Disaster Transport

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Disaster Transport

The outside of Disaster Transport
Location Cedar Point
Type Steel - Bobsled - Enclosed
Status Open
Opened May 11, 1985
Manufacturer Intamin AG
Designer Intamin AG
Model Bobsled
Track layout custom
Lift/launch system Chain Lift
Height 63 ft (19 m)
Drop 50 ft (15 m)
Length 1,932 ft (589 m)
Max speed 40 mph (64 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 2 minutes 32 seconds
Max vertical angle 27°
Capacity 1023 riders per hour
Cost $3,400,000 USD to build (1985);
$4,000,000 USD to renovate (1990)
Max g-force 2.7
Height restriction 3 ft 10 in (120 cm)
Disaster Transport at RCDB
Pictures of Disaster Transport at RCDB

Disaster Transport is a enclosed steel bobsled roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. The name of the ride stems from "Dispatch Master Transport", which was explained during the pre-show, but can still be seen in the logo.[1]

The roller coaster is of the bobsled design, meaning the wheels are not attached to a track as on a conventional roller coaster. Rather, the cars -- resembling bobsleds -- operate within a steel trough, on which they are allowed to operate freely. This allows the ride to swing from side to side when turning sharp corners, as an actual bobsled would.

Today, the coaster has been largely overshadowed by the more modern roller coasters at Cedar Point, such as Top Thrill Dragster and Millennium Force. However, it remains popular with younger families whose children cannot ride the larger rides. It is also very popular on hot days, because the queue is inside an air conditioned building.

Contents

[edit] History

The roller coaster originally opened in 1985 as Avalanche Run, which was entirely outdoors. In 1990, ITEC Productions was called in to renovate the ride, completely enclosing the ride in a dark building. The renovation included the addition of a space-themed queue and ride along with special effect lighting and sound. The changes came at a cost of $4 million; the original ride only cost $3.4 million USD. On the outside of the building "12 E" is written, which has caused numerous rumors as to its meanings. On August 3, 2005, it was revealed that it stands for the 12th ride design by the ITEC employee Eric.[2]

Not long after the initial changes to the ride in 1990, the special effects were not maintained and began to deteriorate. Most of the effects today are not active, or have been covered up. Blacklight reactant paint lines the walls, mostly in the form of handprints or outlines of scenes. These give a 3-D appearance when the rider wears special glasses purchased at the beginning of the queue.

[edit] Building

The building is also used as a storage facility for the park. Additionally, during Halloweekends much of the queue is used to house the attraction 'Pharoah's Secret', one of several haunted attractions in the park during the Halloween season.

During any kind of rain, the ride shuts down due to leaks within the structure. The bobsled nature of the ride does not permit water on the track, therefore warranting a shutdown. Typically, the ride will remain shutdown after a period of rain until the trough is dry. The crew must cycle several trains through in order for it to dry.

Disaster Transport's trains were built by Giovanola.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Disaster Transport Logo. Point Pics (2007-04-18). Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  2. ^ Adams, Tyler. "12 E Revealed!", Cedar Point, 2005-08-05. Retrieved on 2007-12-20. 

[edit] External links

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Roller coasters at Cedar Point
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