Rolling Thunder (Six Flags Great Adventure)

Roller coaster in the United States
Watch the on-ride POV
Rolling Thunder
Six Flags Great Adventure
Location Jackson, New Jersey, USA
Coordinates 40°08′19″N 74°26′09″W / 40.138475°N 74.435863°W / 40.138475; -74.435863
Park section Plaza Del Carnaval
Status Defunct
Operated June 6, 1979 to September 8, 2013
Cost $5,000,000
Rider height 54 inch minimum
Replaced by El Diablo
Statistics
Builder Don Rosser, William Cobb
Type Wooden - Twin
Hourly capacity 3,840
Propulsion Chain lift hill
Height 96 feet
Drop 85 feet
Top speed 56 mph
Length 3200 feet
Inversions 0
Duration 2:10
Rolling stock
Manufacturer Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Riders per train 24
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Rolling Thunder with El Toro in the background.

Rolling Thunder was a racing wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, USA. The ride was the park's first wooden coaster and debuted in 1979 during the park's fifth anniversary season.[1]

History

Rolling Thunder opened on June 6, 1979.[2]

In August 2013, Six Flags Great Adventure announced Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom.[3] The park wanted to build the queue line to the right of Kingda Ka, but the vintage Rolling Thunder blocked any path from taking place. Rolling Thunder also sat right next to El Toro, a steeper, taller, faster, and smoother Intamin prefabricated wooden roller coaster. Rolling Thunder closed on September 8, 2013 in order for Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom's queue line to be built. The bottom of Rolling Thunder's first drop still exists and sits directly under El Toro.[4]

The entrance sign and queue line were reused for El Diablo, a super loop, in 2015.[5] El Diablo closed in 2018 and reopened at La Ronde as Chaos for the 2019 season.

Design

Elements

Color scheme

White track and supports.

Trains

2 trains with 4 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows, for a total of 24 riders per train.

Images

References

  1. "Rolling Thunder". GreatAdventureHistory.
  2. "It's A Scream". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. June 7, 1979. p. 21. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  3. "New Six Flags ride 'Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom' to feature 90-mph drop". Detroit Free Press. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |archive= ignored (help)
  4. "Six Flags Great Adventure- One Part of Rolling Thunder still stands." Insanity lurks inside. 2014-05-16. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  5. "El Diablo". Great Adventure History.

External links


Articles on Six Flags Great Adventure