Lightnin' Loops
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| Lightnin' Loops | |
| Location | Six Flags Great Adventure |
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| Park section | Enchanted Forest |
| Type | Steel - Launched |
| Status | Relocated |
| Opened | May 23, 1978 (Lower Loop) July 18, 1978 (Upper Loop) |
| Closed | 1992 |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Track layout | Interlocking Shuttle Loop |
| Height | 56 ft (17 m) |
| Drop | 47 ft (14 m) |
| Length | 635 ft (194 m) |
| Max speed | 45 mph (72 km/h) |
| Inversions | 1 |
| Duration | 1:06 |
| Max g-force | 4 |
| Height restriction | 4 ft 0 in (120 cm) |
| Lightnin' Loops at RCDB Pictures of Lightnin' Loops at RCDB |
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Lightnin' Loops was a dual interlocking track Arrow Dynamics Shuttle Loop roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure.
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[edit] History
Lightnin' Loops was built in 1977 and opened in 1978 at Six Flags Great Adventure. Six Flags had acquired the park in 1977 and Lightnin' Loops was planned by the prior ownership as far back as 1976. It was the first looping roller coaster on the east coast, although several full circuit looping coasters were in operation as far back as 1975. The coaster was located on the west side of the park that is currently occupied by Movietown, Gotham City, and Batman The Ride.
This coaster continued to be the star attraction at the park throughout the 1980's, although other coasters such as Rolling Thunder (built in 1979), Sarajevo Bobsleds (built in 1984), and Ultra Twister (built in 1986) also were major coasters. The popularity of Lightnin' Loops faded in 1989 when the bobsleds were replaced with a multiple looping full circuit then-state of the art roller coaster called the Great American Scream Machine.
By 1990, the area that Lightnin' Loops was occupying lacked theme and became a dull area of the park. Nearby, however Adventure Rivers would be added in 1991. At that point, the area of Lightning Loops went through a major overhaul with new landscaping, and a new theme, becoming "Movietown USA". In addition the area was themed after the Gotham City. A new arena was built for a show called "Batman Stunt Show". Freefall became Stuntman's Freefall, Splashwater Falls became Movietown Water Effect. In May of 1992, management announced that Lightnin' Loops would close at the end of July, be dismantled in August, one of the loops would be sold to Funtime Parks, the other loop would move to the site formerly occupied by Ultra Twister, and construction of "Batman The Ride" would begin on the site of the space occupied by Lightnin' Loops.
At the end of 1992, however, it was decided that the both tracks of Lightnin' Loops would be sold to Funtime Parks. Lightnin' Loops was then sent to two different parks then owned by Funtime. The one track was sent to Frontier City near Oklahoma City. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1994 and now known as the Diamond Back. It still operates there today.
The other track was sent to Adventure World in Largo, Maryland (near Washington, DC. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1994 and known as the Python. Funtime Parks coincidently sold to Premier Parks in 1995. In 1998, Premier would buy Six Flags, bringing these two tracks formerly known as Lightning Loops back into the Six Flags family.
Adventure World was renamed Six Flags America in 1999. At that point the Python was disassembled and put in storage to make room for more modern rollercoasters and attractions. It remains in storage today.
Frontier City was sold along with several other smaller Six Flags parks to PARKS Management. The Diamond Back still operates there. Therefore, one of the Lightning Loops tracks is still in operation while the other is in storage.
[edit] Accidents
On Wednesday, June 17, 1987, a 19-year-old girl named Karen Brown of Pennsylvania was killed after falling from the Lightnin' Loops. An investigation by the State Labor Department concluded that the ride itself was operating properly, but that the ride operator started the ride without having made sure that all of the passengers were secured by the safety harnesses. The Department's Office of Safety Compliance further concluded that the accident would not have occurred had proper procedures been followed.
The park was found to be in violation of the Carnival/Amusement Ride Safety Act and was subsequently charged with the maximum state fines of $1,000. The ride was reopened on Saturday, October 10, 1987, with the permission of the Labor Department, but was eventually dismantled and no longer operates at Great Adventure. [1] [2]
[edit] Future
The former Python still sits in storage in Maryland. While Six Flags Great Adventure has boosted its offering of coasters to ones far superior to this one, many guests still think of Lightnin' Loops when thinking about Great Adventure. Many guests even ask where Lightnin' Loops is when they arrive at the park only to hear that it was removed over 15 years ago. Even the once a year guests often forget that this coaster is even gone. There are some rumors that the one Lightnin' Loops track may be brought back, but management has stated that there is no way that there are any plans of such. Its also possible that the former Lightnin' Loops track may be located in one of the smaller Six Flags parks as well. This seems to be a much bigger possibility.
[edit] References
- ^ "RideAccidents.com (1987)". Retrieved on 2007-10-08.
- ^ "Rider on Roller Coaster Dies In a Fall at Great Adventure", New York Times, 1987-06-18. Retrieved on 2007-10-08.
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