This column is about roller coasters, so we'll concentrate on one of the Northeast's largest amusement parks located in the town of Agawam. At the same time, we will complete our series on Intamin's Superman: Ride of Steel scream machines.
The park's history can be traced back to 1840. It began as Gallop's Grove, a family picnic area by the Connecticut River. Between 1910 and 1912, the park's first roller coaster known as the Giant Dip was constructed. Gallop's Grove became Riverside Park. In 1941, the Thunderbolt was designed to celebrate the park's 100th anniversary.
In the 1970's, several more coasters were added during a major park expansion. In 1996, Premier Parks bought out the Funtime Parks chain, and turned Riverside into the thrill park it is today. In 2000, the name was changed to Six Flags New England. The biggest addition in 2000 was Superman:Ride of Steel. This became the park's main attraction.
Brochure courtesy of Six Flags New England
Six Flags New England has a fabulous water park named Hurricane Harbor and nine stimulating roller coasters. The scream machines cover the gambit of wooden coasters and steel coasters.
A colonial welcoming to this great park (Photo by Shredley)
We visited the park in June of 2004. Our group consisted of the two of us, Shredley's sister Joyce, Joni's sister Linda and brother-in-law Norman, plus cousins Ralph and Kimi.
Our group-left to right: Kimi, Joni, Shredley, Ralph, Joyce, Linda, and Norman
The Thunderbolt was built in 1941 by Joseph Drambour, and is the oldest operating roller coaster in the park. It is a traditional woodie with a double dip in the middle of the coaster's circuit. Its highest drop is 65 feet and the ride lasts for one zestful minute!
Thunderbolt: an oldie but goodie woodie tucked in the trees (Photo by Shredley)
The park's other wooden coaster is Cyclone. Built in 1983 by William Cobb and Associates, it features a 75 foot drop. Although the ride only reaches a speed of 45 miles per hour, this coaster has intense drops and sudden changes of direction. We found it to be a wild experience.
From a distance, the twisting white maze of the Cyclone (Photo by Shredley)
Flashback is a Vekoma Boomerang steel shuttle coaster that was added to the park in 2000. Like all other Boomerangs, it has three inversions forward, and then the train retraces the track giving the rider three backward inversions. It is 116 feet tall and reaches speeds of 47 miles per hour.
Flashback in the foreground, Cyclone in the background (Photo courtesy of Six Flags New England)
The Great Chase. is a kiddie steel coaster built by Miler Coaster, Inc. in 1996. It has a 13 foot drop and is 37 feet long. It was relocated next to the Thunderbolt in 2000.
The Great Chase - thrill seekers in training (Photo by Joel Rogers www.coastergallery.com)
Mind Eraser is an inverted Vekoma steel coaster built in 1997. Elements include a rollover, a sidewinder, and a double inline twist. The highest drop is 86 feet and it attains speeds up to 50 miles per hour.
Mind Eraser - forceful inversions and changes of direction give riders a bang (Photo by Shredley)
Poison Ivy's Tangled Train was constructed in 2000 by Zierer/Tivoli.
Enter, but do not touch (Photo by Ric Turner www.rcdb.com)
It is a family steel sit down coaster with a double figure-eight track layout. The train winds through the trees at speeds up to 22 miles per hour.
Poison Ivy's Tangled Train twists through the forest (Photo by Ric Turner www.rcdb.com)
Batman: The Dark Knight is one of the new breed of Bolliger and Mabillard floorless steel coasters. It turns riders upside down five times while negotiating its 2600 feet of track. Speeding up to 55 miles per hour, this outrageous thrill ride delivers constant excitement. We love it!
Batman: The Dark Knight at the top of its first vertical loop (Photo by Ric Turner www.rcdb.com)
Joyce, Shredley, and Joni happy on The Bat (On-ride photo by Six Flags New England)
New in 2005 is Pandemonium. This is a steel sit down Gerstlauer spinning coaster (a spinning mouse coaster) designed by Buro Stengel. Its maximum height is 42 feet.
Riders begin to spin on Pandemonium (Photo courtesy of Six Flags New England)
The ride begins innocently enough. Two pairs of riders face each other while ascending the lift hill. Shortly thereafter, the car starts to spin erratically during the ride's steep drops. It gives the riders the sensation of being out of control.
Pandemonium, a wild and crazy mouse (Photo by Jeff Graham www.rcdb.com)
In earlier columns, we described two roller coasters called Superman:Ride of Steel. One is located at Six Flags Darien Lake (See The Darien Experience December 2005), and the other is at Six Flags America (See Smokin' in Marlboro Country March 2006).
Six Flags New England's Superman:Ride of Steel is unique because it offers a higher first drop, tunnels, and extremely overbanked turns. This coaster was voted "the best steel coaster" in the world by Amusement Today in 2003. It has a drop of 221 feet and boasts speeds up to 77 miles per hour. This coaster is amazingly smooth, overwhelming, and electrifying. Fans come from all over the world just to experience this brilliant machine.
Superman: Ride of Steel, a beautiful ride next to the beautiful Connecticut River (Photo courtesy of Six Flags New England)
Superman: Ride of Steel - Ecstasy! (On-ride photo by Six Flags New England)
Two superheroes, Superman and Batman (Photo by Shredley)
Six Flags New England is a terrific theme park, and we look forward to returning to this gorgeous place.
Our May column will take us to the only active Volcano in the great state of Virginia. We'll visit Paramount's Kings Dominion in Doswell.
Next Installment: Chapter XXXIII: The Parks; Paramount's Kings Dominion, Doswell, VA
Much Aloha!
-Joni and Shredley
Related Links:
www.sixflags.com
www.coastergallery.com
www.rcdb.com
www.aceonline.org
