Thunderbolt (Kennywood)

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Thunderbolt
Kennywood's Thunderbolt
Location	Kennywood
Type	Wood
Status	Open
Opened	1924
Manufacturer	Andy Vettel
Designer	Joseph E. Drambour
Model	Out and Back roller coaster
Height	70 feet (21.3 m)
Drop	95 feet (29 m)
Length	2,887 feet (880 m)
Max speed	55 mile per hour (88.5 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1:30
Thunderbolt at RCDB
Pictures of Thunderbolt at RCDB

The Thunderbolt is a wooden roller coaster located at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Originally built by John A. Miller in 1924, the ride's name was Pippin until 1967, when it changed to Thunderbolt beginning with the 1968 season, coinciding with an expansion of the track headed up by Andy Vettel. The all-wood coaster follows the surrounding terrain with a track length of 2,887 feet (880 m). Its maximum height is 70 feet (21 m), but because of the track layout the maximum drop is 95 feet (29 m). Reaching a maximum speed of 55 mph (88.5 km/h), the ride takes 90 seconds to complete its circuit.

The Thunderbolt's three trains were built by the National Amusement Device Company, and carry 24 riders in four cars.

An interesting feature of the Thunderbolt is that after departing from the station, the train does not immediately go up the lift hill as on most other coasters. Instead, the lift hill is in the middle of the ride.

In 1999 there was an accident on the Thunderbolt when the operators failed to brake the car coming into the station and it collided with the car being loaded. Thirty people were injured in the crash. [1]