Thunder Run

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Thunder Run
Location Canada's Wonderland
Park Section International Festival
Type Steel - Powered
Status Open
Opened May 23, 1981 as Blauer Enzian, 1986 as Thunder Run
Manufacturer Mack GbmH
Height 33 feet (10.1 m)
Length 1,083 feet (330.1 m)
Max speed 40 mile per hour (64.4 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 1:24
Cost $2.7M est.
Height Restriction 40 inches (101.6 cm)
Thunder Run at RCDB
Pictures of Thunder Run at RCDB

Thunder Run is a unique powered roller coaster, themed after a runaway mine train, found at Canada's Wonderland, in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. Rather than having a traditional chain lift hill, the train has an electric motor onboard. The train (consisting of nine cars of two rows of two seats, plus an extra single row at the front of the train) flies directly into Wonder Mountain, the artificial mountain that is a trademark of the park. The coaster opened on May 23, 1981, and operated until 1985 as Blauer Enzian, but in 1986 it was relocated, extended, and incorporated into the mountain.

The ride occupies the interior of Wonder Mountain, which was initially supposed to hold a "Bavarian Market". Instead, mechanical equipment was placed inside, which was later relocated to the "roof" of the mountain to make room for the ride.

There is a sculpture of a dragon alongside the Thunder Run track (inside the mountain), nicknamed "Herman".

[edit] Urban legends

There are a few false urban legends about accidents occurring on the ride. The most popular is that of a guest who accidentally caught onto an overhanging beam inside the mountain while waving their arms, accidentally tearing them off. Other versions include the addition of the guest not even realizing what happened until the ride had ended.

Another urban legend, popular among employees in the park, concerns a rides maintenance worker that was beheaded during final construction of the ride. The train (supposedly locked down) started up and decapitated the helpless worker as he worked on the tracks. Employees working after park close have reported seeing the headless worker wandering around the "Alpen" area of the park, searching for his head. Maintenance workers often attempt to scare their co-workers by making ghost noises over the park's radio system when they are inside the Thunder Run ride tunnel.


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