Pony Express (Knott's Berry Farm)

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Pony Express

Knott's Berry Farm
Location	Buena Park, California, USA
Coordinates	33°50′35″N 118°00′05″W / 33.842956°N 118.001307°W / 33.842956; -118.001307
Section	Ghost Town – Wild Water Wilderness
Status	Operating since May 22, 2008
Rider height	48 inch minimum

Statistics

Manufacturer

Zamperla

Product

Moto Coaster

Designer / calculations

Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH

Type

Steel - Launched - Motorbike

Propulsion

Flywheel launch from 0-38 mph in 3.0 seconds

Height

44 feet

Top speed

38 mph

Length

1300 feet

Inversions

0

Pony Express is a Zamperla motorbike roller coaster located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, USA.

History

In late 2007, Knott's Berry Farm announced the addition of Pony Express.^[1] The ride opened on May 22, 2008.^[2]

Design

Elements
Flywheel launch from 0-38 mph in 3.0 seconds Tunnel

Color scheme

Upon its opening, Pony Express had orange track and brown supports. In November 2021, it was repainted entirely brown.^[3]

Trains

2 trains with 8 cars per train. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 16 riders per train.

Incident

On October 7, 2010, one of the trains failed to make it up the initial incline and rolled back, colliding with and damaging the other train in the station. Ten people were injured, receiving minor back and neck injuries. The accident was reportedly due to the brake fins being painted over, which prevented them from stopping the train. Pony Express reopened on October 18 after investigations. The park now tests the safety brakes when inspecting the ride.^[4]^[5]