User:Astros4477/sandbox 3

Coordinates: 37°50′21.7″N 77°26′24.6″W / 37.839361°N 77.440167°W / 37.839361; -77.440167
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Volcano, The Blast Coaster
Kings Dominion
LocationKings Dominion
Park sectionCongo
Coordinates37°50′21.7″N 77°26′24.6″W / 37.839361°N 77.440167°W / 37.839361; -77.440167
StatusOperating
Opening dateAugust 3, 1998 (1998-08-03)
Cost$20 million
General statistics
TypeSteel – Inverted – Launched
ManufacturerIntamin
DesignerWerner Stengel and Paramount Parks
ModelInverted
Lift/launch systemLIM Launch
Height155 ft (47 m)
Drop80 ft (24 m)
Length2,757 ft (840 m)
Speed70 mph (110 km/h)
Inversions4
Duration1:10
Max vertical angle90°
Acceleration0 to 70 mph
G-force4
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
Trains3 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 16 riders per train.
Fast Lane Plus only available
Volcano, The Blast Coaster at RCDB

Volcano, The Blast Coaster, or simply known as "Volcano", is a launched inverted roller coaster at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Designed by both Paramount Parks and Werner Stengel and built by Intamin, Volcano was the world's first inverted roller coaster to feature an LIM (linear induction motor) and is the only one of its kind that completes a full circuit. Since its opening on August 3, 1998, Volcano has been one of the more popular rides in the park.[1] Volcano's train is located inside a giant model of a Volcano and riders go inside a volcano, which makes it a enclosed roller coaster.

History[edit]

Volcano was designed around a dormant attraction once known as the Lost World and Smurf Mountain. Declining popularity towards the end of the 1980s led to the removal of the mountain's last two rides in 1995 and cast doubt on the area's future.[2] However on July 22, 1997, Paramount Parks announced plans to revitalize the mountain by making it the future site of the new roller coaster.[3]

In late 1997, Volcano, The Blast Coaster was announced. LIM technology was still somewhat new and the ride had many bugs in the launch system. However, this issue wasn't new with the park, especially with Flight of Fear nearby. Volcano finally had a soft opening on August 3, 1998. The ride officially opened on August 15, 1998 as the park's new star attraction. During the 1998 season, the ride operated at half-capacity, with every other row being loaded. In 1999, the bugs were fixed and Volcano was running at full capacity. In 2005 and 2010, Volcano's structure was given a fresh coat of paint.

Ride experience[edit]

Volcano, The Blast Coaster in action.

Volcano's layout is based on a volcanic eruption. Upon boarding one of three trains at the base of the mountain, riders make a slow turn left out of the station. The train then moves into its first of two launch tracks, which accelerates the train to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). After making a sweeping 200-degree turn behind the mountain, the train enters the second launch tunnel, followed by a vertical section ending in a "roll out" element. The "roll out", similar to a sidewinder, is essentially a vertical section of track followed by a quarter loop to bring the train completely upside down, then a loose half-corkscrew. According to Roller Coaster DataBase, the roll out element is unique to Volcano.[4] The highest point of the roll out is 155 feet (47 m) above ground level, making it the tallest inversion at Kings Dominion, taller than Dominator's 135-foot (41 m) vertical loop. After the roll-out, the train makes a sweeping turn around the mountain followed by a heartline roll in midair. The train makes another turnaround and passes through a second heartline roll, which is embedded into the side of the mountain. After another turnaround and a third heartline roll, the train makes a turning, 80-foot (24 m) drop into the final brake run.[2]

Incidents[edit]

An accident occurred on June 23, 2006 injuring two riders and stranding fifteen others for more than two hours. After being launched from the loading station, the train stalled and rolled back slightly. One rider reported hearing a loud pop and getting hit in the chin with flying debris.[5][6]

Records[edit]

Volcano, The Blast Coaster held the record for tallest inversion in the world at 155 feet (47 m) until GateKeeper opened at Cedar Point in May 2013 with an inversion at 170 feet (52 m).[7]

Rankings[edit]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters
Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Ranking
-
25[8]
-
28[9]
23[10]
23[11]
25[12]
28[13]
33[14]
41[15]
35[16]
29 (tie)[17]
40[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ http://www.kingsdominion.com/rides/Thrill-Rides/Volcano-The-Blast-Coaster
  2. ^ a b "Volcano: the Blast Coaster, Kings Dominion". COASTER-net.com. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  3. ^ "Paramount's Kings Dominion to introduce its tenth roller coaster in 1998". Paramount's Kings Dominion. July 22, 1997. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  4. ^ Roller Coaster Search Results
  5. ^ "Launch failure on Kings Dominion's Volcano strands 15, hurts 2". June 24, 2006. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Two injured on Volcano Ride". The Free Lance Star. 2006-06-24. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  7. ^ "GateKeeper is breaking more records". Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  8. ^ "Golden Ticket Awards — Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters – 2001". Coastergrotto.com. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  9. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2003" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  10. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2004" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  11. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2005" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  12. ^ "Golden Ticket Awards — Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters – 2006". Coastergrotto.com. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  13. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2007" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 30, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  14. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2008" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 25, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; September 11, 2008 suggested (help)
  15. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2009" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  16. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2010" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 25, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2012. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; July 24, 2011 suggested (help)
  17. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2011" (PDF). Amusement Today. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  18. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2012" (PDF). Amusement Today. Retrieved September 10, 2012.

External links[edit]

Preceded by World's Tallest Roller Coaster Inversion
August 1998–May 2013 		Succeeded by


Category:Roller coasters in Virginia Category:Roller coasters introduced in 1998 Category:Roller coasters operated by Cedar Fair Category:Enclosed roller coasters

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