Gotham City Gauntlet: Escape from Arkham Asylum
Gotham City Gauntlet: Escape from Arkham Asylum, formerly known as Road Runner Express, is a steel wild mouse roller coaster at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts.[1]
| Gotham City Gauntlet: Escape from Arkham Asylum | |
|---|---|
| Previously known as Road Runner Express at Kentucky Kingdom | |
 | |
| Six Flags New England | |
| Park section | DC Universe |
| Coordinates | 42.0406°N 72.6146°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | April 16, 2011 |
| Kentucky Kingdom | |
| Coordinates | 38.196385°N 85.744267°W |
| Status | Relocated to Six Flags New England |
| Opening date | May 2000 |
| Closing date | 2009 |
| Replaced | The Vampire |
| Replaced by | Professor John’s Flying Machines |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Wild Mouse – Family |
| Manufacturer | Maurer AG |
| Designer | Ingenieur Buro Stengel GmbH |
| Model | Wilde Maus Classic |
| Height | 49.25 ft (15.01 m) |
| Length | 1,213.9 ft (370.0 m) |
| Speed | 28 mph (45 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 1:32 |
| Max vertical angle | 46° |
| Capacity | 900 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 46 in (117 cm) |
 Flash Pass Available | |
| Gotham City Gauntlet: Escape from Arkham Asylum at RCDB Pictures of Gotham City Gauntlet: Escape from Arkham Asylum at RCDB | |
History
In May 2000, Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky opened a new wild mouse roller coaster. It opened on the former site of The Vampire, (which was also relocated to Six Flags New England as Flashback). The ride operated as the Road Runner Express until the end of the 2009 season when Six Flags rejected the park's lease after a dispute with the Kentucky State Fair Board and closed the park.[2][3] As part of Six Flags' settlement with the Kentucky State Fair Board, Road Runner Express was removed from the Kentucky Kingdom site and relocated to Six Flags New England.[1][4][5] In 2011, the ride reopened as the Gotham City Gauntlet Escape From Arkham Asylum.[6]
The coaster opened on a site that formerly housed the Batman Stunt Show arena and was previously prepared for the canceled Dark Knight indoor wild mouse roller coaster. The Gauntlet is generally a mirror image of the layout of the Dark Knight coaster that initially was intended to be installed on that same site.
Ride
Gotham City Gauntlet: Escape From Arkham Asylum follows the same layout as many other wild mouse roller coasters, with four people per individual car. The highest point is 49 feet (15 m) and the coaster includes 17 turns and numerous drops. The ride is primarily intended for younger children and families, but it is not specifically a junior roller coaster as the minimum height requirement is 46 inches (1.2 m).
Theme
There are eight different Batman villain themed cars. The story of the ride is that passengers are going along with their car's villain to escape from Arkham Asylum. The ride was previously themed to The Looney Tunes when it was at Kentucky Kingdom.
See also
References
- Marden, Duane. "Unknown (Six Flags New England)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
- "Kentucky Kingdom Rejects Lease Park to Close". Roller Coaster Database. February 4, 2010. Archived from the original on September 8, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
- Marden, Duane. "Road Runner Express (Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
- "Six Flags New England: New Coaster in 2011". Six Flags. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
- "Fair board strikes deal for Kentucky Kingdom". Business First. July 23, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
- "Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Investor Meeting Presentation". Six Flags. November 4, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2011.