The Thunderbolt was a steel roller coaster located at the Dreamworld theme park in Gold Coast, Australia. The roller coaster opened with the park in April 1982 and operated until 8 August 2003. It was demolished the following year.
| Thunderbolt | |
|---|---|
 One of the Thunderbolt's trains passing through the second vertical loop. | |
| Dreamworld | |
| Location | Dreamworld |
| Park section | Country Fair |
| Coordinates | 27°51′54.5″S 153°18′59.5″E / 27.865139°S 153.316528°E |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | April 1982 |
| Closing date | 8 August 2003 |
| Cost | A$3.3 million |
| Replaced by | FlowRider WhiteWater World |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Sanoyas Hishino Meisho |
| Model | Sitdown Looper |
| Lift/launch system | Chain Lift Hill |
| Height | 31 m (102 ft) |
| Length | 1,207 m (3,960 ft) |
| Speed | 87 km/h (54 mph) |
| Inversions | 2 |
| Capacity | 960 riders per hour |
| Acceleration | 0 to 87 km/h (0 to 54 mph) in 4 seconds |
| Height restriction | 120 cm (3 ft 11 in) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. |
| Loop Heights | 21 m (69 ft) |
| Thunderbolt at RCDB | |
History
editOn 15 December 1981, Dreamworld officially opened to the public.[1] In April 1982, the park opened its first roller coaster - the Thunderbolt.[1] It was the first roller coaster in Australia to feature vertical loops.[2] Originally painted completely white, the Thunderbolt was repainted around 1990 to feature golden loops.[2] In 1995, a new train was purchased for half a million dollars in an attempt to make the ride more comfortable.[2]
In 2002, Dreamworld conducted a feasibility study into the possibility of redeveloping the attraction.[2] The park approached Arrow Dynamics, Kumbak and Vekoma, however, it was determined that the redevelopment was unfeasible due to the ride's condition.[2]
On 8 August 2003, the ride was closed,[3] and it remained closed while attempts were made to sell it.[2] It was removed in March 2004 in a way that made it clear that it was not going to operate again.[4] Dreamworld retained a section of track and one train, both of which reside in the park's back-of-house areas.[2]
The land where Thunderbolt stood is partly occupied by Dreamworld's FlowRider installation. Future expansions of the WhiteWater World water park will use the rest of the Thunderbolt's former footprint.[5] The station building is now used for the internal entry to WhiteWater World and the FlowRider shop.[6]
Ride
editBuilt by Japanese firm Sanoyas Hishino Meisho, the Thunderbolt measured 1,207 metres (3,960 ft) in length making it the longest roller coaster in Australia.[3][7] Even after the ride's closure, it remained the longest Australian roller coaster until the opening of DC Rivals Hypercoaster at Movie World Gold Coast in September 2017.[8] It was capable of reaching speeds of up to 87 km/h (54 mph).[3] The ride, which stood 31 metres (102 ft) off the ground, featured two vertical loops standing at 21 metres (69 ft) each.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "The Gold Coast finds a reply to Disneyland". The Age. 19 April 1982. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Thunderbolt (Dreamworld)". Parkz. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d Marden, Duane. "Thunderbolt (Dreamworld)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ^ Ellem, Ryan (4 March 2004). "Flame goes out on Thunderbolt". The Gold Coast Bulletin. p. 7.
- ^ "Development Application Tracking - Application: MCU2700970". Gold Coast City Council. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ^ "Dreamworld and WhiteWater World Map" (PDF). Dreamworld. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Search Results". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ "DC RIVALS HYPERCOASTER". movieworld.com.au. Retrieved 5 November 2023.