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Nitro (roller coaster)
Encyclopedia
Nitro is a steel
roller coaster
at Six Flags Great Adventure
in Jackson, New Jersey. It was opened in the spring of 2001 and at the time was the fastest roller coaster in New Jersey
and the tallest on the East Coast of the United States
.
. The roller coaster track colors are fuchsia and yellow, with blue support beams. As the third B&M megacoaster built, the ride is comparable amongst Diamondback
at Kings Island
, Goliath at La Ronde
, Raging Bull
at Six Flags Great America
, Apollo's Chariot
at Busch Gardens
, Behemoth
at Canada's Wonderland, Intimidator
at Carowinds, and Leviathan
at Canada's Wonderland.
Nitro currently has the second steepest drop of a lifted (as opposed to launched) roller coaster in the park, behind El Toro
's 76 degree first drop. The coaster previously featured signs erected on the lift hill stairs which compared points on the hill to other tall structures, such as Niagara Falls; these signs were later removed. The ride continues to be popular, with long wait times, although the line normally moves quickly because of the trains' high capacity and ease of dispatch. On May 6, 2011, Nitro stopped at the top of the first drop. No one was injured, and the ride was restored in a matter of ten seconds. On May 30, 2011, Nitro's train stop mid way up the lift as the lift made a loud noise. Reason is still unknown.
with individual lap bar restraints. There are a total of 3 trains, and each train seats 4 across and has 9 rows for a total of 36 seats.
Nitro's trains can be loaded and checked quickly, resulting in very high capacity with all 3 trains running. There are three main reasons for this:
Nitro's queue area
consists of an indoor and outdoor area followed by a long path before climbing the stairs into the station. Views from the line show the backside to Batman the Ride and the Great Adventure mechanical and storage area.
Nitro's station music is the remix of the Mortal Kombat theme, which can be heard during the queue and station.
Nitro's on-ride camera
was previously located at the bottom of the second drop, but in 2006 it was moved to the bottom of the first drop.
On a clear night, the skyline of Philadelphia (about 55 miles/90 kilometers away) is visible from the lift hill, and also when the coaster turns to the left and goes up and down the large hills.
Nitro previously had a backup safety restraint, which featured a black knob that extended out of the seat. The lap bar latched onto the knob to serve as a safety feature without the need for a safety belt. These were later removed because they were deemed unnecessary, as they easily disconnected and greatly interfered with loading times.
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
at Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
in Jackson, New Jersey. It was opened in the spring of 2001 and at the time was the fastest roller coaster in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and the tallest on the East Coast of the United States
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
.
The ride
Although there are no inversions, the ride features six camelbacks, a hammer head turn and a 540-degree helix. After the all-clear signal, Nitro leaves the station and makes a left U-turn dip and up onto the 233 foot (71 m) lift hill. After reaching the 233 feet (71 m) mark, the train crests the top and drops 215 feet (66 m) at 68 degrees, reaching its top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h), then up a second 189 feet (57.6 m)-tall (58 m) hill and then diving down to the left through a 161 foot (49 m) airtime hill. After the moment of weightlessness, Nitro enters its unique element, the Hammerhead turn, a tight U-turn to the right. Soaring over another camelback hill, Nitro enters its S-curve and into the 540-degree helix. After the trim brakes, Nitro soars over three camelback hills and returns to the station. While the front row of each train is known for an almost unparalleled view and smoothness,the back row is reputed as having the most airtime throughout the ride, especially at the top of the first drop and the dive off the mid-course brake runBrake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed...
. The roller coaster track colors are fuchsia and yellow, with blue support beams. As the third B&M megacoaster built, the ride is comparable amongst Diamondback
Diamondback (roller coaster)
Diamondback is a Bolliger & Mabillard steel hypercoaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio.The ride is long and spans from just behind International Street and the Eiffel Tower and over the Rivertown area, and into a wooded area. The roller coaster contains a splashdown element near the end...
at Kings Island
Kings Island
Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
, Goliath at La Ronde
La Ronde (amusement park)
La Ronde is an amusement park in Montreal, owned and operated by Six Flags. It is the largest in the province of Quebec and the second largest in Canada after Canada's Wonderland, with about 2.5 million guests in 2006...
, Raging Bull
Raging Bull (roller coaster)
The Raging Bull is a Bolliger & Mabillard hyper-twister steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. It was built in 1999, and features a first drop and top speed of , and is currently one of the most popular rides at Six Flags Great America. At in length, it is...
at Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
, Apollo's Chariot
Apollo's Chariot
Apollo's Chariot is the first Bolliger & Mabillard hypercoaster, located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, in James City County, Virginia.-Description:...
at Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens is the name of two amusement parks in the United States, owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of Blackstone Group. One of the parks is in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the other is in Tampa, Florida...
