Runaway Mine Train (Six Flags Over Texas)
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Runaway Mine Train | |
---|---|
Mine Train | |
Lift/launch system | Chain |
Height | 35 ft (11 m) |
Length | 2,400 ft (730 m) |
Speed | 35[1] mph (56 km/h) |
Inversions | 0 |
Duration | 3:10 |
Capacity | 2010 riders per hour |
Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) |
Runaway Mine Train at RCDB |
Runaway Mine Train (originally called Run-A-Way Mine Train) is a steel roller coaster located in the Boomtown section of Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas
History
Runaway Mine Train opened on July 23, 1966.[2] The ride was the first of many mine train roller coasters built across the United States in response to the development of tubular steel rails. The Arrow Development Company, with Ronald Toomer, Karl Bacon, and Ed Morgan, advanced the steel roller coaster and roller coaster technology into a new era.[3]
In September 2006, Runaway Mine Train was designated an
Ride
The ride features three lift hills. The ride begins with the trip up the first and highest lift. From there it travels around the track to the second lift. The second lift is housed in a building designed to look like a rock crusher. The final lift leads into the "Ace Hotel and Saloon". The "Ace Hotel" was named in 1974 for John 'Ace' Cocharo, a mine train foreman turned ride supervisor. After the lift, the ride drops riders into a tunnel through Caddo Lake, emerging just outside the final brake run and queue house.[5]
Runaway is prone to flooding from Johnson Creek after heavy rainfall amounts.[6]
In 2016, The Ace Hotel was shown to be throwing a birthday party with the inclusion of streamers and birthday cake in celebration of 50 years of the ride's operation.
Design
Runaway Mine Train utilizes tubular steel rails similar to those used on the earlier
References
- ^ "Runaway Mine Train Six Flags Over Texas - SFOT Source".
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Runaway Mine Train (Six Flags Over Texas)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
- ^ Plaque at ride location.
- ^ American Coaster Enthusiast Landmark award for Runaway Mine Train
- ^ 'Mine Train' at Parktimes.com
- ^ Runaway Mine Train submerge with water in 2012