Predator (roller coaster)

Predator
Predator's lift hill
Six Flags Darien Lake
LocationSix Flags Darien Lake
Coordinates42°55′45″N 78°23′10″W / 42.92917°N 78.38611°W / 42.92917; -78.38611
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 25, 1990
General statistics
TypeWood – Out and back
ManufacturerDinn Corporation
DesignerCurtis D. Summers
Height95 ft (29 m)
Length3,400 ft (1,000 m)
Speed50 mph (80 km/h)
Inversions0
Duration1:50
Capacity1300 riders per hour
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
TrainsSingle train with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Predator at RCDB

Predator is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Darien Lake. It was designed by Curtis D. Summers and built by Dinn Corporation and opened on May 25, 1990.[1]

Design

The coaster is a double out-and-back design and does so in a fairly confined space. The main section of the coaster runs along the lake to its north.

Renovations and upgrades

At the end of the summer of 2006, the last year of Darien Lake being owned by Six Flags, a major re-tracking took place and some wood was replaced on the ride to help make it more enjoyable for guests. In 2001, during an earlier tracking job, part of the queue line was removed to make way for an expanded seating area for the nearby food stand.

In 2010, Darien Lake purchased 12 PTC articulated cars from Holiday World, where they were used on The Voyage.[2] These trains replaced the original PTC trailer-style trains which were known to have an extremely rough ride. With the closure of Raging Wolf Bobs at the defunct Geauga Lake in 2007, The Predator was the last roller coaster to operate with PTC trailered trains.[3]

In 2020, it was revealed that Great Coasters International will be replacing some sections of Predator's track with their new steel Titan Track.[4]

References

  1. ^ Rook, Christine Leta (May 25, 1990). "The Predator is set to pounce in Darien". Democrat and Chronicle. D&C Staff Writer. Retrieved February 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Ben Beagle (May 8, 2010). "Coasters get new look, upgrades at Darien Lake". The Daily News. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved Dec 29, 2011.
  3. ^ Dave Althoff, Jr. "How Roller Coaster Cars Work (or don't)". Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved Dec 30, 2011.
  4. ^ Coaster Nation (November 8, 2020). "Six Flags Darien Lake's Predator To Receive New Titan Track". Coaster Nation. Retrieved March 31, 2021.


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