Thunderbolt (2014 roller coaster)

File:Thunderbolt Roller Coaster - Coney Island - Under Construction - 2014-05-26.jpg

Under construction

For the previous roller coaster at the same site, defunct in 1982, see Thunderbolt (1925 roller coaster).

Thunderbolt is a steel roller coaster at Luna Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City.

History

A wooden roller coaster named the Thunderbolt was originally operated by George Moran on Coney Island from 1925 to 1982. 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 utilize the Thunderbolt name.

Characteristics

Thunderbolt was manufactured by Zamperla at a cost of US$10 million and has a 90-degree vertical drop, followed by a 100-foot loop and a zero-gravity roll, along with dives, hills and a corkscrew — all within two minutes. The ride features 2,000 feet (610 m) of track, a height of 125 feet (38 m), and a top speed of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h). Thunderbolt features four inversions including a vertical loop, Zero-G Roll, Immelmann loop and a corkscrew. The Thunderbolt is located near Surf Avenue and West 15th Street in Coney Island, and is constructed with 2,000 feet (610 m) of track that stretches to a height of 125 feet (38 m) and is built next to the B&B Carousell, an antique merry-go-round that underwent an extensive restoration and reopened in summer 2013. Published reports state that Thunderbolt is expected to be completed and open by Memorial Day 2014. However, the planned opening of the coaster had been pushed back to early June 2014; it was revised to open on June 6. In early June, it was delayed once again to later in summer 2014. Finally, on June 14, the Thunderbolt was opened.