, Behemoth
Behemoth (roller coaster)
Behemoth is a steel roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. It is a Hyper Coaster designed and developed by Swiss manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard. Behemoth is currently the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Canada...
at Canada's Wonderland, Intimidator
Intimidator (roller coaster)
Intimidator is a steel roller coaster at the Carowinds amusement park. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, Intimidator is the thirteenth roller coaster installed at Carowinds and is located at the entrance of the theme park. The Intimidator is the tallest, longest, and fastest roller coaster in the...
at Carowinds, and Leviathan
Leviathan (roller coaster)
Leviathan is a steel giga coaster currently under construction at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada It will be the first giga coaster made by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. At long, tall, and with a top speed of , Leviathan will be the tallest and fastest coaster in Canada...
at Canada's Wonderland.
Nitro currently has the second steepest drop of a lifted (as opposed to launched) roller coaster in the park, behind El Toro
El Toro (roller coaster)
El Toro, meaning The Bull in Spanish, is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure. It opened to the public on June 11, 2006. It was designed by Intamin of Switzerland. It had the steepest drop of any wooden roller coaster in the world, at 76 degrees, until this record was broken by T...
's 76 degree first drop. The coaster previously featured signs erected on the lift hill stairs which compared points on the hill to other tall structures, such as Niagara Falls; these signs were later removed. The ride continues to be popular, with long wait times, although the line normally moves quickly because of the trains' high capacity and ease of dispatch. On May 6, 2011, Nitro stopped at the top of the first drop. No one was injured, and the ride was restored in a matter of ten seconds. On May 30, 2011, Nitro's train stop mid way up the lift as the lift made a loud noise. Reason is still unknown.
Trains and station
Nitro features open, side-less trainsTrain (roller coaster)
A roller coaster train or car describes the vehicle which transports passengers around a roller coaster's circuit. More specifically, a roller coaster train is made up of two or more "cars" which are connected by some sort of specialized joint. It is called a "train" because the cars follow one...
with individual lap bar restraints. There are a total of 3 trains, and each train seats 4 across and has 9 rows for a total of 36 seats.
Nitro's trains can be loaded and checked quickly, resulting in very high capacity with all 3 trains running. There are three main reasons for this:
- There is no "backup restraint" that must be checked (Nitro used to have a backup restraint, see further down for more details). Most roller coasters have some sort of seat belt (either on the rider's lap or holding the main restraint down) that serves as a safety device in case the main restraint unlocks.
- Nothing needs to move out of the way before the train dispatches and after the train advances into the station. This is not the case on most of B&MBolliger & MabillardBolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
's other coaster models. For example, on their flying roller coasterFlying roller coasterA flying roller coaster is a variation of roller coaster meant to simulate the sensations of flight by harnessing riders in a prone position during the duration of the ride. The roller coaster cars are suspended below the track, with riders secured such that their backs are parallel to the track...
, the floor descends and the seats flip into flying position before the train begins to move. On floorless roller coasters and inverted roller coasterInverted roller coasterAn inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the track, but "swings" via a pivoting bar attached to the...
s, a sort of gate in front of the trains must swing open in addition to the floor moving. - The trains can be deployed much more successively than most roller coasters. Usually, as soon as one train has crested the lift hillLift hillA lift hill, or chain hill, is often the initial upward-sloping section of track on a typical roller coaster that initially transports the roller coaster train to an elevated point or peak in the roller coaster ride...
, the train behind it can be dispatched onto the lift.
Nitro's queue area
Queue area
Queue areas are places in which people queue for goods or services. Examples include checking out groceries or other goods that have been collected in a self service shop, in a shop without self service, at an ATM, at a ticket desk, a city bus, or in a taxi stand.Queueing is a phenomenon in a...
consists of an indoor and outdoor area followed by a long path before climbing the stairs into the station. Views from the line show the backside to Batman the Ride and the Great Adventure mechanical and storage area.
Nitro's station music is the remix of the Mortal Kombat theme, which can be heard during the queue and station.
Other notes
Nitro has a pre-drop in the beginning out of the station. This helps tension on the train/track to prepare for the lift hill.Nitro's on-ride camera
On-ride camera
An on-ride camera is a camera mounted alongside the track of a roller coaster, log flume or other thrill ride that automatically photographs all of the riders on each passing vehicle. They are often mounted at the most intense or fastest part of the ride, resulting in humorously distorted...
was previously located at the bottom of the second drop, but in 2006 it was moved to the bottom of the first drop.
On a clear night, the skyline of Philadelphia (about 55 miles/90 kilometers away) is visible from the lift hill, and also when the coaster turns to the left and goes up and down the large hills.
Nitro previously had a backup safety restraint, which featured a black knob that extended out of the seat. The lap bar latched onto the knob to serve as a safety feature without the need for a safety belt. These were later removed because they were deemed unnecessary, as they easily disconnected and greatly interfered with loading times.
Rankings
| Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Ranking | |||||||||||
| Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Steel-Tracked Roller Coaster | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Ranking | |||||||
| NAPHA National Amusement Park Historical Association The National Amusement Park Historical Association was founded in 1978 by a former employee of Chicago's Riverview Amusement Park, and NAPHA has grown throughout a long period of time to include amusement parks from all over the world. NAPHA preserves amusement park history and historic rides. ... Survey: Favorite Steel Roller Coaster |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Ranking | |||