Xcelerator
Encyclopedia
Xcelerator is a steel
launched
roller coaster
at Knott's Berry Farm
in Buena Park
, California
. Xcelerator was Intamin's first hydraulically-launched coaster. Xcelerator is the fourth Intamin installation at Knott's. The other three were: The Sky Cabin, Bigfoot Rapids, and Perilous Plunge
.
to 82 mi/h in 2.3 seconds (about 1.33 g). It only uses 157 feet (47.9 m) of track to launch the train. The twin hydraulic catapult motor achieves a maximum of 10500 hp each while accelerating the train. Xcelerator's hydraulic motor system has the mechanical capability of accelerating vehicles to a speed of 117 mi/h or more, though it only needs to hit 82. In order for a train to launch, it must "drift" back to "hook" into the catch car. A pin on the third car will drop, the brakes will lower while the train rolls back to hook, and the pin will then hook into the catch car—which is over 7 feet (2.1 m) long. Once connected, the motor will pull the catch car over nylon runners and launch the train. In order to stop the catch car, it passes over its own set of magnetic brakes. If the train is lightly loaded, the motor has to work harder to attain launch speed. Often the catch car may overshoot its ending position and down itself if it cannot attain the speed within parameters. The train must also clear the launch track within three seconds, or the ride will down itself and produce a rollback.
After launch, the train then crests a 205 ft (62.5 m) top hat element, soars through two overbanked turns, and glides to a smooth stop over mounted magnetic brakes. The magnetic braking system consists of mounted magnetic calipers on the trains themselves and copper alloy fins mounted onto the track. The alloy fins on the launch section retract during the launching procedure so as to not interfere with the train. To slow the train in case of a rollback, they raise section by section after the train has passed them. The brake fins on the brake block are stationary and cannot be lowered. Vehicles are traveling at approximately 67 mi/h when entering final block section (brake run).
The ride has two trains: Purple Train and Red Train. The trains themselves have spring-loaded wheel assemblies and are standard Intamin trains with specially crafted shells to make them look like 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
convertibles. Xcelerator's red train was originally a different color. When Xcelerator first opened, the red train was all yellow with red flames along the side. During one of the ride's rehabs, the yellow-colored train was repainted red and given orange flames, closely mimicking the style of the Purple Train. Now, after the accident, the Red Train is now Red with Patriotic flames running along the front and sides of the train. Each train is 5 cars long and holds 20 passengers. A maximum of 2 trains may be operated at any given time. During the slow season, it's not uncommon to see only one train in use; but during the summer and peak season, both trains are normally used. For the 2011 season, the trains were re-painted to an American flag style.
Occasionally, a train will not attain enough speed to make it over the initial 205 feet (62.5 m) top hat element. Instead, the train will partially ascend the tower, stall, and then roll back into magnetic brake fins situated on the launch track. This is known as a rollback, and is part of the normal design of the ride. A rollback can cause Xcelerator to close for an indefinite amount of time while the ride is reset and a sufficient number of test launches are performed. Rain, weight, frequency of launching, outside temperature, and overheating can contribute to a rollback.
-- not even a drizzle
. This is to prevent rollbacks due to hydroplaning on the launch track. Track usually needs to dry until maintenance has cleared it to operate again before the first test shot is made. This is to reduce the chance of a rollback.
at Cedar Point
and Kingda Ka
at Six Flags Great Adventure
, coasters both passing the 400 feet (121.9 m) mark and 100 mi/h mark. Xcelerator also laid the groundwork for rides featuring inversions, such as Storm Runner
at Hersheypark
, which has banked inversions, and Kanonen
at Liseberg
, which features a vertical loop.
While successful in doing this, modifications were made to the larger models before being built. Storm Runner and Kingda Ka use a dual loading station to speed up dispatching times, as well as larger, more-powerful motors. Kingda Ka also loads two trains at a time on each side of its station. Kingda Ka also has two fewer seats per train than Storm Runner.
Lower-powered coasters have been built as well, such as Rita
at Alton Towers
.
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...
launched
Launched roller coaster
The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster which has increased in use in the last decade. In place of a traditional chain lift, the launched coaster initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or series of Linear Induction Motors , Linear Synchronous Motors ,...
