Runaway Mountain
Runaway Mountain is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas.
Runaway Mountain | |
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Six Flags Over Texas | |
Location | Six Flags Over Texas |
Park section | Old South |
Coordinates | 32.757286°N 97.071015°W |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | June 12, 1996[1] |
General statistics | |
Type | Steel – Enclosed |
Manufacturer | Premier Rides |
Designer | Werner Stengel |
Model | Standard Coaster |
Lift/launch system | Tire lift hill |
Height | 65 ft (20 m) |
Length | 1,500 ft (460 m) |
Speed | 40 mph (64 km/h) |
Inversions | 0 |
Capacity | 950 riders per hour |
Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
Runaway Mountain at RCDB Pictures of Runaway Mountain at RCDB |
Dubbed "The Roller Coaster that Dares the Darkness," Runaway Mountain is an enclosed roller coaster made to look as if it takes place within a dark cave. The queue line is themed to resemble a mineshaft and upon entering the "cave," pre-recorded audio tracks are played at intervals giving the background of a character known as "Gator McGee" giving safety instructions to riders. The ride features no inversions and is 65 feet tall.[2][3]
History
In 1996, Six Flags, then a subsidiary of Time Warner, debuted two different indoor roller coasters at Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Over Texas. The first of these was Runaway Mountain, a roller coaster that would mimic a mine train inside of a mountain. The ride was put into the Old South section, replacing Spinnaker, a Schwarzkopf Enterprise ride that was shipped off to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Old South would also receive a renovation with the introduction of the mountain.
A mirrored and modified "Wildstorm" coaster model was ordered from Premier Rides, and it was enclosed with a large sound stage that also pitted the ride in darkness. This sound stage, dubbed the "gravity room", is separated by a tunnel from the room where guests enter the ride.
References