Thunderbolt (2014 roller coaster)

Under construction

A wooden roller coaster named the Thunderbolt was originally operated by George Moran on Coney Island from 1925 to 1982. It was demolished in 2000 due to neglect.[1][2]

In June 2013, it was announced that the operators of Luna Park at Coney Island, Zamperla, would construct a new steel roller coaster which would use the Thunderbolt name.[2][3] Due to the small footprint required for the coaster, the original plans called for the coaster to use an elevator instead of a lift hill.[4] The ride's manufacturer Zamperla announced further details in November 2013, which showed that the ride would have a vertical lift hill.[5]

Published reports stated that Thunderbolt was expected to be completed and opened by Memorial Day 2014,[3][6] but construction delays pushed the opening date back.[7] On Memorial Day, which fell on May 25, 2014, the opening was delayed to early June[8][9] and revised to open by June 6.[10][11] Just before the scheduled opening on June 6, the opening date was once again delayed.[12] Thunderbolt finally opened on June 14, 2014.[13]

Thunderbolt viewed from the west, June 2016

Thunderbolt was manufactured by Zamperla at a cost of US$9 million[14] and has a 90-degree vertical drop and four inversions.[15][16][17][18] From the beginning of the initial drop, to the end of ride, it takes 38 seconds. The ride features 2,234 feet (681 m) of track and runs at a top speed of 56 miles per hour (90 km/h).[19] Thunderbolt is a pay-per-use attraction, as guests must pay $10 for each time they ride on the coaster.[7]

After leaving the station, the train turns 180 degrees to the left and enters a 90-degree, 125-foot (38 m) lift hill. It immediately descends 90 degrees and enters a vertical loop, followed by a Zero-G Roll to the left. After the second inversion, the train enters a leftward-sloping Stengel dive, followed by an Immelmann loop to the right. The train goes over two camelback hills before entering a right-hand corkscrew. After the corkscrew, the train enters another camelback hill before hitting the brake run and entering the station.[4][20]

Each train consists of a single car with nine seats, arranged in three rows of three. This is different from conventional coaster trains, which are usually arranged in rows of two or four across.[7]

Coney Island's Thunderbolt is the first of five Zamperla coasters manufactured under the "Thunderbolt" brand as of 2019.[21][22] There are three possible layouts for the Thunderbolt coaster model. The first version is 2,234 feet (681 m) long.[23] This layout is used by Coney Island's Thunderbolt and two other coasters: Rapid Train at Gyeongnam Mason Robotland in Gyeongnam, South Korea; and Rollin' Thunder at the Park at OWA in Foley, Alabama.[24] The second version is 2,215 feet (675 m) long while the third version is 1,230 feet (375 m) long. Both alternate versions are meant to operate on wider lots with a shorter depth.[23]