Top Thrill Dragster
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| Top Thrill Dragster | |
 Top Thrill Dragster |
|
| Location | Cedar Point |
|---|---|
| Park Section | Midway (near Power Tower) |
| Type | Steel - Launched |
| Status | Open |
| Opened | May 4, 2003 |
| Manufacturer | Intamin AG |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Model | Accelerator Coaster |
| Track layout | square-boxed structure with red paint and yellow supports. |
| Lift/launch system | Hydraulic Launch |
| Height | 420 ft (128 m) |
| Drop | 400 ft (121.9 m) |
| Length | 2800 ft (853.4 m) |
| Max speed | 120 mph (193.1 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 25 sec. |
| Capacity | 1,051[1] riders per hour |
| Cost | US$ 25,000,000 |
| Acceleration | 0 − 120 mph in 3.8 seconds |
| Height Restriction | 52 in (132.1 cm) |
| Top Thrill Dragster at RCDB | |
| Pictures of Top Thrill Dragster at RCDB | |
Top Thrill Dragster is a steel, hydraulically-launched roller coaster known as an "Accelerator Coaster" located at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. It was built by Intamin AG and debuted to the public on May 4th, 2003. It was the first "Strata Coaster" to be built, surpassing the 400 foot mark, and is one of only two in existence today, the other being Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey.[2]
Top Thrill Dragster was the second hydraulically-launched roller coaster built by Intamin, and it was the last one to use lapbars instead of over-the-shoulder restraints.
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[edit] Records
Cedar Point has a penchant for shattering records and they usually lead the way when it comes to breaking new height and speed milestones. Cedar Point was the first to build a continuous-circuit coaster over the 200-foot mark with Magnum XL 200. The park was also the first to build a continuous-circuit coaster over 300-foot mark with Millennium Force, and the second coaster with a drop over 100 feet with Gemini.
When Top Thrill Dragster debuted, it hit two big milestones:
- First continuous-circuit roller coaster over 400 feet
- First roller coaster to reach 120 mph
Top Thrill Dragster was the second roller coaster to break the 100 mph speed barrier. It was preceded in this feat by Dodonpa (located at Fuji-Q Highland).
Top Thrill Dragster also held three prominent records with its debut:
- Tallest roller coaster in the world.
The previous record holder either was Superman: The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California (416 feet tall), or Millennium Force also at Cedar Point. This is a subject of debate, because some do not consider Superman to be a coaster. Then, Top Thrill Dragster debuted in 2003 and broke the height (420 feet) record. Dragster's record was broken in 2005 when Kingda Ka opened at Six Flags Great Adventure, it stands at 456 feet tall.
- Tallest complete-circuit roller coaster in the world.
The previous record holder was Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land in Nagashima, Japan and was 318 feet tall. Some, however, believe the true record holder was Millennium Force. Steel Dragon had not been operating for years. Top Thrill Dragster again broke this record. It stands at 420 feet tall. Again this record was broken in 2005 when Kingda Ka opened at Six Flags Great Adventure, it stands at 456 feet tall.
- Fastest roller coaster in the world.
The previous record holder was Dodonpa in Japan at 107 mph. This record was broken in 2003 by Top Thrill Dragster, again, which reaches speeds faster than 120 mph. This record was broken in 2005, also by Kingda Ka which reaches a top speed of 128 mph.
[edit] The ride
Top Thrill Dragster dominates the Cedar Point skyline today, and is easily seen from anywhere in the park, as well as surrounding locations near the Cedar Point peninsula. The towering structure consists of red and white Intamin box track that is affixed to a bright yellow support tower.
The entrance to the queue line is a sort of gateway that goes underneath the launch track. The line itself, however, never crosses under either side of the ride. Rather, it consists entirely of the space between both tracks. This makes for an interesting experience as trains speed by either side of the people waiting in line. Along the left wall of the queue area, facts about the ride are posted and compared to similar statistics on an actual drag race car (speed, weight, etc).
Near the end of the queue line, the line branches off into two sides. Riders may choose to follow the line to the front or rear station. The two stations are connected, but riders are prevented from entering the other side of the station by a barrier. In the stations, two trains are loaded at the same time before both are dispatched into the waiting area outside of the loading area. There, the front train is launched first, and the second after that. While this is occurring, two more trains have entered the station and loading has begun again. Very rarely does loading take long enough to create a situation where there is no train ready to be launched. By the time two loaded trains have been dispatched, two more have already been filled to follow them. Because of this set up, the line moves rather steadily. Whenever it does stop, it often means that a rider has failed to meet the requirements necessary to ride (i.e., a guest of "exceptional size" could not fit into the car and lower the lap bar), and loading was temporarily delayed. Such pauses in line movement are often followed by large moments of progress as two more trains are launched once things are sorted out.
