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| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics | ||||||||||||||
| Builder | Mosser Construction | ||||||||||||||
| Designer / calculations | Ron Toomer | ||||||||||||||
| Type | Steel - Twin - Hybrid | ||||||||||||||
| Riders per train | 30 | ||||||||||||||
| Hourly capacity | 3,300 | ||||||||||||||
| Propulsion | Chain lift hill | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 125.3 feet | ||||||||||||||
| Drop | 118 feet | ||||||||||||||
| Top speed | 60 mph | ||||||||||||||
| Length | 3935 feet | ||||||||||||||
| Inversions | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| Drop angle | 55° | ||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2:20 | ||||||||||||||
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Gemini is a steel racing hybrid roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, USA. When the ride opened in June 1978, it was one of the tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coasters in the world. It was manufactured by Arrow Development and constructed by Mosser Construction.
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History
The construction of Gemini saw the park's midway extended by 1,140 feet, completing a 3,000 foot midway expansion project which began with the construction of Corkscrew. The park claimed that Gemini was the world's tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coaster at 125 feet tall and reaching a maximum speed of 60 mph.[1] However, Giant Coaster, opened at Fuji-Q Highland in 1966, was reportedly taller at 131.3 feet. Harsh weather conditions delayed construction, as a result Gemini did not open at the start of the season.[2] The ride opened on June 17, 1978.
Design
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Ride experience
The ride begins with both trains being dispatched from the station simultaneously, then making a 90° right turn, traveling through the maintenance bay. The ride then makes another 90° right turn and travels up the 125.3 foot chain lift hill. Once the trains crest the hill, they drop 118 feet at a 55° angle, reaching speeds of approximately 60 mph. The trains then coast back up a hill, where they slowly make a large U-turn to the left. The coaster then drops about halfway and goes into a camelback, followed by a U-turn to the right. The ride then drops, rolls through another camelback, and into the mid-course brake run. Following the mid-course brakes, the coaster makes another giant U-turn to the left, followed by two small bunny hills. The coaster's finale is a 360° upwards helix, wheres both trains travel in opposite directions.
Colour scheme
Brown Track and unpainted supports.
Trains
4 trains with 5 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows, for a total of 30 riders per train. In the past, this ride used to have a total of 6 trains (3 for each side), though removal of a pair of train was a required since having 3 trains in the Gemini track was an operational nightmare. Gemini consists of 3 blocks plus the station, which means that the loading and dispatching of trains would have to be very precise in order to avoid trains getting stuck in the mid course trim brakes. These trim brakes can only be released from below the trims, away from the station, so, every time the loading and dispatching was not precise enough a train would get stuck in the trim brakes, thus making one of the ride operators having to go and manually release them every time this would happen. Taking into account that the nature of the ride (racing ride) and the loading station configuration (made so you can change the train you’re getting on in the last minute), the decision was made to remove said pair of trains for the operators to be able to check the seats more effectively.
References
- ↑ "Cedar Point advertisment", The Marion Star.
- ↑ "Cedar Point opens Saturday", The News-Messenger.
External links
- Gemini on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
