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| Manufacturer | Meisho Amusement Machines | ||||||||||||||||||
| Product | Double Loop Coaster | ||||||||||||||||||
| Builder | Okamoto Co., Ltd. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Steel | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hourly capacity | 960 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Propulsion | Chain lift hill | ||||||||||||||||||
| Power consumption | 70 KW | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 31 metres | ||||||||||||||||||
| Top speed | 87 km/h | ||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 1207 metres | ||||||||||||||||||
| Inversions | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2:05 | ||||||||||||||||||
| G-Force | 2.7 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Manufacturer | Unknown (1995-2003) Meisho Amusement Machines (1982-1995) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Riders per train | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Thunderbolt was a steel roller coaster previously located at Dreamworld in Coomera, Queensland, Australia. It was the longest roller coaster in Australia at its opening. Even remaining the longest Australian coaster ever built after its closure. It would eventually lose this title in 2017 when DC Rivals HyperCoaster opened at Warner Bros. Movie World in Queensland.
History
The coaster opened in April of 1982 as the second roller coaster to feature inversions in Australia, the first one being Sea Viper at Sea World in Queensland. Scottish born Australian singer John Paul Young was hired to record a song to celebrate the ride's opening. This became his single Thunderbolt.[1]
Dreamworld tried to revamp the coaster in 2002, to try and levitate the ride's rusting track and low capacity. three different manufacturers where contacted to assist; Arrow Dynamics, Vekoma and KumbaK. It was eventually decided that the ride was not salvageable, sealing its fate as scrap metal. The coaster was therefore closed on 8 August, 2003. It remained standing but not operating up until early 2004, being scrapped afterwards.[2] Its station remains standing to this day, now housing an array of different shops.
Design
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Colour scheme
White track and supports. The two vertical loops where repainted to feature a golden gradient in the 1990's.[2]
Trains
2 trains with 6 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows, for a total of 24 riders per train. New trains where purchased from an unknown manufacturer in 1995. These where bought for a price of $500,000 AD in order to try and levitate the roughness of the ride. Riders didnt notice a different in comfort however.[2]
References
External links
- Thunderbolt on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
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