RailBlazer

Last updated
RailBlazer
RailBlazer logo.png
RailBlazer (44990050352).jpg
RailBlazer's entrance
California's Great America
Location California's Great America
Park section NorCal County Fair
Coordinates 37°23′42″N121°58′25″W / 37.3951°N 121.9737°W / 37.3951; -121.9737 Coordinates: 37°23′42″N121°58′25″W / 37.3951°N 121.9737°W / 37.3951; -121.9737
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateJune 9, 2018 (2018-06-09)
Opening dateJune 14, 2018 (June 14, 2018)
Replaced Invertigo
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer Rocky Mountain Construction
Designer Alan Schilke
ModelRaptor - Prototype (Mirror)
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height106 ft (32 m)
Drop100 ft (30 m)
Length1,800 ft (550 m)
Speed52 mph (84 km/h)
Inversions 3
Max vertical angle90°
Capacity600 riders per hour
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
Trains3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 1 across in a single row for a total of 8 riders per train.
Website Official website
Cedar Fair Fast Lane availability icon.svg Fast Lane available
Single rider line availability icon.svg Single rider line Available
RailBlazer at RCDB

RailBlazer is a steel roller coaster at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, the single-rail roller coaster opened in June 2018. RailBlazer is the ninth roller coaster at California's Great America, and features a 90-degree drop, three inversions, and an off-roading adventure theme.

Contents

RailBlazer was one of two prototype single-rail coasters to open in 2018, the other being the Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, whose layout is a mirror image of RailBlazer's.

History

California's Great America announced RailBlazer on August 16, 2017, and accompanied it with an official groundbreaking ceremony. [1] [2] On the same day, the park released a simulated POV of the roller coaster. [3] [4] RailBlazer opened to passholders on June 9, 2018, and opened to the public 5 days later. [5] [6]

Ride experience

The ride begins by exiting the station and ascending a 106 feet (32 m) tall chain lift. The train then banks left making a 180 degree turn and entering a 106 feet (32 m) tall 90 degree drop, diving into a tunnel and reaching a maximum speed of 52 miles per hour (84 km/h) before entering a dive loop. The train then rises up to the right into an off-axis airtime hill, followed by a right-facing upwards helix. After the helix, the train makes a left turn and quickly drops, entering a right-facing cutback and a corkscrew. Finally, riders go through an over-banked turn to the left before hitting the brake run. [7]

Characteristics

The roller coaster is themed to California State Route 1. [1] It is meant to reflect an off-road adventure around the San Francisco Bay Area and California central coast. Multiple large rocks surround the ride, as well as a pool of water, which the queue interacts with. The trains are also built to resemble all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) with handlebars, grille, headlights and bumper.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitro (Six Flags Great Adventure)</span> Steel roller coaster

Nitro is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Hyper Coaster model opened to the public on April 7, 2001. Since its debut, Nitro has consistently ranked high among steel coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today, peaking in third place during its tenure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California's Great America</span> Amusement park in Santa Clara, California

California's Great America, often shortened to Great America, is a 112-acre (45 ha) amusement park located in Santa Clara, California. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, it originally opened in 1976 as one of two parks built by the Marriott Corporation. California's Great America features over 40 rides and attractions, and one of its most notable is Gold Striker, which has been featured as a top-ranked wooden roller coaster in Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards publication. Other notable rides include RailBlazer, a single-rail coaster from Rocky Mountain Construction, and Flight Deck, an inverted coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard. The park appeared in the 1994 films Beverly Hills Cop III and Getting Even with Dad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whizzer (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster

Whizzer, originally named Willard's Whizzer, is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, United States. Designed by Werner Stengel and built by Anton Schwarzkopf, the Speedracer model was one of two identical roller coasters built for the Marriott Corporation in time for the debut of their Great America parks in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumba (roller coaster)</span> Ride at Busch Gardens Tampa

Kumba is a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened in 1993. It stands 143 feet (44 m) tall and has a top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Kumba features a total of seven inversions across the 3-minute ride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman: Krypton Coaster</span> Roller coaster in Texas, U.S.

