Runaway Mountain
Runaway Mountain is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas.
| Runaway Mountain | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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