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 Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, and a line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other specialty food, now part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California....
in Buena Park
Buena Park, California
Buena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, California. As of Census 2010 the population was 80,530. The city is adjacent to the city of Anaheim and is 12 miles northwest of downtown Santa Ana. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Buena Park and the Orange County Area is "Santa...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Xcelerator was Intamin's first hydraulically-launched coaster. Xcelerator is the fourth Intamin installation at Knott's. The other three were: The Sky Cabin, Bigfoot Rapids, and Perilous Plunge
Perilous plunge
Perilous Plunge is a Shoot-the-Chutes style attraction located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.-Overview:The attraction is based on the pleasure piers of the past along Southern California's famed beaches such as Huntington Beach...
.
The ride
Xcelerator's powerful hydraulic catapult motor accelerates the trainTrain (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...
to 82 mi/h in 2.3 seconds (about 1.33 g). It only uses 157 feet (47.9 m) of track to launch the train. The twin hydraulic catapult motor achieves a maximum of 10500 hp each while accelerating the train. Xcelerator's hydraulic motor system has the mechanical capability of accelerating vehicles to a speed of 117 mi/h or more, though it only needs to hit 82. In order for a train to launch, it must "drift" back to "hook" into the catch car. A pin on the third car will drop, the brakes will lower while the train rolls back to hook, and the pin will then hook into the catch car—which is over 7 feet (2.1 m) long. Once connected, the motor will pull the catch car over nylon runners and launch the train. In order to stop the catch car, it passes over its own set of magnetic brakes. If the train is lightly loaded, the motor has to work harder to attain launch speed. Often the catch car may overshoot its ending position and down itself if it cannot attain the speed within parameters. The train must also clear the launch track within three seconds, or the ride will down itself and produce a rollback.
After launch, the train then crests a 205 ft (62.5 m) top hat element, soars through two overbanked turns, and glides to a smooth stop over mounted magnetic brakes. The magnetic braking system consists of mounted magnetic calipers on the trains themselves and copper alloy fins mounted onto the track. The alloy fins on the launch section retract during the launching procedure so as to not interfere with the train. To slow the train in case of a rollback, they raise section by section after the train has passed them. The brake fins on the brake block are stationary and cannot be lowered. Vehicles are traveling at approximately 67 mi/h when entering final block section (brake run).
The trains
Chevrolet Bel Air
The Chevrolet Bel Air is a full-size automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1950–1975 model years. Hardtops in the Chevrolet Deluxe Styleline model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950–1952, but it was not a distinct series of its own until...
convertibles. Xcelerator's red train was originally a different color. When Xcelerator first opened, the red train was all yellow with red flames along the side. During one of the ride's rehabs, the yellow-colored train was repainted red and given orange flames, closely mimicking the style of the Purple Train. Now, after the accident, the Red Train is now Red with Patriotic flames running along the front and sides of the train. Each train is 5 cars long and holds 20 passengers. A maximum of 2 trains may be operated at any given time. During the slow season, it's not uncommon to see only one train in use; but during the summer and peak season, both trains are normally used. For the 2011 season, the trains were re-painted to an American flag style.
Restraints
Xcelerator's trains use hydraulically operated T-Bar lapbar restraints. These restraints appeared on Intamin's earlier accelerator coasters, but over-the-shoulder restraints is now the normal type used on any new accelerator coaster due to safety concerns. Xcelerator also has special meters installed on its restraints. The meter must show all green in order for a guest to ride. If the meter shows red, the guest cannot ride the attraction. The attraction also has seatbelts, which must be buckled before an operator pulls down on the lapbar. Failure to do so slows the load time of the attraction considerably.Rollbacks
Weather
Xcelerator will not operate in the rainRain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
-- not even a drizzle
Drizzle
Drizzle is a light rain precipitation consisting of liquid water drops smaller than those of rain, and generally smaller than 0.5 mm in diameter. Drizzle is normally produced by low stratiform clouds and stratocumulus clouds. Precipitation rates due to drizzle are on the order of a millimetre...
. This is to prevent rollbacks due to hydroplaning on the launch track. Track usually needs to dry until maintenance has cleared it to operate again before the first test shot is made. This is to reduce the chance of a rollback.
