Powder Keg: A Blast into the Wilderness

Powder Keg
Previously known as Buzz Saw Falls
Silver Dollar City
Coordinates 36°40′11″N 93°20′35″W / 36.669733°N 93.342961°W / 36.669733; -93.342961Coordinates: 36°40′11″N 93°20′35″W / 36.669733°N 93.342961°W / 36.669733; -93.342961
Status Operating
Opening date 2005
Silver Dollar City
Name Buzzsaw Falls
Status Removed
Opening date 1999 (1999)
Closing date 2003 (2003)
Replaced by PowderKeg
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer S&S Worldwide
Designer Drew Schlie
Lift/launch system 3 types Transfer Track, Compressed Air Launch, and Chain lift hill
Height 98 ft (30 m)
Drop 110 ft (34 m)
Length 3,506 ft (1,069 m)
Speed 64 mph (103 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 2:53
Capacity 1000 riders per hour
Acceleration 0-53 mph in 2.8 seconds
G-force 3.9
Height restriction 48 in (122 cm)
Trains 3 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 16 riders per train.
Must transfer from wheelchair
Powder Keg at RCDB
Pictures of Powder Keg at RCDB

Powder Keg: A Blast Into The Wilderness (commonly referred to as Powder Keg) is a steel roller coaster at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. It was built in 2004 and opened in 2005. It is also the longest ride in Silver Dollar City. The ride was installed by Ride Entertainment Group.[1]

To save on construction costs, elements of the former Buzz Saw Falls water coaster attraction, which was manufactured by Premier Rides[2] and was replaced by Powder Keg, were used for the new ride; namely the lift hill structure. Other tributes to the former ride can be found in the thematic elements surrounding the queue line, such as an old Buzzsaw Falls car stuck in the roof of the first queue building, and a piece of old Buzzsaw track sticking out of the queue building's roof.

Audio track and launch sequence

Exterior of the launch building. Each time the coaster is launched flames shoot from the chimney and water bursts from the barrels.

Before the train launches, a short audio track plays. A man with a deep voice says three lines, as of the 2017 season.

  1. Hey, that area is restricted!
  2. You're too close to that nitro!
  3. Do you smell smoke?

The train moves forward out of the nitro shed and a siren goes off and the stop lights go red-yellow-yellow-green and flames would shoot out of the nitro shed. Soon after, the train launches using compressed air, and the ride starts.

In 2006 the audio track was modified on the second line where "Don't touch that nitro!" was replaced by "You're too close to that nitro!".

In 2007 one more modification to the pre-launch sequence was made where stoplights were added on the launch section to go from red-yellow-yellow-green while making a siren sound and then launching like usual. Before the 2007 season the nitro shed would just shoot flames and the train would launch soon after.

Rider experience

After being launched out onto the track, riders go up a relatively small hill and down a very steep drop. Riders go up and down hills many times and go through several tight turns before slowly traveling up a chainlift hill equipped with audio speakers playing bluegrass music. The train goes through a 90 degree left turn before going down another steep drop onto a small spray-painted blue section of the track. At the final end of the ride, the train travels through a large helix that almost turns the track completely upside down before the train slams into the final brakes and turns into the station.

References

  1. ↑ "Projects". Ride Entertainment Group. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Powder Keg: A Blast in the Wilderness - Silver Dollar City (Branson, Missouri, USA)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
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