Hercules (roller coaster)
Hercules was a wooden roller coaster located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Manufactured by the Dinn Corporation and designed by Curtis D. Summers, the roller coaster opened to the public on May 6, 1989. It set a world record for having the longest drop on a wooden coaster at 151 feet (46 m), surpassing the previous record of 147 feet (45 m) set by American Eagle in 1981.
| Hercules | |
|---|---|
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| Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom | |
| Location | Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 40°34′52″N 75°31′56″W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | May 6, 1989 |
| Closing date | September 1, 2003 |
| Cost | $6 million |
| Replaced by | Hydra the Revenge |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | Dinn Corporation |
| Designer | Curtis D. Summers |
| Model | Terrain |
| Track layout | Double out-and-back |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 95 ft (29 m) |
| Drop | 151 ft (46 m) |
| Length | 4,000 ft (1,200 m) |
| Speed | 65 mph (105 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:15 |
| Max vertical angle | 47° |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Hercules at RCDB Pictures of Hercules at RCDB | |
History
On July 15, 1988, Dorney Park announced that a new wooden roller coaster would be opening for the 1989 season.[1] The announcement specified it would be located toward the back of the park near the lake.[1] The park revealed its name, Hercules, in March 1989, stating that it would be themed to the Greek god of the same name.[2] Hercules opened on May 6, 1989.[3]
During its operating life, the ride was re-tracked by Martin & Vleminckx.[4] Hercules closed on September 1, 2003, and Dorney Park announced several days later that the coaster would not reopen.[5] Following its demise, the site of the roller coaster was occupied by Hydra the Revenge in 2005.
References
- "Dorney Park's new coaster 'major-league thrill machine'".
- "Dorney's coaster named 'Hercules'".
- "Hercules". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- "Retracking". Martin & Vleminckx. Archived from the original on 25 November 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- "Hercules to get a rest from labors".