Progression to taller and faster, inversion rides
Xcelerator laid the groundwork for taller and faster rides such as Top Thrill DragsterTop Thrill Dragster
Top Thrill Dragster is a steel, Hydraulic-launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was the first "Strata Coaster", loosely defined as a complete circuit coaster that is over tall. It was built by Intamin and debuted to the public on May 4, 2003...
at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar 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...
and Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka is a roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, USA. It is the world's tallest roller coaster, and was the world's fastest until Formula Rossa opened in November 2010. The train is launched by a hydraulic launch mechanism to in 3.5 seconds. At the end of...
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...
, coasters both passing the 400 feet (121.9 m) mark and 100 mi/h mark. Xcelerator also laid the groundwork for rides featuring inversions, such as Storm Runner
Storm Runner
Storm Runner is an Intamin steel launched roller coaster at Hersheypark. It was constructed in 2004 and was the third Intamin Accelerator Coaster. It reaches a height of 150 ft and catapults riders from 0 to 72 mph in 2 seconds. It features a top hat and three inversions, a dual...
at Hersheypark
Hersheypark
Hersheypark is an amusement park located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, near the Hershey Chocolate Factory.Hersheypark was opened on April 24, 1907 as a leisure park for the employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company, an American confectionery company. Later, the company decided to open the park to the...
, which has banked inversions, and Kanonen
Kanonen
Kanonen is a steel roller coaster located at Liseberg in Sweden. The ride, built by Intamin, features a hydraulic launch and opened in 2005. The tightly packed layout is a result of the lack of space available to build upon at Liseberg....
at Liseberg
Liseberg
Liseberg is an amusement park located in Gothenburg, Sweden, the park opened in 1923. Liseberg is one of the most visited amusement parks in Scandinavia, attracting around 3 million visitors annually. Among the noteworthy attractions is the wooden roller coaster Balder, voted twice as the Best...
, which features a vertical loop.
While successful in doing this, modifications were made to the larger models before being built. Storm Runner and Kingda Ka use a dual loading station to speed up dispatching times, as well as larger, more-powerful motors. Kingda Ka also loads two trains at a time on each side of its station. Kingda Ka also has two fewer seats per train than Storm Runner.
Lower-powered coasters have been built as well, such as Rita
Rita - Queen of Speed
Rita is an Intamin accelerator coaster located in the Dark Forest area of Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. It accelerates to 100 km/h in approximately 2.2 seconds . The ride is loosely based on drag racing...
at Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
.
Incidents
- On September 16, 2009 a cable snapped during the launch of the ride, sending pieces of debris flying and lacerating the left leg of twelve year old Kyle Wheeler. Both Kyle and another male rider, who complained of back pain, were sent to the hospital. The man was released, but Kyle Wheeler has undergone multiple surgeries to repair the damaged muscle tissue in his leg. Russel Wheeler, the father of Kyle, was sitting beside Kyle when the cable snapped. The Wheeler family won an undisclosed amount of money in a lawsuit against the park. The ride has since been reopened.
Television appearances
- Xcelerator appeared on Smash LabSmash LabSmash Lab is a reality television series that premiered on December 26, 2007, on the Discovery Channel. The idea of the show is to take everyday technology and test it in "extraordinary ways."-Cast:...
in an episode about Magnetic Braking - Xcelerator appeared in the movie Knocked UpKnocked UpKnocked Up is a 2007 American romantic comedy drama film co-produced, written, and directed by Judd Apatow. Starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann, the film follows the repercussions of a drunken one-night stand between Rogen's slacker character and Heigl's just-promoted...
- Xcelerator was the last level on the Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
TV show BrainRushBrainRushBrainRush is a live-action game show on Cartoon Network, hosted by Lamorne Morris and, to a lesser extent, Sarah Karges. It first aired on June 20, 2009. The show was canceled due to low ratings.-Format:...
. - Xcelerator was featured on an episode of Paris Hilton's My New BFFParis Hilton's My New BFFParis Hilton's My New BFF, also known simply as My New BFF and other alternate titles, is a competitive reality television show in which Paris Hilton searches for her new BFF . Following the success of the original US version, another US season and two international spin-offs followed...
. - Xcelerator is used by British TV Network, Channel 4, in one of their promotional pieces between shows.
External links
- Xcelerator Pictures on Ultimate Rollercoaster.com.