Great American Scream Machine (Six Flags Great Adventure)

Roller coaster in the United States
Watch the on-ride POV
Great American Scream Machine
The double corkscrew element
Six Flags Great Adventure
Location Jackson, New Jersey, USA
Coordinates 40°08′21″N 74°26′16″W / 40.139274°N 74.437895°W / 40.139274; -74.437895
Park section Boardwalk
Status Defunct
Operated April 15, 1989 to July 18, 2010
Cost $6,800,000[1]
Rider height 54 inch minimum
Replaced Sarajevo Bobsled
Replaced by Green Lantern
Statistics
Manufacturer Arrow Dynamics
Product Custom Looping Coaster
Designer / calculations Ron Toomer
Type Steel
Riders per train 28
Hourly capacity 1680
Propulsion Chain lift hill
Height 173 feet
Drop 155 feet
Top speed 68 mph
Length 3800 feet
Inversions 7
Duration 2:20
G-Force 3.8
HELP

Great American Scream Machine was a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, USA. Built by Arrow Dynamics, it was the fastest looping roller coaster when it opened in 1989. It was built along with two other sister coasters known as ShockWave (dismantled in 2002) at Six Flags Great America, and Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain, the latter of which still operates today. Although another roller coaster with the same name exists at Six Flags Over Georgia, that ride is an out and back wooden roller coaster.

The ride was removed in 2010 and replaced with Green Lantern, a B&M stand-up coaster.

History

The original plans for the coaster were moved to Six Flags Great America, where it would open in 1988 as ShockWave. This plan was changed following bad publicity and declining attendance at Six Flags Great Adventure during the 1987 season after a rider fell to her death from the Lightnin' Loops coasters. Another plan was worked out with Arrow Dynamics to build a looping roller coaster like ShockWave in order to boost attendance.[2]

Originally, the ride was set to be named Ninja, but there were problems with the crowds drawn to the Ninja coasters in other parks. The park would instead name the coaster Great American Scream Machine.[2] On September 29, 1988, the ride was finally announced.[3]

Great American Scream Machine had a media preview on April 14, 1989. It opened to the public a day later on April 15.[2] The Great American Scream Machine was a massive success, and Six Flags Great Adventure's attendance skyrocketed.[4]

After the first season, the tops of the vertical loops were replaced by track with additional strength bracing. This was due to the the amount of stress put on the trains and problems on other Arrow Dynamics coasters, such as ShockWave at Six Flags Great America. The original top of the first loop can be seen in the monkey enclosure at the Wild Safari. Along with this, a trim brake was installed after the first loop. This was not designed to stop the train, it is only used to adjust the speed at temperatures of over 90 degrees.[2]

In 2009, the white train (Liberty) was ad-wrapped as an advert for one of the ride's sponsors, got2b Glued Styling Spiking Glue, a hair gel. This was the first ride in the park to have this, but adverts were later placed on Kingda Ka and El Toro trains for Karate Kid and Stride Gum respectively.

Over time, the ride had become rougher.[2] On July 5, 2010, Six Flags Great Adventure announced that Great American Scream Machine would close on July 18.[5] Final rides were given that day, which drew in quite a lot of people. In 2011, it was replaced by Green Lantern, a Bolliger & Mabillard stand-up roller coaster formerly located at Kentucky Kingdom.[6]

The entrance sign from the ride was donated to the National Roller Coaster Museum.[7]

Design

Elements

After the lift hill and drop, there are three vertical loops, a brake run, the batwing, a double corkscrew before a turn around into the station.

Color scheme

Red track and white supports.

Trains

3 trains with 7 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows, for a total of 28 riders per train.

The top half of the ride's original vertical loop is now the only remaining part of the coaster, and can only be seen via a VIP tour of the park's safari exhibit

Theming

All the colors of the ride and the surrounding area resembled the American flag. The track was painted red with white supports. The trains were named Freedom (red), Liberty (white), and Spirit (blue). The ground under the ride had a red and white pattern resembling the stripes on the American flag and the station building was white with blue trim.

Trivia

  • Planet Coaster, a build-your-own-theme park game like RollerCoaster Tycoon, has an Arrow-inspired looping coaster called the American Arrow, in honor of Arrow's looping coasters.

Photo Gallery

References

  1. "The ultimate roller coaster is a real scream".
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Great American Scream Machine". GreatAdventureHistory.
  3. "Great Adventure adds 'great' scream machine".
  4. "10 Infamous Removed Roller Coasters". Theme Park Crazy.
  5. "Great American Scream Machine to close July 18th". Coaster101. July 5, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  6. "Green Lantern ride opens to roller coaster enthusiasts at Six Flags Great Adventure".
  7. McDonough, Doug (2015-08-29). "Plainview home to National Roller Coaster Museum". MyPlainview. Retrieved 2022-09-21.

External links

Tallest complete-circuit roller coaster
April 1989 - May 1989
Preceded by
ShockWave
Tallest complete-circuit roller coaster
April 1989 - May 1989
Succeeded by
Magnum XL-200
Tallest roller coaster drop
tied with
ShockWave

April 1989 - May 1989
Preceded by
American Eagle
Tallest roller coaster drop
tied with
ShockWave

April 1989 - May 1989
Succeeded by
Magnum XL-200
Most inversions on a roller coaster (7)
tied with
Goudurix
Kumba
ShockWave
Viper

April 1989 - May 1995
Preceded by
Vortex
Most inversions on a roller coaster (7)
tied with
Goudurix
Kumba
ShockWave
Viper

April 1989 - May 1995
Succeeded by
Dragon Khan


Articles on Six Flags Great Adventure