Desperado (roller coaster)

Desperado was a hypercoaster that was located in Primm, Nevada, United States at the Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino, a part of the Primm Valley Resorts complex. As of February 2020, Desperado is closed with no plans of operating in the future. It is currently standing but not operating. [2]

Desperado
Primm Valley Resorts
LocationPrimm Valley Resorts
Park sectionOld Western Times
Coordinates35°36′51″N 115°23′04″W
StatusClosed
Opening dateAugust 11, 1994 (1994-08-11)[1]
Cost$30,000,000
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerArrow Dynamics
DesignerRon Toomer
ModelHypercoaster
Track layoutRon Toomer
Lift/launch systemChain
Height209 ft (64 m)
Drop225 ft (69 m)
Length5,843 ft (1,781 m)
Speed80 mph (130 km/h)
Inversions0
Duration2:43
Max vertical angle60°
Capacity900 riders per hour
G-force4
Height restriction52 in (132 cm)
Trains3 trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 30 riders per train.
Desperado at RCDB
Pictures of Desperado at RCDB

According to the Roller Coaster DataBase, Desperado was one of the tallest roller coasters in the world when it opened. It features a 225-foot (69 m) drop at an angle of 60 degrees, a 209-foot (64 m) lift hill, and a maximum speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). Riders also experience up to 4 g's during the ride which lasts two minutes and forty-three seconds.[3] A portion of the ride runs through the interior of the casino. The coaster was listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's tallest roller coaster in 1996.[4] The ride was provided by Arrow Dynamics and fabricated by Intermountain Lift, Inc.[5]

History

Looking to attract people driving by on adjacent Interstate 15 to his new casino, Buffalo Bill's, which opened on May 14, 1994, Gary Primm contracted Arrow Dynamics to build a highly visible roller coaster. The roller coaster opened to the public on August 11, 1994, as one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world. The ride's 209-foot-tall (64 m) lift hill was the tallest in the United States, second behind only the Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in England that opened the same year. Its drop length of 225 feet (69 m) and top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) were tied in the country with Kennywood's Steel Phantom, which also featured a 225-foot (69 m) drop and top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Desperado in its 1996 publication as the tallest roller coaster in the world.[4]

For his Top Secret special that first aired on February 24, 1999, magician Lance Burton staged a death-defying escape in a stunt where he was tied to the roller coaster's track and had to break out of handcuffs in order to escape.[6]

References
  1. Palermo, Dave (August 7, 1994). "PRIMM SPRUCING UP CALIFORNIA-NEVADA BORDER". Las Vegas Review-Journal/Sun.
  2. Ventura, Leslie (February 13, 2020). "Has Primm's Desperado roller coaster made its final descent?". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  3. Marden, Duane. " (Primm Valley Resorts)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  4. "Desperado Roller Coaster Fact Sheet". Primm Valley Casino Resorts. August 13, 2001. Archived from the original on March 24, 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  5. "Amusement". Intermountain Lift, Inc. July 30, 2011. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  6. "Lance Burton's Escape On The Desperado To Air Next Wednesday". Retrieved 2007-04-18.
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