Blue Streak (Conneaut Lake)

Last updated
Blue Streak
Blue Streak (Conneaut Lake).jpg
The ride at the top of the drop.
Conneaut Lake Park
Location Conneaut Lake Park
Coordinates 41°38′06″N80°19′05″W / 41.6349°N 80.3180°W / 41.6349; -80.3180
StatusRemoved
Opening dateMay 23, 1938
Closing date2019
General statistics
Type Wood
DesignerEd Vettel
Model Out and Back roller coaster
Height78 ft (24 m)
Length2,900 ft (880 m)
Speed50 mph (80 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration2:20
TrainsSingle train with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 18 riders per train.
Blue Streak at RCDB
Video

Blue Streak was a wooden roller coaster built in 1938 at Conneaut Lake Park in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania. It was the only wooden coaster operating in the park, as well as the largest. Blue Streak followed an out and back design. It was the 17th oldest wooden roller coaster in the United States, and it was one of two shallow coasters designed by Ed Vettel still in operation in 2019. Blue Streak opened in 1938, and operated inconsistently until 2019. It stood out of operation until 2022, when it was destroyed in a fire during demolition.

Contents

History

Blue Streak underwent major renovations in 1997, 2002, and 2010. In 2002, one of the original 1938 Vettel trains was returned to service, replacing the silver National Amusement Devices Century Flyer train used since the 1960s. The Vettel train was again removed in 2011 pending repairs and restraint updates. The turnaround section of track was also rebuilt in this year. For the 2016 season, the first drop was repaired and re-tracked. In 2018, the second drop was repaired and re-tracked. The ride received salvaged lumber from the Geauga Lake Raging Wolf Bobs coaster.

Blue Streak has been opened and closed many times. The dates are as follows, [1]

On June 24, 2010, the American Coaster Enthusiasts donated a plaque that declared Blue Streak a Coaster Classic and a Coaster Landmark. [2] [3]

On January 4, 2022, during demolition of the ride, Blue Streak caught on fire. [4]

Ride experience

Upon leaving the station, the train immediately entered a tunnel in the shape of an “S" and began a 78-foot-high climb up the lift hill. The train plummeted down the first drop, reaching up to a top speed of 50 mph, and went into a straightaway section of track. The straightaway was followed by two medium size hills, then a turnaround section that featured a slight dip as it turned the train back towards the station. The train then followed four smaller camel back hills, providing airtime, then entering the brake run and making a 360 degree turn back into the station.

Awards

Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters
Year19982011201220132014201520162017201820192021
Ranking25 [5] 46 [6] 44 [7] 33 [8] 30 [9] 35 [10] 38 [11] 37 [12] 37 [13] 40 [14] 35 [15]

Note: From 1999–2010 Blue Streak did not chart in the Golden Ticket Awards.

Incidents

On July 24, 1949, a 40-year-old man was killed after falling 20 feet (6.1 m) from the ride. Park officials stated that the safety restraints were not properly secured. [16] On October 29, 2013, two women were injured after riding the roller coaster. Reports have said that they may have hit their faces on the lap bar during their ride. [17]

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References

  1. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Blue Streak  (Conneaut Lake Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  2. ↑ ACE Coaster Classic Awards Archived 2015-09-08 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "ACE Coaster Landmark Awards". Archived from the original on 2010-12-12. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  4. ↑ "Park: Fire Result of Controlled Burns Used in Demolition of Blue Streak Roller Coaster".
  5. ↑ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today : 6B. August 1998. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 15 (6.2): 46–47. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 16 (6.2): 46–47. September 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  8. ↑ "2013 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 17 (6.2): 40–41. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  9. ↑ "2014 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 18 (6.2): 38–39. September 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  10. ↑ "2015 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 19 (6.2): 45–46. September 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  11. ↑ "2016 Top 50 Wooden Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  12. ↑ "2017 Top 50 Wooden Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  13. ↑ "2018 Top 50 Wooden Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  14. ↑ "2019 Top 50 Wood Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  15. ↑ "2021 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Fell from roller coaster to death". Archived from the original on 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  17. ↑ Konstantine Fekos (2013-10-30). "Official says any explanation of injuries to Blue Streak riders 'speculation' at this point". The Meadville Tribune. Archived from the original on 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
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