Thunderbolt (2014 roller coaster)

Under construction

A wooden roller coaster named the Thunderbolt was originally operated by George Moran on Coney Island from 1925 to 1982. It was demolished in 2000 due to neglect.[1][2]

In June 2013, it was announced that the operators of Luna Park at Coney Island, Zamperla, would construct a new steel roller coaster which would utilize the Thunderbolt name.[2][3] Due to the small footprint required for the coaster, the original plans called for the coaster to use an elevator instead of a lift hill for the initial incline.[4]

Published reports stated that Thunderbolt was expected to be completed and opened by Memorial Day 2014.[3][5] This date was delayed to early June 2014;[6][7] revised to open by June 6.[8][9] In early June, the opening date was once again delayed for later that summer.[10] On June 14, 2014, the Thunderbolt was opened.[11]

Thunderbolt viewed from the west, June 2016

Thunderbolt was manufactured by Zamperla at a cost of US$9 million[12] and has a 90-degree vertical drop and four inversions.[13][14][15][16] From the beginning of the initial drop, to the end of ride, it takes 38 seconds. The ride features 2,234 feet (681 m) of track, a height of 115 feet (35 m), and a top speed of 56 miles per hour (90 km/h).[17]

Coney Island's Thunderbolt is the first of five Zamperla coasters manufactured under the "Thunderbolt" brand as of 2019.[19][20] There are three possible layouts for the Thunderbolt coaster model. The first version is 2,234 feet (681 m) long.[21] This layout is used by Coney Island's Thunderbolt and two other coasters: Rapid Train at Gyeongnam Mason Robotland in Gyeongnam, South Korea; and Rollin' Thunder at the Park at OWA in Foley, Alabama.[22] The second version is 2,215 feet (675 m) long while the third version is 1,230 feet (375 m) long. Both alternate versions are meant to operate on wider lots with a shorter depth.[21]