A state investigation of the incident determined that Cedar Point did not violate state laws or rules in its operation of the ride.Ĭhin said that changing the launch system wouldn’t necessarily prevent future similar accidents. The victim was standing in line for the ride when a hand-sized metal plate flew off a train at high speed, hitting her in the head. The incident in August, however, attracted international attention. “The amount of downtime associated with Dragster is probably not something anyone is happy with, and if you were to calculate the cost per rider over its lifetime, it’s probably astronomically high.”Įven before the accident last August, the ride had been involved in other incidents that caused more minor injuries to guests. “It has been problematic and expensive to maintain from the start,” said Jeff Putz, co-founder of the Cedar Point fan site. It lost that title in 2005, to a nearly identical ride, Kingda Ka, built by the same manufacturer, Liechtenstein-based Intamin, for Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey.įor years, Top Thrill Dragster has been well known among coaster fans both for its extremely intense ride, but also its long periods of downtime due to maintenance issues. When Top Thrill Dragster debuted in 2003, it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. That’s how they can get the speeds today that they are able to get.”Ĭedar Point’s Maverick roller coaster, built in 2007, uses LSM technology and it’s one of the most popular rides in the park, despite its relatively modest top height of 105 feet and a top speed of 70 mph. “That’s the direction that systems have gone in roller coasters in the last 15 years or so. “If you’ve ever been in a Tesla – you push that thing down and it takes off,” said industry consultant Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services in Cincinnati. The likely alternative: something known as a linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch, powered by magnets and with far fewer parts. In one video, he equates the current system, known as a hydraulic launch, to a more-modern version of a steam locomotive, with hundreds of parts that can malfunction. “I believe the park wants us to know that they are keeping the ride but making major modifications to it to improve its experience,” he said in an email interview.Ĭhin speculates that the park is swapping out the ride’s problematic launch system, which propels riders up and over a 420-foot-high hill at a speed of 120 mph. Ryan Chin, a New Jersey engineer who runs a popular YouTube channel for roller coaster fans, ElToroRyan, is among those who believes the park is working to reopen the ride. In announcing the closure of that ride, the park said the coaster would “close for good.” ![]() That’s very different language from the words used to describe the fate of Wicked Twister, for example, a roller coaster that Cedar Point dismantled last year after 19 years in the park. That statement included this line: “Our team is hard at work, creating a new and reimagined ride experience.” Other possible changes include a new name for the ride, a new theme, new trains and a new queuing area, farther away from the ride track.Ĭedar Point spokesman Tony Clark declined to provide any additional information about plans for the ride, referring back to the park’s original statement on Sept. Many park observers believe that Cedar Point is replacing Top Thrill’s complicated, maintenance-prone launch system with a simpler, magnetic-based system. In recent weeks - despite the fence - park visitors have observed alterations being made to the ride, including the removal of retractable brakes along the launch track. Speculation has been rampant since Cedar Point announced in early September via Twitter that Top Thrill Dragster would be retired “as you know it.” The ride had been idle for a full year, since an August 2021 accident that severely injured a Michigan woman who was standing in line for the coaster.ĭays after the announcement, the park erected a large, solid fence around the ride. ![]() ![]() It could mean working in a different way. Retired, of course, doesn’t always mean no longer working. SANDUSKY – The future of Cedar Point’s mega-coaster Top Thrill Dragster remains up in the air, even after the amusement park announced weeks ago that the ride was being retired. After 19 seasons in operation with 18 million riders experiencing the worlds first strata coaster, Top Thrill Dragster, as you know it, is being retired,” Cedar Point said in an announcement.
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