Superman: Krypton Coaster is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Fiesta Texas amusement park in San Antonio. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Floorless Coaster model opened to the public in 2000 as one of the first of its kind in the world. The well-received ride held the title for the world's tallest vertical loop from its opening until 2013. Superman: Krypton Coaster stands 168 feet (51 m) tall and reaches a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman: Ultimate Flight</span> Roller coasters at three Six Flags parks

Superman: Ultimate Flight is the name of three flying roller coasters currently operating at three Six Flags amusement parks in the United States, those being Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Great America. Each of these steel coasters were designed and built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and opened in 2002 and 2003. Since 2003, Six Flags has installed Superman: Ultimate Flight in three of their parks. Themed to the popular comic book character, Superman: Ultimate Flight simulates flying by positioning its passengers parallel to the track, supported by harnesses and facing the ground through most of the ride. In the station, riders board the train sitting down. After the train is locked and checked, the trains are raised into the flying position. After the ride, the seats are lowered back into the sitting position for the next round of riders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Eagle (roller coaster)</span> Wooden racing roller coaster

American Eagle is a wooden racing roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America theme park in Gurnee, Illinois. It was the first wooden roller coaster designed by Intamin of Switzerland and was built in 1981 by the contracting firm Figley-Wright at a cost of $10 million. While most of the records have since been broken, American Eagle had the longest drop and fastest speeds among wooden roller coasters when it debuted and is still recognized as a top racing coaster in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goliath (Six Flags Over Georgia)</span> Steel hyper coaster

Goliath is a steel roller coaster located at the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park in Cobb County, Georgia. The Hyper Coaster model manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard climbs to a height of 200 feet (61 m) and reaches a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h). Prior to its construction, the Great Gasp and Looping Starship attractions were removed to make room for Goliath, which opened to the public on April 1, 2006. It ranked as the fourth-best new ride of 2006 in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today and the ninth-best steel roller coaster overall, with its peak ranking of fourth occurring in 2009 and 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flashback (Six Flags Magic Mountain)</span> Defunct roller coaster

Flashback was a steel roller coaster made by Intamin of Switzerland. The coaster was located in the Six Flags Plaza area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. The model of the ride, a Space Diver coaster, was intended to be mass-produced, however, Flashback was the only installation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flight Deck (California's Great America)</span> Roller coaster in Santa Clara, California

Flight Deck is a steel inverted roller coaster located at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California. Built by Bolliger & Mabillard and designed by Werner Stengel, the roller coaster made its debut on March 20, 1993, as Top Gun. The roller coaster was built as Paramount, who had purchased the Great America theme park in 1992 along with several other parks, sought to expand its entertainment opportunities and promote its films. After Paramount sold off its Great America park to Cedar Fair, the roller coaster was rebranded as Flight Deck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Riddler Mindbender</span> Steel roller coaster

The Riddler Mindbender, previously named Mind Bender, is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta, Georgia. Billed as "the world's first triple-loop roller coaster" when it opened on March 31, 1978, Mindbender has maintained its popularity since its opening. In its 30th anniversary season in 2008, Mindbender was ranked #15 by Amusement Today magazine in its annual Golden Ticket Awards, and was one of only two roller coasters built before 1980 on the list; the other was its "fraternal twin," Shockwave, at Six Flags Over Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dive Coaster</span> Roller coaster model

The Dive Coaster is a steel roller coaster model developed and engineered by Bolliger & Mabillard. The design features one or more near-vertical drops that are approximately 90 degrees, which provide a moment of free-falling for passengers. The experience is enhanced by unique trains that seat up to ten riders per row, spanning only two or three rows total. Unlike traditional train design, this distinguishing aspect gives all passengers virtually the same experience throughout the course of the ride. Another defining characteristic of Dive Coasters is the holding brake at the top of the lift hill that holds the train momentarily right as it enters the first drop, suspending some passengers with a view looking straight down and releasing suddenly moments later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Behemoth (roller coaster)</span> Roller coaster at Canada’s Wonderland

