags Great Adventure]]. [[Six Flags]] had acquired the park in 1977 and ''Lightnin' Loops'' was planned by the prior ownership as far back as 1976. It was the second looping [[roller coaster]] on the east coast, although several full circuit looping coasters were in [[operation]] as far back as 1975. The coaster was located on the west side of the park that is currently occupied by Movietown, [[Batman The Ride (Six Flags Great Adventure)|Batman: The Ride]], and [[Nitro (Six Flags Great Adventure)|Nitro]].

''Lightnin' Loops'' was the first [[roller coaster]] to feature [[Interlocking Loops|interlocking loops]], a feature that would eventually be repeated on [[Loch Ness Monster]] at [[Busch Gardens Williamsburg]] and the [[Orient Express (Worlds of Fun)|Orient Express]] at [[Worlds of Fun]].  However ''Lightnin' Loops'' was the world's only [[Interlocking Loops|interlocking]] dual [[shuttle]] [[Launched Loop (Model)|shuttle loop]] coaster.  ''Lightnin' Loops'' featured a [[launched|launch system]] that propelled the [[train]] downward into the [[vertical loop]], and to another [[launched|launch]] [[station]] at the same height as the loading [[station]]. Then the [[train]] was [[launched]] backwards returning to the loading [[station]].

This coaster continued to be the star attraction at the park throughout the 1980s, although other coasters such as [[Rolling Thunder (Six Flags Great Adventure)|Rolling Thunder]] (built in 1979), [[Sarajevo Bobsled]] (built in 1984), and [[Ultra Twister (Six Flags Great Adventure)|Ultra Twister]] (built in 1986) also were major coasters. The popularity of ''Lightnin' Loops'' faded in 1989 when the bobsleds were replaced with a multiple looping full circuit then-state of the art [[roller coaster]] called the [[Great American Scream Machine (Six Flags Great Adventure)|Great American Scream Machine]] (also built by [[Arrow Dynamics]]), which featured seven [[inversions]], three of which were [[Vertical loop|loops]].  Also unpopular was the 56 feet high stair-climb to reach the ''Loops'' loading [[station]].

By 1990, the area that ''Lightnin' Loops'' was occupying lacked theme and became a dull area of the park. Nearby, however ''Adventure Rivers'' would be added in 1991. A new stunt show arena was built next to ''Lightnin' Loops'', and the area was transformed in "Action Town". In May 1992, management announced that ''Lightnin' Loops'' would close at the end of July, be dismantled in August, one of the ''loops'' would be sold to [[Funtime Parks]], the other ''loop'' would move to the site formerly occupied by [[Ultra Twister (Six Flags Great Adventure)|Ultra Twister]], and construction of [[Batman The Ride (Six Flags Great Adventure)|Batman the Ride]] would begin on the site of the space occupied by ''Lightnin' Loops''. [[Batman The Ride (Six Flags Great Adventure)|Batman the Ride]] lead to the conversion of the area into Movietown.

At the end of 1992, however, it was decided that the both tracks of ''Lightnin' Loops'' would be sold to [[Funtime Parks]]. ''Lightnin' Loops'' was then sent to two different parks then owned by Funtime. The one track was sent to [[Frontier City]] near Oklahoma City. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1993 and now known as the ''Diamond Back''. It still operates there today.

The other track was sent to [[Six Flags America|Adventure World]] in [[Largo, Maryland]] (near [[Washington, D.C.]]). It was rebuilt and reopened in 1993 and known as the ''Python''. [[Funtime Parks]] coincidentally sold to [[Six Flags|Premier Parks]] in 1995. In 1998, Premier would buy [[Six Flags]], bringing these two [[track]]s formerly known as ''Lightning Loops'' back into the [[Six Flags]] family.

''Adventure World'' was renamed [[Six Flags America]] in 1999. At that point the ''Python'' was disassembled and put in storage to make room for more modern [[roller coaster]]s and attractions. It remained [[in storage]] until 2005, when it was scrapped.

[[Frontier City]] was sold along with several other smaller [[Six Flags]] parks to [[PARC Management]]. ''Diamond Back'' still operates as the only ''Lightnin' Loops'' [[track]] still in [[operation]]. ''Diamond Back'' was the ''Lightnin' Loops'' shuttle with the lower loop, while ''Python'' was the shuttle in the upper loop.

==Design==
{{Elementbox|
*[[Electric winch launch]]
*[[Vertical loop]]
*[[Electric winch launch]]
}}
===Colour scheme===
Blue/yellow [[track]] and yellow [[supports]], used to be black [[track]] with white [[supports]].
===Trains===
Single [[train]] with 6 [[car]]s. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 4 riders per [[car]] or 24 riders per [[train]].

==Images==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Diamond Back (Frontier City) 2021 02.jpg|The ride's entrance
</gallery>

==External links==
{{RCDB|link=https://rcdb.com/586.htm}}

{{Frontier City}}
[[Category:Roller coasters manufactured by Arrow Dynamics]]
[[Category:Launched Loop]]
[[Category:Roller coasters opened in 1993]]