Tennessee Tornado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tennessee Tornado | |
.JPG/250px-Tennessee_Tornado_(Logo).JPG) Tennessee Tornado's logo |
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| Location | Dollywood |
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| Park section | Craftsmen's Valley |
| Type | Steel - corkscrew |
| Status | Open |
| Opened | April 17, 1999 |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Model | Custom Looping |
| Track layout | Terrain |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 163 ft (50 m) |
| Drop | 128 ft (39 m) |
| Length | 2,682 ft (817 m) |
| Max speed | 70 mph (110 km/h) |
| Inversions | 3 |
| Duration | 1:48 |
| Capacity | 1,360 riders per hour |
| Cost | $8,000,000 USD |
| Max g-force | 3.7 |
| Height restriction | 4 ft 0 in (120 cm) |
| Tennessee Tornado at RCDB Pictures of Tennessee Tornado at RCDB |
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The Tennessee Tornado is a roller coaster at Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It debuted April 17, 1999, and was Dollywood's first major coaster expansion as well as one of Arrow Dynamics' last major coasters. The ride opened in a valley location previously occupied by "Thunder Express", an Arrow Dynamics "Runaway Mine Train" coaster.
Tennessee Tornado has several unique features not found on other Arrow Dynamics looping coasters. At the time of the coaster's construction it had been several years since the company had last built a sit-down looping coaster, so the designers created new elements and track designs for the ride, including two overbanked curves and a 110-foot tall "Spiro loop", the largest inversion on any Arrow Dynamics coaster.
Tennessee Tornado is also unique in that it uses a tubular steel beam support structure similar to that of Bolliger and Mabillard roller coasters, rather than the more typical Arrow Dynamics scaffolding-style supports. This is somewhat reminiscent of Drachen Fire, another later Arrow Dynamics coaster that is now defunct.
