Jump to content

Rampage (roller coaster): Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Parts of the ride follow the terrain
History and references
Line 22: Line 22:
}}
}}


'''Rampage''' is a [[wooden roller coaster|wooden]] [[roller coaster]] located at [[Alabama Adventure]] in [[Bessemer, Alabama]]. It opened on May 23, 1998.
'''Rampage''' is a [[wooden roller coaster|wooden]] [[roller coaster]] located at [[Alabama Adventure]] in [[Bessemer, Alabama]]. It opened on May 23, 1998.

==History==
Construction of the coaster would commence in the fall of 1997, <ref name="September 21, 1997">{{cite news
| last =Pierce
| first =Phil
| title =Visionland coming into focus
| work =Birmingham News
| page =13A
| date =September 21, 1997
| accessdate = August 29, 2009 }}</ref> and the ride would celebrate its [[topping out]] ceremony on December 2, 1997.<ref name="December 3, 1997">{{cite news
| last =Pierce
| first =Phil
| title =High, long and fast: VisionLand's roller coaster reached pinnacle
| work =Birmingham News
| page =1A
| date =December 3, 1997
| accessdate = August 29, 2009 }}</ref> The name ''Rampage'' was selected as the winner of a name that ride contest in December 1997.<ref name="December 16, 1997">{{cite news
| last =Gordon
| first =Robert K.
| title =VisionLand's roller coaster: 'Rampage'
| work =Birmingham News
| page =1B
| date =December 16, 1997
| accessdate = August 29, 2009 }}</ref> The Rampage moniker was submitted by a local [[Pleasant Grove High School (Alabama)|Pleasant Grove High School]] student with ''Scorpion's Tail'' and ''Jaguar'' coming in second and third place respectively.<ref name="December 16, 1997"/> The ride's opening would coincide with the opening of VisionLand on May 23, 1998.<ref name="May 14, 1998">{{cite news
| last =Williams
| first =Roy L.
| title =State tourism expected to record $5 billion
| work =Birmingham News
| page =1B
| date =May 14, 1998
| accessdate = August 29, 2009 }}</ref> The ride was received well and would be rated as the 3rd best wooden coaster and the 5th best overall coaster by [[Amusement Business]] in December 1998.<ref name="December 15, 1998">{{cite news
| last =Pierce
| first =Phil
| title =Rampage placed in top 5 coasters
| work =Birmingham News
| page =1B
| date =December 15, 1998
| accessdate = August 29, 2009 }}</ref>

After a successful first year, the parks's attendance would see a significant drop resulting in the shuttering of the coaster for the 2002 season.<ref name="May 31, 2002">{{cite news
| last =Gordon
| first =Robert K.
| title =VisionLand water park gets money to open, Bankruptcy filing is planned for next week
| work =Birmingham News
| page =1B
| date =May 31, 2002
| accessdate = August 29, 2009 }}</ref> Following the sale of the park to Southland Entertainment Group, Rampage would see a renovation by [[John Hinde Enterprises]] and reopen for the 2003 season.<ref name="March 1, 2003">{{cite news
| last =Tomberlin
| first =Michael
| title =VisionLand targets May reopening
| work =Birmingham News
| page =1B
| date =March 1, 2003
| accessdate = August 29, 2009 }}</ref>


==Track layout==
==Track layout==
The ride features a 120 foot [[lift hill]] with a 102 foot first drop. It reaches a top speed of 56 mph. The ride features 9 crossovers and 13 curves and was built for [[US dollars|US$]]4.3 million. The ride layout is largely based on [[Megafobia (roller coaster)|Megafobia]] at [[Oakwood Theme Park]] in [[Pembrokeshire]], [[Wales]], [[United Kingdom]], which was also built by Custom Coasters.
The ride features a {{convert|120|ft|m|sing=on}} [[lift hill]] with a {{convert|102|ft|m|sing=on}} first drop.<ref name="December 3, 1997"/> It reaches a top speed of {{convert|56|mph|km/h|sing=on}}.<ref name="December 3, 1997"/> The ride features 9 crossovers and 13 curves and was built for [[US dollars|US$]]4.3 million.<ref name="July 26, 1998">{{cite news
| last =Staff Reporters
| title =Rampage
| work =Birmingham News
| page =1J
| date =July 26, 1998
| accessdate = August 29, 2009 }}</ref> The ride layout is largely based on [[Megafobia (roller coaster)|Megafobia]] at [[Oakwood Theme Park]] in [[Pembrokeshire]], [[Wales]], [[United Kingdom]], which was also built by Custom Coasters.


