River King Mine Train

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

River King Mine Train
Entrance of the attraction.
Location	Six Flags St. Louis
Type	Steel - Mine Train
Status	Open
Opened	1971
Manufacturer	Arrow Dynamics
Model	Mine Train
Height	32 feet (9.8 m)
Drop	41 feet (12.5 m)
Length	2,500 feet (762 m)
Max speed	37 mile per hour (59.5 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	3:00
River King Mine Train at RCDB
Pictures of River King Mine Train at RCDB

The ride currently known as The River King Mine Train has undergone transformations over the years. It was originally installed in 1971 at Six Flags St. Louis under the current name. The steel coaster was manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, with a top speed of 32 miles per hour and a 41 foot drop just as the ride nears the end. One year after it was installed, the name was changed to the River King Run-Away Mine Train. During the 1984 season, major alterations were made to the ride including the addition of stand up cars, paint detail and changes to the track. In addition, the roller coaster was renamed, The River King Run-Away Mine Train became the Rail Blazer. Some of these changes proved to be short-lived when a woman fell out of the ride and died on July 7, 1984. Much speculation has surrounded the reason for her fall, for example, some believe that she was too heavy or even that she was pushed off the coaster. However, the Six Flags/Bally’s Corporation released a statement which explained that the woman had simply fainted which caused her to slip through the restraints and fall out of the ride. Nonetheless, the ride was converted back into a sit down coaster and given back its former name of The River King Mine Train which remains at the park today.