Runaway Mountain
Runaway Mountain is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. It was the first Premier Rides coaster when it opened on June 12, 1996.[2]
| Runaway Mountain | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Six Flags Over Texas | |
| Location | Six Flags Over Texas |
| Park section | Old South |
| Coordinates | 32.757286°N 97.071015°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | June 12, 1996 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Enclosed |
| Manufacturer | Premier Rides |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Model | Standard Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Tire lift hill |
| Height | 65 ft (20 m) |
| Drop | 30[1] ft (9.1 m) |
| Length | 1,500 ft (460 m) |
| Speed | 40 mph (64 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Capacity | 950 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
 Flash Pass Available | |
| Runaway Mountain at RCDB Pictures of Runaway Mountain at RCDB | |
Dubbed "The Roller Coaster that Dares the Darkness," Runaway Mountain is an enclosed roller coaster made to look as if it takes place within a dark cave. The queue line is themed to resemble a mineshaft and upon entering the "cave," pre-recorded audio tracks are played at intervals giving the background of a character known as "Gator McGee" giving safety instructions to riders. The ride features no inversions and is 65 feet tall.[3][4]
History
In 1996, Six Flags, then a subsidiary of Time Warner, debuted two different indoor roller coasters. These rides were Skull Mountain at Six Flags Great Adventure and Runaway Mountain at Six Flags Over Texas. The first of these was Runaway Mountain, a roller coaster that would mimic a mine train inside of a mountain. The ride was put into the Old South section, replacing Spinnaker, a Schwarzkopf Enterprise ride that was shipped off to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Old South would also receive a renovation with the introduction of the mountain.
A mirrored and modified "Wildstorm" coaster model was ordered from Premier Rides, and it was enclosed with a large sound stage that also pitted the ride in darkness. This sound stage, dubbed the "gravity room", is separated by a tunnel from the room where guests enter the ride.
References
- "How to Conquer Roller Coaster Fears - TripSavvy".
- "Runaway Mountain opens". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. June 15, 1996. Retrieved June 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- http://www.coasterphotos.com/SFOT/runaway.htm
- http://www.sixflags.com/overTexas/rides/ThrillRides.aspx