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Tigger Travels - Family Adventure Journal
Photos From Tigger`s Travels and MORE!
Silver Dollar City - Outlaw Run
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A New Roller Coaster that is as Exciting as it Seems! |
In the spring of 2013 Silver Dollar City near Branson, Missouri opened a new roller coaster that redefines expectations from modern wooden roller coasters.
Silver Dollar City's Roller Coaster History
Over the past several decades Silver Dollar City has set a number of first records when it comes to roller coaster rides. In 1972 the first enclosed roller coaster was introduced called Fire in the Hole.
Another first from Silver Dollar City was the Rube Dugan's Diving Bell. It was an attraction that simulated a Jules Verne-style fantasy submarine ride, the first simulation ride of its kind. Disney World engineers told Silver Dollar City that is would be hard to do but secretly advised them on how to create the attraction. It was removed in the mid-1980s to make room for the Lost River of the Ozarks, a ride that could run more people through per hour. Slim Pickens was the voice of Rube Dugan.
With its track record in setting records, all eyes turned once again on Silver Dollar City when, in January 2012 speculations began to mount about the development of this new ride on the SDCFans site telling the public of a new ride that is coming out in 2013.
Why This Wooden Roller Coaster is Historically Significant
Wooden roller coasters date back to the mid 1800s with the La Marcus Thompson Switchback railway. Over the next several decades this single straight-shot fide with a couple of bumps was enhanced with loops and figure 8's. In the 1850's the French shut down a ride with a loop and again in 1898 they added a loop-to-loop to a coaster called the Flip-Flap Railway in Coney Island that proved to be a failure due to snapped necks and deaths of riders. After a glorious decade of abbuse it was shut down.
Since the advent of steel coasters in the 1950's wooden roller coasters have experienced a decline till the late 1900's. The Modern Wooden Coaster experienced a comeback from demands by nostalgia and eventually the advancement of technology that combines steel track and prefabrication.
That leads us to this first in the modern roller coaster era of incorporating inversions in a wooden roller coaster for the first time in nearly 100 years!
Yes, Outlaw Run is a Wooden Roller Coaster with THREE (3) Inversions!
The design of Outlaw Run by Rocky Mountain Construction out of Hayden, Idaho brings not just this one, but three records to task in its ground breaking layout.
Screamingly Steep
At 81 degrees, the first large drop of 162 feet is nothing short of intense! It feels like a complete free fall and the front row has no front wall to make you feel enclosed so the effect is amplified if you are leading the pack!
With no time to catch your breath at any point in the ride every curve and twist makes up a NON-STOP SCREAM FEST that only the bravest of riders will experience! There is even a wave turn that pushes you up and over while laying completely on your side! You see it coming and the only thought is, "How is this gonna feel?" Amazingly, physics pushes you smoothly to the next hard curve with no more time to even consider the effect!
Click to enlarge image
Wagon Train in loading area. Notice no front wall at the head. Riders have a clear view DOWN the 81 degree drop. |
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Oh, and you WILL get air time throughout the whole ride from the initial drop through several of the hills and twists!
Brazenly Bold - With THREE Inversions
The first inversion is more like riding the crest of a wave up, twisting up-side-down then back again early in the ride. After the steep drop of the beginning this takes every last chance of rational thought out of your mind for the rest of the 90 second ride.
The last two inversions are a very tight barrel role that is very well designed. At first sight your thought will likely be, "Will this thing fit in there?" The opening at the end of the first roll looks very small, but it will fit. Additionally, the roll is so tight you will feel your head traveling in nearly a straight line while your body spins around you. The effect is awesome and tight leading into the last hard right followed by the sudden stop at the end.
Furiously Fast
Peaking at around 68 miles per hour Outlaw Run is tied with the Colossos at Hyde Park as the second fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. Traveling over 1/2 a mile in 90 seconds (statistically 87 seconds) this ride is guaranteed to leave the heart pounding of any thrill seeker!
Final Analysis
This ride is, in no uncertain terms, AMAZING!!! It packs more into every foot than nearly any other roller coaster out there. It is bound to be one of the worlds top wooden roller coasters this year or next, hands down.
When you ride, be sure to experience the excitement from more than the coveted front seat. The ride is completely different and exciting in a new way from the back of the wagon train.
Looking back over what is written here there are a lot of exclamation points (!). It is no exaggeration, though. Consider yourself lucky that there are any marks on this page other than exclamation points. Out of over 5000 characters here and nearly 1000 words it could be more easily conveyed with 5000 exclamation points!
The next time you are in the Branson, Missouri area go get in line and prepare for one of the best rides of your life!
Posted Fall 2014
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0100-0700 Silver Dollar City Branson
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