Corkscrew (Cedar Point)

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Corkscrew
Corkscrew Logo.png
Corkscrew (Cedar Point) 01.jpg
The final inversion on Corkscrew
Cedar Point
Location Cedar Point
Park section Top Thrill 2 Midway
Coordinates 41°29′1″N82°41′7.25″W / 41.48361°N 82.6853472°W / 41.48361; -82.6853472
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 15, 1976 (1976-05-15)
Cost$1.75 million
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer Arrow Development
Designer Ron Toomer
ModelCustom Looping Coaster
Track layoutOut and back
Height85 ft (26 m)
Drop65 ft (20 m)
Length2,050 ft (620 m)
Speed48 mph (77 km/h)
Inversions 3
Duration2:00
Max vertical angle45°
Capacity1,800 riders per hour
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
Trains2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Cedar Fair Fast Lane availability icon.svg Fast Lane available
Corkscrew at RCDB

Corkscrew is a steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Built by Arrow Development and designed by Ron Toomer, it opened to the public on May 15, 1976. The coaster features Arrow's first vertical loop and was built during the same time period as The New Revolution at Magic Mountain. Revolution, which opened seven days prior, is credited as the first modern-day coaster to feature a vertical loop, while Corkscrew is credited as the first roller coaster in the world with three inversions.

Contents

Characteristics

Location

Corkscrew's station building (2022) Corkscrew queue 2022.png
Corkscrew's station building (2022)

The ride's station is located on the midway next to Super Himalaya and near Power Tower. It was the first coaster to have inversions featuring a walkway underneath.

Trains

Corkscrew originally had three 24-passenger trains painted red, white, and blue, which was a color scheme inspired by the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, the year the ride was introduced. [1] The ride later began operating with two trains to reduce excessive stacking on the brake run.[ citation needed ] Riders are restrained by over-the-shoulder restraints with interlocking seat belts and are required to be 48 inches (120 cm) to ride. Unlike more modern coasters, the restraints in every car cannot be unlocked all at once. Pedals are hinged on the backs of each car, which must be manually released and locked individually by ride operators on the platform.[ citation needed ]

Ride experience

Layout

The train exits the station when the ride operator releases the pneumatic station brakes. The train reaches a slight decline that allows the car to roll out and around a 180-degree turnaround and ascends the 30-degree and 85-foot (26 m) chain lift hill, operating at a speed of 4 mph (6.4 km/h). The train then descends 65 feet (20 m) at a 45-degree angle at a top speed of 48 mph (77 km/h). The train enters a bunny hop, drops lower than the main drop, and enters a vertical loop. The train goes up to a short straightaway before descending a banked 180-degree right turn into the two consecutive corkscrews over the midway of the park, traveling at 38 mph (61 km/h). In its final stretch, the train enters a slight ascending right turn followed by a shallow left turn, and then it reaches the brake run before returning to the station. [2]

Track

The ride is 2,050 feet (620 m) long, consisting of blue tubular steel track with a 48-inch (1,200 mm) separation between tubes, built on 5 acres (20,000 m2). It takes 1 minute and 40 seconds to complete the course, and the coaster operates three 24-passenger trains. One of the trains is transferred off the track once wait times in the line queue is adequately served by two-train operation.[ citation needed ] The ride was designed by Ron Toomer and built by Arrow Dynamics. The total cost of construction was US$1,750,000(equivalent to $9,370,175 in 2023), and the ride has accommodated over 30 million riders since its opening in 1976.[ citation needed ]

Records

Corkscrew in motion
  1. First roller coaster to invert 3 times
  2. First roller coaster to go over a midway
Preceded by First Roller Coaster With 3 Inversions
May 1976–March 1980
Succeeded by

Incidents

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Corkscrew". CedarPoint.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  2. "Corkscrew". ThePointOL.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  3. "2 persons hurt in Cedar Point mishap". The News-Messenger. August 26, 1981. p. 2. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  4. "Cedar Point keeping roller coaster closed". The Akron Beacon Journal. August 30, 1999. p. 43. Retrieved December 13, 2023.