Powder Keg: A Blast into the Wilderness
Encyclopedia
Powder Keg: A Blast Into The Wilderness (commonly referred to as the Powder Keg) is a steel
roller coaster
at Silver Dollar City
in Branson, Missouri
. It was built in 2004 and opened in 2005. It is also the longest ride and fastest roller coaster in Silver Dollar City.
To save on construction costs, elements of the former Buzz Saw Falls attraction which was replaced by Powderkeg were used for the new ride; namely the lift hill structure. Other tributes to the former ride can be found in the thematic elements surrounding the queue line, such as an old Buzzsaw Falls car stuck in the roof of the first queue building, and a piece of old Buzzsaw track sticking out of the queue building's roof.
The train moves forward out of the nitro shed and a siren goes off and the stop lights go red-yellow-yellow-green and flames would shoot out of the nitro shed.
Soon after, the train launches using compressed air
, and the ride starts.
In 2006 the audio track was modified on the second line where "Don't touch that nitro!" was replaced by "You're too close to that nitro!".
In 2007 one more modification to the pre-launch sequence was made where stoplights were added on the launch section to go from red-yellow-yellow-green while making a siren sound and then launching like usual. Before the 2007 season the nitro shed would just shoot flames and the train would launch soon after.
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 Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City is a theme park in the state of Missouri. Opened on May 1, 1960, the park is located between Branson and Branson West, Missouri, on Highway 76...
in Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
. It was built in 2004 and opened in 2005. It is also the longest ride and fastest roller coaster in Silver Dollar City.
To save on construction costs, elements of the former Buzz Saw Falls attraction which was replaced by Powderkeg were used for the new ride; namely the lift hill structure. Other tributes to the former ride can be found in the thematic elements surrounding the queue line, such as an old Buzzsaw Falls car stuck in the roof of the first queue building, and a piece of old Buzzsaw track sticking out of the queue building's roof.
Audio track and launch sequence
Before the train launches, a short audio track plays. A man with a deep voice says three lines.- Hey, that area is restricted!
- You're too close to that nitro!
- Do you smell smoke?
The train moves forward out of the nitro shed and a siren goes off and the stop lights go red-yellow-yellow-green and flames would shoot out of the nitro shed.
Soon after, the train launches using compressed air
Compressed air
Compressed air is air which is kept under a certain pressure, usually greater than that of the atmosphere. In Europe, 10 percent of all electricity used by industry is used to produce compressed air, amounting to 80 terawatt hours consumption per year....
, and the ride starts.
In 2006 the audio track was modified on the second line where "Don't touch that nitro!" was replaced by "You're too close to that nitro!".
In 2007 one more modification to the pre-launch sequence was made where stoplights were added on the launch section to go from red-yellow-yellow-green while making a siren sound and then launching like usual. Before the 2007 season the nitro shed would just shoot flames and the train would launch soon after.
Rider experience
After being launched out onto the track, riders go up a relatively small hill and down a very steep drop. Riders go up and down hills many times and go through several tight turns before slowly traveling up a chainlift hill equipped with audio speakers playing bluegrass music. The train goes through a 90 degree left turn before going down another steep drop onto a small spray-painted blue section of the track. At the final end of the ride, the train travels through a large helix that almost turns the track completely upside down before the train slams into the final brakes and turns into the station.External links
- Powder Keg: A Blast into the Wilderness at SDCFans.com
- Powder Keg Article and Photos on Ultimate Rollercoaster.com
- Powder Keg: A Blast into the Wilderness at bransonsilverdollarcity.com
- http://www.rcdb.com/1903.htm