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Troika (ride)
Encyclopedia
The Troika is an amusement park
ride, designed and manufactured by HUSS Maschinenfabrik in the mid-1970s. The ride is available in both transportable and permanent forms, although due to the total weight and size of the ride (35 tons, plus an additional 27 tons for the temporary base and platform), transportable Troikas are unpopular and uncommon. The name Troika means "threesome" in Russian, a reference to its three armed design.
A Troika consists of three arms radiating from a central column. At the end of each arm is a wheel-like assembly (star) holding seven gondolas, each of which seats 2 people side by side. The combination of the Arm and Star is a Sweep.
When the ride is activated, the central column rotates clockwise, while the Star at the end of each arm rotates counterclockwise. Hydraulic cylinders then raise the arms to an angle of 40°. The gondolas do have some capacity to rock from side to side, but this is minimal. At the end of the ride cycle, the arms are lowered, and the rotation stopped. Because it is a relatively mild thrill ride, it is a good ride for younger children or beginning riders who aren't up to riding more extreme attractions, like Huss's own Enterprise
or Top Spin
.
The main safety restraint is a buzz bar system, which locks into one of five positions. Huss recommends that riders be at least 42 inches tall with an adult or over 50 inches tall to ride alone.
Portable versions of the Troika can be disassembled, but due to the size and weight of the machinery and platform, rack onto no fewer than three trailers.
; this ride closed due to damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
ride, designed and manufactured by HUSS Maschinenfabrik in the mid-1970s. The ride is available in both transportable and permanent forms, although due to the total weight and size of the ride (35 tons, plus an additional 27 tons for the temporary base and platform), transportable Troikas are unpopular and uncommon. The name Troika means "threesome" in Russian, a reference to its three armed design.
Design and operation
When the ride is activated, the central column rotates clockwise, while the Star at the end of each arm rotates counterclockwise. Hydraulic cylinders then raise the arms to an angle of 40°. The gondolas do have some capacity to rock from side to side, but this is minimal. At the end of the ride cycle, the arms are lowered, and the rotation stopped. Because it is a relatively mild thrill ride, it is a good ride for younger children or beginning riders who aren't up to riding more extreme attractions, like Huss's own Enterprise
Enterprise (ride)
The Enterprise is an amusement ride, manufactured primarily by HUSS Maschinenfabrik in 1972. The ride was an adaptation and improvement of a design produced earlier that year by Schwarzkopf, with an increased passenger capacity. Despite not owning the original incarnation of the ride, HUSS was...
or Top Spin
Top Spin (ride)
The Top Spin is a thrill ride developed by HUSS Maschinenfabrik, and is the generic name for a series of rides from other manufacturers that follow the same principle. The ride consists of a passenger platform suspended between two counterweighted arms...
.
The main safety restraint is a buzz bar system, which locks into one of five positions. Huss recommends that riders be at least 42 inches tall with an adult or over 50 inches tall to ride alone.
Portable versions of the Troika can be disassembled, but due to the size and weight of the machinery and platform, rack onto no fewer than three trailers.
Scorpion
The Tivoli Scorpion is based on the same pattern as the Troika, but a much smaller gondala wheel diameter results in greater speed and centripetal force experienced by the riders (claimed to be over 100 km/h). The Scorpion is significantly lighter than a Troika, making it more popular for operation at carnivals and fairs.Variants and modern adaptions
Huss now makes a modern version of the Troika, called the AirBoat. It is smaller and can only carry 24 people (with 3 pods and 4 cars per pod). It runs at about the same speed. One example that is no longer running was the Gator Bait ride at Six Flags New OrleansSix Flags New Orleans
Six Flags New Orleans was an amusement park in New Orleans, Louisiana, which has been closed after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.The park was located in Eastern New Orleans, in the Ninth Ward of the city off Interstate 510...
; this ride closed due to damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Appearances
- Australia - One Troika: Tumblebug at Luna Park SydneyLuna Park SydneyLuna Park Sydney is an amusement park, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. One traveling Scorpion. - Canada - At least two Troikas: Adrenaline Test Zone at Calaway ParkCalaway ParkCalaway Park is Western Canada's largest outdoor family amusement park. The park is located in Springbank, Rocky View County, Alberta, west of the city of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway....
and Diablo at La RondeLa 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...
(closed in 2003) - England - One Scorpion; a themed ride at Adventure Island in Essex.
- France - At least one Troika: L'aigle Noir (The Black Eagle) at OK Corral Theme Park
- The Netherlands - Two Troikas: Goldcurse at Familiepark Drievliet, Tomahawk at Attractiepark Slagharen
- United States - At least eight Troikas (at Cedar PointCedar PointCedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
, Palace PlaylandPalace PlaylandPalace Playland is a seasonal amusement park located in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It has operated on the same site since 1902.-History:In the 1900s, Palace Playland's startup decade, the then-small amusement park centered on a roller skating rink and adjacent merry-go-round...
, Kings IslandKings IslandKings 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...
, Elitch GardensElitch GardensElitch Gardens was a family-owned seasonal amusement park, theater, and botanic garden in the West Highland neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, United States at 38th and Tennyson streets. For more than a century Elitch's was one of the most popular entertainment destinations in Colorado...
, Kings Dominion, Fun Spot Amusement Park, and Six Flags Great AmericaSix Flags Great AmericaSix 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...
, Six Flags Over TexasSix Flags Over TexasSix Flags Over Texas is a major amusement park located in Arlington, Texas , east of Fort Worth and about west of Dallas. It is the oldest park of the Six Flags chain. The park opened on August 5, 1961 following just a year of construction and an initial investment of US$10 million by real estate...
). - Finland - One Troika: "Troika" In SärkänniemiSärkänniemiSärkänniemi is an adventure park in Tampere, Finland. The park features an aquarium, a planetarium, a children's zoo, an art museum, an observation tower , an amusement park and the world's northernmost dolphinarium. Särkänniemi is the most popular amusement park in Finland...
, Tampere - Germany - At least two: Wellenreiter at Hansa-Park, Dancing Queen (travelling version)
- Serbia - At least one: Scorpion at Kraus-Park (travelling version)
Past Appearances
- Thrillbilly - Darien Lake operated from 1979 to 1990