RailBlazer
RailBlazer | |
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![]() RailBlazer's entrance | |
California's Great America | |
Location | California's Great America |
Park section | County Fair |
Coordinates | 37°23′42″N 121°58′25″W / 37.3951°N 121.9737°WCoordinates: 37°23′42″N 121°58′25″W / 37.3951°N 121.9737°W |
Status | Operating |
Soft opening date | June 9, 2018 |
Opening date | June 14, 2018 |
Replaced | Invertigo |
General statistics | |
Type | Steel |
Manufacturer | Rocky Mountain Construction |
Designer | Alan Schilke |
Model | Raptor - Prototype (Mirror) |
Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
Height | 106 ft (32 m) |
Drop | 100 ft (30 m) |
Length | 1,800 ft (550 m) |
Speed | 52 mph (84 km/h) |
Inversions | 3 |
Max vertical angle | 90° |
Capacity | 600 riders per hour |
Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
Trains | 3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 1 across in a single row for a total of 8 riders per train. |
Website | Official website |
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RailBlazer at RCDB Pictures of RailBlazer at RCDB |
RailBlazer is a steel roller coaster at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, the single-rail roller coaster opened in June 2018. RailBlazer is the ninth roller coaster at California's Great America, and features a 90-degree drop, three inversions, and an off-roading adventure theme. RailBlazer is also the second coaster in California to have a drop of 90 degrees or more. The first one being Hangtime at Knott’s Berry Farm.
RailBlazer was one of two prototype single-rail coasters to open in 2018, the other being the Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, whose layout is a mirror image of RailBlazer's.
History[]
California's Great America announced RailBlazer on August 16, 2017, and accompanied it with an official groundbreaking ceremony.[1][2] On the same day, the park released a simulated POV of the roller coaster.[3][4] RailBlazer opened to passholders on June 9, 2018, and opened to the public 5 days later.[5][6]
Ride experience[]
The ride begins by exiting the station and ascending a 106 feet (32 m) tall chain lift. The train then banks left making a 180 degree turn and entering a 106 feet (32 m) tall 90 degree drop, diving into a tunnel and reaching a maximum speed of 52 miles per hour (84 km/h) before entering a dive loop. The train then rises up to the right into an off-axis airtime hill, followed by a right-facing upwards helix. After the helix, the train makes a left turn and quickly drops, entering a right-facing cutback and a corkscrew. Finally, riders go through an over-banked turn to the left before hitting the brake run.[7]
Theme[]
The roller coaster is themed to California State Route 1.[1] It is meant to reflect an off-road adventure around the San Francisco Bay Area and California central coast. Multiple large rocks surround the ride, as well as a pool of water, which the queue interacts with. The trains are also built to resemble all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) with handlebars, grille, headlights and bumper.
References[]
- ^ a b Harrington, Jim (August 16, 2017). "Meet RailBlazer, new roller coaster coming to Great America". The Mercury News. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ "California's Flags Great America breaks ground on new roller coaster". ABC 7 San Francisco. August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ Gonzalez, Jennifer (August 16, 2017). "California's Great America Debuts Single Rail Steel Coaster". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ Tuttle, Brittani (August 17, 2017). "California's Great America to debut single rail steel coaster in 2018". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ "Great America's RailBlazer: Sneak peek at new roller coaster". The Mercury News (in Kinyarwanda). June 13, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- ^ Do, Kiet (June 14, 2018). "New Railblazer Roller Coast Opens At California's Great America". San Francisco Bay Area News, Weather, Sports From KPIX – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of SF. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "RailBlazer - California's Great America (Santa Clara, California, USA)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
External links[]
- Official website
- RailBlazer at the Roller Coaster DataBase
- RailBlazer at Rocky Mountain Construction
- Operating roller coasters
- Roller coasters introduced in 2018
- Steel roller coasters
- Roller coasters manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction
- Single-rail roller coasters
- Roller coasters in California
- Roller coasters operated by Cedar Fair
- Amusement ride stubs