Trailblazer (roller coaster)

Trailblazer

Trailblazer's entrance
Hersheypark
Park section Pioneer Frontier
Coordinates 40°17′21″N 76°39′13″W / 40.289172°N 76.653478°WCoordinates: 40°17′21″N 76°39′13″W / 40.289172°N 76.653478°W
Status Operating
Opening date 1974
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer Arrow Dynamics
Model Mine train
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 50 ft (15 m)
Length 1,600 ft (490 m)
Speed 45 mph (72 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 1:15
Capacity 1125 riders per hour
Height restriction 36 in (91 cm)
Trailblazer at RCDB
Pictures of Trailblazer at RCDB

Trailblazer is a family roller coaster at Hersheypark amusement park in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Pioneer Frontier section of Hersheypark, just below Storm Runner. The ride is notable for being the second-oldest operating coaster in the park, after the Comet, and for its family-friendly height requirement of 36 inches and above with an adult.

Description

The coaster reaches speeds of up to 45 mph, and features a helix that circles 4 times. The mid-course brake zone is nearly level with Storm Runner, and the queue for that ride extends inside Trailblazer's first drop.

History

According to a 1974 Souvenir book printed before the coaster was finalized, the ride was supposed to feature two lifts.[1]

The ride received two brand new trains in 2003 built by Premier Rides. The main difference is the new cars had individual lap bars for each seat, rather than the single "t-bar" lap bars for each pair of seats.

References

  1. Hershey's Guidebook, Western Publishing Company, 1974.

External links