Cyclone (Six Flags New England)
Encyclopedia
Cyclone, formerly called the Riverside Cyclone, is a wooden roller coaster
currently located at Six Flags New England
. It was originally opened in 1983, and modifications to the first hill were made in 2001. More intense than the other wooden roller coaster, Thunderbolt
, it shakes and rattles much more, giving riders a more thrilling experience. In addition the rattling has the potential to give riders intense headaches and in some cases bruises, due to restraints being not extremely tight. Some riders have reported seatbelt buckle failure after reaching hill crests during the rides, leaving only the loose lap restraints to hold the passenger in.
Cyclone was opened as the Riverside Cyclone in 1983 when the park was known as Riverside Park. At the time Riverside was very limited in size. At that time Riverside had a decent number of typical flat rides, a log flume, and two roller coasters. One was Thunderbolt
which was built decades before, and a steel looping coaster called Black Widow. The owners wanted another wooden coaster, but space was limited; so a wooden coaster that was based on the compact Coney Island Cyclone was built and named after it. The lack of land resulted in a wooden twister that had extreme turns and twists and very steep drops. In addition, the actual layout bears little to almost no resemblance to the Coney Island Cyclone's layout.
are the only two wooden roller coasters with a 54 inches (1,371.6 mm) height restriction in the United States
.
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
currently located at Six Flags New England
Six Flags New England
Six Flags New England , formerly Riverside Amusement Park, is a Six Flags theme park, named for the New England region, in which it is located. Located off of Massachusetts State Route 159, Six Flags New England is located less than from the major City of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby...
. It was originally opened in 1983, and modifications to the first hill were made in 2001. More intense than the other wooden roller coaster, Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt (Six Flags New England)
Thunderbolt is a wooden roller coaster currently located at Six Flags New England. Opened in 1941, Thunderbolt is currently the oldest roller coaster at Six Flags New England. It is also the oldest roller coaster in any Six Flags park...
, it shakes and rattles much more, giving riders a more thrilling experience. In addition the rattling has the potential to give riders intense headaches and in some cases bruises, due to restraints being not extremely tight. Some riders have reported seatbelt buckle failure after reaching hill crests during the rides, leaving only the loose lap restraints to hold the passenger in.
Cyclone was opened as the Riverside Cyclone in 1983 when the park was known as Riverside Park. At the time Riverside was very limited in size. At that time Riverside had a decent number of typical flat rides, a log flume, and two roller coasters. One was Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt (Six Flags New England)
Thunderbolt is a wooden roller coaster currently located at Six Flags New England. Opened in 1941, Thunderbolt is currently the oldest roller coaster at Six Flags New England. It is also the oldest roller coaster in any Six Flags park...
which was built decades before, and a steel looping coaster called Black Widow. The owners wanted another wooden coaster, but space was limited; so a wooden coaster that was based on the compact Coney Island Cyclone was built and named after it. The lack of land resulted in a wooden twister that had extreme turns and twists and very steep drops. In addition, the actual layout bears little to almost no resemblance to the Coney Island Cyclone's layout.
Modifications
- In 1985 the original PTC train was replaced by Morgan trains after the original trains were damaged in an accident.
- After Six FlagsSix FlagsSix Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
bought and renamed Riverside Park to Six Flags New EnglandSix Flags New EnglandSix Flags New England , formerly Riverside Amusement Park, is a Six Flags theme park, named for the New England region, in which it is located. Located off of Massachusetts State Route 159, Six Flags New England is located less than from the major City of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby...
the name was changed from Riverside Cyclone to simply Cyclone, also new 2-bench PTC trains were put into use. - Trim brakes were added to some of the turns of the Cyclone to slow the train down during the course of the ride.
- In 2001, Cyclone's first drop was made slightly shorter by about 15–20 feet. It is still possible to see the old track beneath the new track.
- For the 2006 season, Cyclone's queue house was demolished to make way for Catapult. A new queue was built inside the structure of the coaster and the old entry ramp was extended and used as an exit. In the same season the roller coaster also received a new coat of paint.
- For the 2011 season parts of the Cyclone track will be covered with Rocky Mountain Construction Topper Track, which will cover some of the rougher areas of the ride so it will become smoother.
Height restriction
For years this coaster was restricted to those who were 48 inches (1,219.2 mm) and taller. Others were not allowed to ride. Some time in the 1990s, before Six Flags purchased the park, the height restrictions would be raised to 54 inches (1,371.6 mm) and taller. One reason is the roughness and intensity of this ride. This coaster and the Coney Island CycloneConey Island Cyclone
The Coney Island Cyclone is a historic hybrid roller coaster in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York City. On June 18, 1975, Dewey and Jerome Albert, owners of Astroland Park, contracted to operate the Cyclone under an agreement with New York City...
are the only two wooden roller coasters with a 54 inches (1,371.6 mm) height restriction in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.