Lightnin' Loops

Infobox roller coaster
name= Lightnin' Loops


imagedimensions=
caption=
location= Six Flags Great Adventure
section= Enchanted Forest
type=Steel
type2=Launched
type3=
status= Relocated
opened= May 23, 1978 (Lower Loop)
July 18, 1978 (Upper Loop)
closed= 1992
manufacturer= Arrow Dynamics
designer=
track= Interlocking Shuttle Loop
lift=
height= 56
drop= 47
length= 635
speed= 45
inversions= 1
duration= 1:06
angle=
capacity=
cost=
acceleration=
gforce= 4
restriction= 48
tpj_number=
rcdb_number= 151

Lightnin' Loops was a dual interlocking track Arrow Dynamics Shuttle Loop roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure.

History

Lightnin' Loops was built in 1977 and opened in 1978 at Six Flags Great Adventure. Six Flags had acquired the park in 1977 and Lightnin' Loops was planned by the prior ownership as far back as 1976. It was the first looping roller coaster on the east coast, although several full circuit looping coasters were in operation as far back as 1975. The coaster was located on the west side of the park that is currently occupied by Movietown, Gotham City, and Batman The Ride.

This coaster continued to be the star attraction at the park throughout the 1980s, although other coasters such as Rolling Thunder (built in 1979), Sarajevo Bobsleds (built in 1984), and Ultra Twister (built in 1986) also were major coasters. The popularity of Lightnin' Loops faded in 1989 when the bobsleds were replaced with a multiple looping full circuit then-state of the art roller coaster called the Great American Scream Machine.

By 1990, the area that Lightnin' Loops was occupying lacked theme and became a dull area of the park. Nearby, however Adventure Rivers would be added in 1991. At that point, the area of Lightning Loops went through a major overhaul with new landscaping, and a new theme, becoming "Movietown USA". In addition the area was themed after the Gotham City. A new arena was built for a show called "Batman Stunt Show". Freefall became Stuntman's Freefall, Splashwater Falls became Movietown Water Effect. In May of 1992, management announced that Lightnin' Loops would close at the end of July, be dismantled in August, one of the loops would be sold to Funtime Parks, the other loop would move to the site formerly occupied by Ultra Twister, and construction of "Batman The Ride" would begin on the site of the space occupied by Lightnin' Loops.

At the end of 1992, however, it was decided that the both tracks of Lightnin' Loops would be sold to Funtime Parks. Lightnin' Loops was then sent to two different parks then owned by Funtime. The one track was sent to Frontier City near Oklahoma City. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1994 and now known as the Diamond Back. It still operates there today.

The other track was sent to Adventure World in Largo, Maryland (near Washington, DC. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1994 and known as the Python. Funtime Parks coincidently sold to Premier Parks in 1995. In 1998, Premier would buy Six Flags, bringing these two tracks formerly known as Lightning Loops back into the Six Flags family.

Adventure World was renamed Six Flags America in 1999. At that point the Python was disassembled and put in storage to make room for more modern rollercoasters and attractions. It remains in storage today.

Frontier City was sold along with several other smaller Six Flags parks to PARKS Management. The Diamond Back still operates there. Therefore, one of the Lightning Loops tracks is still in operation while the other is in storage.

Accidents

On Wednesday, June 17, 1987, 19-year-old Karen Brown of Pennsylvania was killed after falling from the Lightnin' Loops. An investigation by the State Labor Department concluded that the ride itself was operating properly, but that the ride operator started the ride without having made sure that all of the passengers were secured by the safety harnesses. The Department's Office of Safety Compliance further concluded that the accident would not have occurred had proper procedures been followed.

The park was found to be in violation of the Carnival/Amusement Ride Safety Act and was subsequently charged with the maximum state fines of $1,000. The ride was reopened on Saturday, October 10, 1987, with the permission of the Labor Department, but was eventually dismantled and no longer operates at Great Adventure. [cite news
url = http://www.rideaccidents.com/coasters.html
title = RideAccidents.com (1987)
accessdate = 2007-10-08] [cite news
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE5DB113BF93BA25755C0A961948260
title = Rider on Roller Coaster Dies In a Fall at Great Adventure
publisher = New York Times
date = 1987-06-18
accessdate = 2007-10-08]

Future

Despite the park's opening several new roller coasters since the ride's departure in 1992, many guests still associate Lightnin' Loops with Great Adventure, going so far as to ask directions to the ride. The former Python still sits in storage in Maryland; management has denied rumors it will be resurrected but does not rule out relocating the track to one of the smaller Six Flags parks.Fact|date=June 2008

References