| Pony Express | |
| Location | Knott's Berry Farm |
|---|---|
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | May 24, 2008 |
| Type | Steel - Motorbike - Launched |
| Manufacturer | Zamperla |
| Model | MotoCoaster |
| Height | 44 ft (13 m) |
| Length | 1,300 ft (400 m) |
| Max speed | 38 mph (61 km/h) |
| Duration | 0:36 |
| Capacity | 900 riders per hour |
| Acceleration | 0 to 38 mph (0 to 61 km/h) in 3 seconds |
| Fast Lane available | |
| Pony Express at RCDB | |
| Pictures of Pony Express at RCDB | |
| Amusement Parks Portal | |
Pony Express is a steel motorbike roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. It features sweeping turns and sudden drops in an "out-and-back" configuration. This, the Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster at Darien Lake near Buffalo, New York and the Steeplechase Coaster at Luna Park, Coney Island, NY are the only Zamperla Motocoasters installed in the United States. It opened on May 22, 2008. The ride uses a flywheel launch system, similar to the mechanism used to launch one of the park's oldest coasters, Montezooma's Revenge. It features two 16-passenger trains; the seats are designed be straddled to make the overall experience reminiscent of a horseback ride. The 'horses' use a tastefully-designed restraint system to assure rider safety while not adversely affecting the ride experience.
The ride is themed to the "Ghost Town" area of the park, and the rider is a messenger on the famed Pony Express of the Old West. The ride begins near the entrance of Bigfoot Rapids, runs in a northeasterly direction alongside the train tracks to the area near Boot Hill, then returns along the same route. Like Jaguar!, the ride is gentler than some of the park's flagship attractions and is good for children who are scared of "big" coasters.
Minimum rider height is 48 inches (1,200 mm).
On October 7, 2010, ten people received minor injuries when the two Pony Express trains collided in the station of the ride. The launch system failed to power the first train over the first hill causing it to roll back into the station and collide with the second train.[1][2]
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