==Trains==
==Trains==
Line 66: Line 126:
|-
|-
|}
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Roller coasters in Alabama]]
[[Category:Roller coasters that opened in 1998]]

Revision as of 16:18, 29 August 2009

Rampage
Alabama Adventure Theme Park
LocationAlabama Adventure Theme Park
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 23, 1998
CostUS$4,300,000
General statistics
TypeWood
ManufacturerCustom Coasters International
DesignerLarry Bill, Dennis McNulty
Track layoutTerrain twister
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Duration2:36
Capacity900 riders per hour
Rampage at RCDB

Rampage is a wooden roller coaster located at Alabama Adventure in Bessemer, Alabama. It opened on May 23, 1998.

History

Construction of the coaster would commence in the fall of 1997, [1] and the ride would celebrate its topping out ceremony on December 2, 1997.[2] The name Rampage was selected as the winner of a name that ride contest in December 1997.[3] The Rampage moniker was submitted by a local Pleasant Grove High School student with Scorpion's Tail and Jaguar coming in second and third place respectively.[3] The ride's opening would coincide with the opening of VisionLand on May 23, 1998.[4] The ride was received well and would be rated as the 3rd best wooden coaster and the 5th best overall coaster by Amusement Business in December 1998.[5]

After a successful first year, the parks's attendance would see a significant drop resulting in the shuttering of the coaster for the 2002 season.[6] Following the sale of the park to Southland Entertainment Group, Rampage would see a renovation by John Hinde Enterprises and reopen for the 2003 season.[7]

Track layout

The ride features a 120-foot (37 m) lift hill with a 102-foot (31 m) first drop.[2] It reaches a top speed of 56-mile-per-hour (90 km/h).[2] The ride features 9 crossovers and 13 curves and was built for US$4.3 million.[8] The ride layout is largely based on Megafobia at Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire, Wales, United Kingdom, which was also built by Custom Coasters.

Trains

Rampage currently operates with two trains from Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. Each train is made up of six cars, with each car seating four people (twenty-four riders total).

When the ride opened one train was painted solid blue and the other solid maroon. Each had the VisionLand logo on the front of the train. When Southland took over in 2003 the trains received new paint jobs. The former blue train is now three shades of blue. The front two cars are dark blue, the middle two are blue, and the back two are light blue. There are airbrushed lightning bolts on the sides of the cars, with a monster eye and claw with the Rampage logo on the front of the train. The maroon train was painted with the first two cars red, the middle two orange, and the back two yellow. It has airbrushed flames on the sides and two red monsters eyes under the Rampage logo on the front.

For the 2008 season the park repainted the "fire" train solid red. The "lightning" train was also painted dark blue. The park is also running both trains on busy days for the first time since the 2005 season.

Awards

Best Coaster Poll: Best Wood Coaster[1]
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Ranking
4
8
6
6
8
8
11
11
13
14
24

References

  1. ^ Pierce, Phil (September 21, 1997). "Visionland coming into focus". Birmingham News. p. 13A. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Pierce, Phil (December 3, 1997). "High, long and fast: VisionLand's roller coaster reached pinnacle". Birmingham News. p. 1A. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  3. ^ a b Gordon, Robert K. (December 16, 1997). "VisionLand's roller coaster: 'Rampage'". Birmingham News. p. 1B. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  4. ^ Williams, Roy L. (May 14, 1998). "State tourism expected to record $5 billion". Birmingham News. p. 1B. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ Pierce, Phil (December 15, 1998). "Rampage placed in top 5 coasters". Birmingham News. p. 1B. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  6. ^ Gordon, Robert K. (May 31, 2002). "VisionLand water park gets money to open, Bankruptcy filing is planned for next week". Birmingham News. p. 1B. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  7. ^ Tomberlin, Michael (March 1, 2003). "VisionLand targets May reopening". Birmingham News. p. 1B. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  8. ^ Staff Reporters (July 26, 1998). "Rampage". Birmingham News. p. 1J. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rampage_(roller_coaster)&oldid=310731939"