Behemoth is a steel roller coaster located at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario. Designed and developed by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), Behemoth opened to the public in May 2008 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Canada, a claim it held until 2012 when Leviathan opened at the same park. Behemoth is similar to Diamondback, Intimidator (Carowinds), Goliath and Nitro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the roller coaster</span>

Roller coaster amusement rides have origins back to ice slides constructed in 18th-century Russia. Early technology featured sleds or wheeled carts that were sent down hills of snow reinforced by wooden supports. The technology evolved in the 19th century to feature railroad track using wheeled cars that were securely locked to the track. Newer innovations emerged in the early 20th century with side friction and underfriction technologies to allow for greater speeds and sharper turns. By the mid-to-late 20th century, these elements intensified with the introduction of steel roller coaster designs and the ability to invert riders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Striker</span> Roller coaster in Santa Clara, California

Gold Striker is a wooden roller coaster located at California's Great America amusement park. Built by Great Coasters International and designed by Jeff Pike, Gold Striker was the park's eighth roller coaster which opened to the public on May 31, 2013. Its 174-foot-long (53 m) tunnel is the longest in the world to be featured on the first drop, and it was marketed as the "tallest and fastest wooden coaster in Northern California". The roller coaster takes on the theme of the Old West and references the California Gold Rush of the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Mountain Construction</span> Roller coaster manufacturer

Rocky Mountain Construction, often abbreviated as RMC, is a manufacturing and construction company based in Hayden, Idaho, United States. The company is best known for its I-Box track and Topper Track for wooden roller coasters. Established in 2001, the company was founded by Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon. The company has built over 20 roller coasters. In 2023, amusement ride manufacturer Larson International merged with Rocky Mountain Construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster</span> Roller coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, built by Rocky Mountain Construction and opened on May 12, 2018. The roller coaster is themed to the DC Comics character, Wonder Woman. It was one of two prototype single-rail coasters to open in 2018, the other being RailBlazer at California's Great America, which has a mirror-image layout to the Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yukon Striker</span> Roller coaster at Canadas Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada

Yukon Striker is a steel roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario. Designed as a dive coaster from manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened to the general public on 3 May 2019 in place of SkyRider, a roller coaster that was removed from the park in 2014. Featuring a height of 68 metres (223 ft), a length of 1,105 metres (3,625 ft), and a maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph), Yukon Striker is the world's tallest, longest, and fastest dive coaster, sharing its height record with Valravn at Cedar Point. Its four inversions and drop length of 75 metres (245 ft) also set world records among dive coaster models.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stunt Pilot (roller coaster)</span> Single-rail coaster at Silverwood

Stunt Pilot is a steel roller coaster at Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho. The single-rail Raptor model was manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, who is headquartered 20 minutes south of the park. Its stunt pilot theme pays homage to the daily air shows that were once hosted at the park from 1988 to 1996. Stunt Pilot opened to the public on May 29, 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 Harrington, Jim (August 16, 2017). "Meet RailBlazer, new roller coaster coming to Great America". The Mercury News. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  2. "California's Flags Great America breaks ground on new roller coaster". ABC 7 San Francisco. August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  3. Gonzalez, Jennifer (August 16, 2017). "California's Great America Debuts Single Rail Steel Coaster". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  4. Tuttle, Brittani (August 17, 2017). "California's Great America to debut single rail steel coaster in 2018". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  5. "Great America's RailBlazer: Sneak peek at new roller coaster". The Mercury News (in Kinyarwanda). June 13, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  6. Do, Kiet (June 14, 2018). "New Railblazer Roller Coast Opens At California's Great America". San Francisco Bay Area News, Weather, Sports From KPIX – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of SF. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  7. Marden, Duane. "RailBlazer - California's Great America (Santa Clara, California, USA)". Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved August 17, 2017.