Once riders actually enter the station, they will be asked to choose a secondary line to wait in which corresponds with the position in the car where they wish to ride. Often, the longest line is for the front seat, though many enthusiasts insist that the second is the best due to the possible discomfort from wind or bugs. When the riders are next in line, they are quickly instructed to enter the train as the gates before them open. There, they must fasten their seatbelt in such a way that at least two inches of slack in the belt can be exposed. The correct amount is indicated by red markings on the belt. If a rider is unable to do so, they are declared unable to ride (although the ride hosts are often relaxed on this policy). Often, the belt can be coaxed to give more slack if it is pulled from an angle and "rocked" back and forth (pull while changing the direction of the pull from one side to another and back until more belt is fed through). The belt will not easily allow itself to slip from a tightened position, so it can easily be tightened to the necessary amount of slack for almost anyone who knows the right tricks. The seats are exactly the same as the ones used on Millennium Force, and the exact same policy is enforced at both coasters. For those that fear being unable to ride after waiting in line, sample seats are provided at the entrance to both of these rides.
After all guests are fully secured by a seatbelt and lapbar, the two loaded trains roll forward to the launch area. To the left of the track is a Christmas tree light, similar to the ones employed at a drag strip. At this time, a brief message is played to the riders: "Arms down, head back, and hold on!". Due to the unsafe nature of raising one's hands on such a roller coaster, the ride host will not launch the train if any riders are holding their hands up. The host may replay the "arms down" part of the message repeatedly until the guests lower their arms, and stop the ride altogether if a guest persists. Once the ride is prepared to launch, a motor revving sound effect begins. At this time, the magnetic braking fins lower from the launch track, and the train rolls backwards a slight amount in order to connect with the launch car below the tracks. The Christmas tree lights on the tower itself and the small light fixture to the left of the track cycle from four yellows to a green light.
As soon as the green light comes on, the train begins its acceleration, and a tire-screech sound effect is played. Near the end of the track is a sign which displays the speed that the ride was able to reach at that particular launch; it is usually a number between 120 and 124 miles an hour (although it has been known to reach 135 MPH [citation needed]). Shortly after reaching its maximum velocity in less than four seconds, the train begins its ascent up a 90-degree incline that has a 90-degree clockwise twist that takes the train straight over the top of the 420 foot hill, where riders will experience significant airtime (negative g-forces). On the way down the other side, there is a 270-degree clockwise twist that leads into the magnetic braking section that brings the train to a swift but comfortable stop. The riders exit the train to the right, and the empty train proceeds into the launch station to be refilled.
[edit] Theme
Although the theme of the roller coaster is based on the Top Fuel Drag Racing motorsport, many riders state that this ride feels more like a Space Shuttle launch than a drag race. A real Top Fuel dragster usually weighs about one ton, while each empty train on Top Thrill Dragster weighs 5.3 tons. The ride opened with a Drag Racing theme. While braking during its inaugural year, one of the decorative wheels came off of the train and rolled into the adjacent lagoon. The extra decorations have since been removed and replaced with an extra set of seats to increase the number of riders, and to ensure no such incident happens again.
[edit] Rollbacks
The speed of Top Thrill Dragster is controlled by a computer which regulates the speed of the launch in order to minimize forces as the train crests the hill. It is a rare occurrence for the train to not reach the necessary speed to complete the ride, but does tend to happen in cool, wet or breezy weather. When the track is wet or the weather is cold, the standard launch speed is typically not enough to force the train over the hill. The train's momentum can also be hindered by a good headwind. When this happens, the train will climb the hill, stop just short of the apex, and roll back down the hill in reverse. To avert disaster, the launch track is equipped with retractable magnetic braking fins. After every launch these fins pop back into place to slow down a train that rolls backwards to stop it safely.
A sign near the split in the queue line warns that a rollback is possible, but completely safe.
These "rollbacks" are something that many Cedar Point fans look forward to, and hope to receive at some point. Since the launch is arguably the most exciting and intense part of the ride, a rollback means you get the option to either ride it again without waiting in line, or exit the ride.
Intamin's term for this phenomenon is "short shot" rather than "rollback", but the term "rollback" is used almost exclusively in the parks that operate Accelerator Coasters, as well as in the coaster enthusiast community.
