Rampage (roller coaster)
| Rampage | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Alabama Adventure | |
| Coordinates | 33°22′45″N 86°59′49″W / 33.37919°N 86.996902°WCoordinates: 33°22′45″N 86°59′49″W / 33.37919°N 86.996902°W |
| Status | SBNO |
| Opening date | May 23, 1998 |
| Closing date | 2011 |
| Cost | US$4,300,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | Custom Coasters International |
| Designer | Larry Bill, Dennis McNulty |
| Track layout | Terrain twister |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 120 ft (37 m) |
| Drop | 102 ft (31 m) |
| Length | 3,500 ft (1,100 m) |
| Speed | 56 mph (90 km/h) |
| Duration | 2:36 |
| Capacity | 900 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
|
Rampage at RCDB Pictures of Rampage at RCDB | |
Rampage was a wooden roller coaster located at Alabama Adventure in Bessemer, Alabama. It operated from May 23, 1998 to 2011.
History
Construction of the coaster would commence in the fall of 1997,[1] and the ride would celebrate its topping out ceremony on December 2, 1997.[2] The name Rampage was selected as the winner of a name that ride contest in December 1997.[3] The Rampage moniker was submitted by a local Pleasant Grove High School student with Scorpion's Tail and Jaguar coming in second and third place respectively.[3] The ride's opening would coincide with the opening of VisionLand on May 23, 1998.[4] The ride was received well and would be rated as the 3rd best wooden coaster and the 5th best overall coaster by Amusement Business in December 1998.[5]
After a successful first year, the parks's attendance would see a significant drop resulting in the shuttering of the coaster for the 2002 season.[6] Following the sale of the park to Southland Entertainment Group, Rampage would see a renovation by John Hinde Enterprises and reopen for the 2003 season.[7]
Rampage gave its last public ride in 2011, before in spring 2012, Alabama Adventure was sold to a new management that has listed Rampage, as well as most of the other amusement park rides for sale, no longer to operate.[8]
Track layout
The ride features a 120-foot (37 m) lift hill with a 102-foot (31 m) first drop.[2] It reaches a top speed of 56-mile-per-hour (90 km/h).[2] The ride features 9 crossovers and 13 curves and was built for US$4.3 million.[9] The ride layout is largely based on Megafobia at Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire, Wales, United Kingdom, which was also built by Custom Coasters.
Trains
Rampage currently operates with two trains from Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. Each train is made up of six cars, with each car seating four people (twenty-four riders total).
When the ride opened one train was painted solid blue and the other solid maroon. Each had the VisionLand logo on the front of the train. When Southland took over in 2003 the trains received new paint jobs. The former blue train is now three shades of blue. The front two cars are dark blue, the middle two are blue, and the back two are light blue. There are airbrushed lightning bolts on the sides of the cars, with a monster eye and claw with the Rampage logo on the front of the train. The maroon train was painted with the first two cars red, the middle two orange, and the back two yellow. It has airbrushed flames on the sides and two red monsters eyes under the Rampage logo on the front.
For the 2008 season the park repainted the "fire" train solid red. The "lightning" train was also painted dark blue. The park is also running both trains on busy days for the first time since the 2005 season.
Trivia
Rampage opened the same day as another CCI coaster, Shivering Timbers at Michigan's Adventure.
See also
Awards
| Best Coaster Poll: Best Wood Coaster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ↑ Pierce, Phil (September 21, 1997). "Visionland coming into focus". Birmingham News. p. 13A.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Pierce, Phil (December 3, 1997). "High, long and fast: VisionLand's roller coaster reached pinnacle". Birmingham News. p. 1A.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gordon, Robert K. (December 16, 1997). "VisionLand's roller coaster: 'Rampage'". Birmingham News. p. 1B.
- ↑ Williams, Roy L. (May 14, 1998). "State tourism expected to record $5 billion". Birmingham News. p. 1B.
- ↑ Pierce, Phil (December 15, 1998). "Rampage placed in top 5 coasters". Birmingham News. p. 1B.
- ↑ Gordon, Robert K. (May 31, 2002). "VisionLand water park gets money to open, Bankruptcy filing is planned for next week". Birmingham News. p. 1B.
- ↑ Tomberlin, Michael (March 1, 2003). "VisionLand targets May reopening". Birmingham News. p. 1B.
- ↑ Williams, Roy L. (2012-01-06). "Alabama Adventure sold to company created by former owner". The Birmingham News.
- ↑ Staff Reporters (July 26, 1998). "Rampage". Birmingham News. p. 1J.
| |||||||||||