Rolling Thunder Accident?

[rct2wizard360]

My mom said that when Rolling Thunder was still here, a car came around the turn, went to high, and it flipped over. Did this ever happen? or is it just a rumor?

[coasterswimgurl12]

I heard about that, but I'm not sure...its sounds possible...

[Ilovthevu']

Was anyone on it? If so, it would have been reported. I haven't seen it searching many places. If no one was on it, you probably won't find that anywhere. I don't know if it's true, but it sounds more like I'm telling you this to scare you tactic.

SFGAdv had a Rolling Thunder (which is wooden) accident as the one I found out about.

[rct2wizard360]

She said this kid didnt want to go on it, but the mother forced him to, and when they went on ot, it flipped over.

[SIC COASTER]

It never happened but when a ride gets taken down people always make up somthing like that.

[rct2wizard360]

They said this happened in 1991-1992.

[Geno21K]

Actually, I heard about this. The car flipped over and actually jumped out of the track altogether before landing on Viper's lift hill, where it proceeded to be pushed along the course with unbelieveable air time! Seriously, though, I've never heard anything about that. Chances are it's just another rumor. An accident like that would've been too serious for nobody to have hear anything. Plus, if you remember the type of ride that RT was, I don't even think that would've been possible. The more technically knowledgeable among us will be able to answer this one for sure.

[Timmy179]

Actually, I heard about this. The car flipped over and actually jumped out of the track altogether before landing on Viper's lift hill, where it proceeded to be pushed along the course with unbelieveable air time! Seriously, though, I've never heard anything about that. Chances are it's just another rumor. An accident like that would've been too serious for nobody to have hear anything. Plus, if you remember the type of ride that RT was, I don't even think that would've been possible. The more technically knowledgeable among us will be able to answer this one for sure.

Dont try to be a wiseass, thats my job.

I have heard this before, wheter or not it actually happened, we will probably never know

The rolling thunder at Gadv is a tottally different coaster, its a woodie, not a bobsleigh coaster.


Rolling Thunder
As you can see in that picture its not impossible for something like that to happen, but what most likely happened is the train flipped over, i can almost gaurantee you that it didnt "fly off"



Dismantled Bobsled Track @ Old Indiana (or what used to be)
This is a great picture for showing the track rails, which would prevent the train from flying off the track


Picture
Again you can see there are rails stopping the train form flying off

[Geno21K]

Oh Timmy, you know that I wasn't serious about that. As for being wise, I am, beyond my years. Anyhow, do you really think that it would've been possible for one of the cars to carry enough speed up into one of the banks to actually flip? The only way that I could possibly see that happening would have been on an empty train after rain. When the track was wet the cars would climb higher into the banks of the turns. However, with people on it I don't really see how it would've been able to get going that fast or high. If you have an alternate theory on how that could've happened, please share, as now I'm curious.

[SIC COASTER]

The fact is, that did not happen. The ride has been moved to another park (The Great Escape) where it was repainted, rethemed and renamed Alpine Bobsled. And it still operates at The Great Escape today.

http://rcdb.com/installationgallery495.htm?Picture=1

[CoasterDave316]

Rolling Thunder was one of the many coasters that was apart of Six Flag's Ride rotation program (We got it used from Six Flags Great Adventure).

Rolling Thunder was removed to make room for Southwest Territory. Of course people are going to make up rumors about a ride like that being removed for flying off it's course. That's one of the fun things about a bobsled ride, because it gives the illusion that you might fly off the track.

[vocallaugh]

So are those kind of rides fun. I've always wanted to try one.

[Ilovthevu']

What is the point of this rotation program besides taking a ride down and putting a ride back up repainted and costs the company a lot of money?

[Timmy179]

Parks get new rides, which attracts more people and makes more money.

Get it?

[Ilovthevu']

And Rolling Thunder was very unpopular, right? It was not even that old when SFGAm had it.

[coasterdude12]

Rolling thunder while never really being popular was a fun ride. Rolling Thunders cars were heavy enough to stay on the track. At a top speed of 38 mph I don't consider it logical that this could've happened. Just another stupid accident rumor.

[Danhockey04]

I remember this ride like it is still there, I thought it was a fun ride, but it was worth the removal to put in SWT. The accident that everyone here seems to believe never happenes, it was a story made up when the removal of the ride occurred

[Ilovthevu']

It was popular enough that I don't remember a walk-on. The thing about the ride was that it was too rough for people. If they wanted to, I think they could've kept it and added quite a bit of the rides that are in SWT today.

The thing is that they expanded the area that Rolling Thunder was actually in. The parking lot was moved a little back for Viper and the rest of SWT along with the Go Karts, and I think Space Shuttle America. That is the reason why the entrance is further in (If you know what I mean).

So, I don't believe RT was in what now would be RB's way because they could've put it over RT, and Viper was further back from RT.

[Binks Drake]

I couldn' tell from the picuture, and i'm just curious. Where was Rolling Thunder's Entrance. I remember every bit of this ride and the line except where the entrance was.

[Ilovthevu']

I think I remember it being right around where the Viper entrance is now because I remember going under the bridge (where the train is) and you would see the line right away. If I am wrong, please correct me, but I think that's where it was.

[tyster22]

I have a question because before 1995, I lived in Northbrook and never went to SFGAM before. If RT was there while viper was there did they call it southwest territory? If not what section of the park was rolling thunder/viper in?

[Binks Drake]

Probably Hometown Square.

[Ilovthevu']

Here's how Rolling Thunder looked. You can see all the room in the back. Same picture Timmy179 has above, but in case you didn't see it, here it is again.

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery ... ?Picture=1

I don't believe RT and Viper were up in the same year because it would difficult to get to the Viper with RT in the way. You can see by the picture that it would be hard to get to Viper. However, it says on rcdb.com that Viper opened in 1995 and RT closed in 1995. I think that it was considered part of County Fair (both rides) until SWT came.

[Bradley Papas]

http://www.sixflags.com/parks/greatamerica/Rides/viper.html
Look what rides in the backround, the Kaiser pointed that out to me one day.

[FParker185]

Rolling Thunder's Enterance was next to Orbit, it was 2 lanes going over that bridge, when Viper was installed it was changed to 3 lanes RT and Viper shared a comon exit ramp (if you think Viper has a long exit now, you should have seen it then), then there was one large sign spanning the whole thing, on one side was the RT logo and the other was the Viper logo, it was a gigantic bottleneck and if you werent careful you'd end up riding the wrong ride. It was really bad, but looking back it was obvious they didnt plan on keeping it that way and it lasted for just under one season until RT was removed in favor of Southwest Territory.