On Friday, June 24, 2005, the green train was launched with exactly enough momentum to bring it to rest at the top of the tower. It remained balanced there for nearly fifteen minutes with 18 passengers on board until a maintenance worker arrived via elevator, gave it a push, and sent it on its way. Video of this event has become popular across many roller coaster websites. [1]
[edit] Weather
Top Thrill Dragster will never operate in the rain, even if it is only a slight drizzle. This is due to the pain caused by raindrops hitting the riders at 120 mph and the drive wheels at launch losing traction. The weather has no effect on the hydraulic system of the ride. The drive wheels that move the trains around the unload and load platforms cannot be wet because they will slip, instead of propelling the train. Once weather clearance from Park Operations is received, the ride can be immediately reopened. Sending empty trains is not possible during the course of the day. If a train is not fully loaded it will not clear the tower. This is due to the speed reduction system that directs how much force the hydraulic systems exerts during a launch. Unlike popular belief, a fully loaded train needs less velocity to clear the top of the tower due to its inertia. [citation needed]
Top Thrill Dragster will not operate in winds or gusts exceeding 35 mph. A sensor placed at the top of the hill reads out onto a display in the control room. If winds persist above 35 mph for over 5 seconds, the trouble light will illuminate and the ride will emergency stop. Standard Operating Procedures requires Operator 'High Wind Speed' Confimration at 20, 25 and 30 mph. Operators are required to notify Park Operations when wind speeds are greater than 25 mph. This is a safety and operational precaution, because a strong wind will prevent Top Thrill Dragster's cars from successfully cresting its hill.
[edit] Ride trivia
- Ride accelerates from 0 to 120 mph in just 3.8 seconds.
- Top Thrill Dragster cost $25 million to construct, which is more than any other ride in the park.
- During construction, a park webcam caught a construction worker urinating on the future On-Ride Photo booth. The picture quickly spread across the Internet on roller coaster and humor websites.
- Top Thrill Dragster has six trains, but operates more efficiently using just five.[citation needed]
- Cedar Point does not allow any loose articles of any kind to be brought onto the ride. Glasses may be secured with tight fitting straps. Such straps are sold at the Speed Freaks store nearby the ride entrance.
- The ride does not accommodate what Cedar Point calls "Guests of Exceptional Size." Cedar Point's website states, "This may apply, but not be limited to, men who exceed 6 ft 2 in, or those who exceed 225 pounds, have a 40" waistline or 52" chest or females who exceed 200 pounds or wear size 18 or larger." [2]
- Riders in 2003: 562,438 [3]
- Riders in 2004: 943,313 [4]
- Riders in 2005: 953,945 [5]
- Dispatch Interval: 1:03 Load and Unload time: 4:15 Ready and Idle time: 1:35 Trip Time: 0:25 Cycle Time: 10:27 Capacity Per Train: 18 Trips Per Hour: 58.4 [citation needed]
- Top Thrill Dragster's theme song played on platform is: "Republica - Ready to Go"
- A rumor circulating the internet near the time of the coaster's release claimed that the heads of the dummies used for testing the ride came off during a test run after the ride was built, but that the park's owner allowed it to open anyway because of the money involved. This is completely false, and the exact same rumor was spread about Kingda Ka as well. It was also said that the ride was confirmed to cause brain damage by scientists. Again, this was untrue, and was also spoken of Kingda Ka. The owners of both parks have disproved both of these rumors.[citation needed]
- On the November 4, 2005 NPR Motley Fool show, Cedar Fair CEO Dick Kinzel called the Top Thrill Dragster one of the "worst business decisions" he ever made, due to the frequent performance issues with the ride. [6]
[edit] Accidents
- On July 13, 2004, four people were injured after they were struck from pieces of metal that sheered off the coaster's launch cable during the coaster's launch sequence. The four guests were treated at the park's first aid station; two of those guests were treated further at a local hospital.[3]
- In 2003, before the ride opened to the public, the gold train malfunctioned. A brake fin on the bottom of the train had been installed incorrectly and the train came rolling back into the station. It was then sent to Intamin AG in Switzerland to be fixed. The gold train arrived back at the park in late May of 2003 and was returned to service over Memorial Day weekend. [citation needed]
[edit] External links
| Golden Ticket Awards: Best Steel Coaster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Year | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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[edit] References
- ^ Official Top Thrill Dragster Page at Cedarpoint.com
- ^ Superman The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain's structure breaks the 400-foot barrier, but is not considered a Strata Coaster because it is not a complete-circuit coaster and its cars do not reach 400 feet.
- ^ "Riders Injured on Top Thrill Dragster", WTOL-TV, 2004-07-13. Retrieved on 2006-07-31.
| Preceded by: Steel Dragon 2000 |
World's Tallest Complete Circuit Roller Coaster May 2003–May 2005 |
Succeeded by: Kingda Ka |
| Preceded by: Dodonpa |
World's Fastest Roller Coaster May 2003–May 2005 |
Succeeded by: Kingda Ka |
| Roller coasters at Cedar Point |
|---|
|
Blue Streak - Cedar Creek Mine Ride - Corkscrew - Disaster Transport - Gemini - Iron Dragon - Jr. Gemini - Magnum XL-200 - Mantis - Maverick - Mean Streak - Millennium Force - Raptor - Top Thrill Dragster - Wicked Twister - WildCat - Woodstock Express |
