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| A train launching | |||||||||||||||
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| Manufacturer | Intamin | ||||||||||||||
| Type | Steel - Launched - Hyper | ||||||||||||||
| Riders per train | 20 | ||||||||||||||
| Hourly capacity | 1330 | ||||||||||||||
| Propulsion | Hydraulic launch | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 205 feet | ||||||||||||||
| Drop | 200 feet | ||||||||||||||
| Top speed | 82 mph | ||||||||||||||
| Length | 2202 feet | ||||||||||||||
| Inversions | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| Drop angle | 90° | ||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1:02 | ||||||||||||||
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Xcelerator is a steel launched hyper roller coaster located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, USA. The ride opened on June 22, 2002[1] as Intamin's first hydraulically-launched roller coaster. It is a prototype Accelerator Coaster located in the same area of the park where Windjammer Surf Racers and Wacky Soap Box Racers once operated. This is the tallest and fastest roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm. It is one of two hyper coasters in California, the other being Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
History
In December 2001, Knott's Berry Farm announced that they would be building Xcelerator. It would be the first roller coaster to use a hydraulic launch system.[2]
While Xcelerator was set to open in May 2002, the opening was delayed to June 22 of that year.
After an accident occurred on Superman The Ride at Six Flags New England in 2004, Knott's Berry Farm upgraded Xcelerator's restraints.[3]
The supports were repainted light blue in 2010.[4]
Xcelerator was repainted in 2021 with a multi-colored track. Some portions of the track were red, yellow and black.[5]
The ride was closed for maintenance in March 2022.[6] In June 2023, park officials stated they hoped to reopen Xcelerator later in the summer.[7] Following the installation of new parts, Xcelerator reopened on November 7, 2023 after being closed for a year.[8]
Design
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Following the hydraulic launch, riders travel over a 205 foot tall outside top hat.
Trains
_inside_station_01.jpg)
2 trains with 5 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows, for a total of 20 riders per train. Riders are secured by lap bars.
Rollbacks
Occasionally, the train will not make it over the top hat element. The train will launch, make it part way up the hill, and roll back into the launch. This is safe and can happen on any launched roller coaster.
Incident
On September 16, 2009, a cable snapped during the launch. A man and his 12-year-old son were hit with debris while sitting in the front row and subsequently taken to hospital, with the 12-year-old suffering damage to his leg.[9] A settlement between the family and Knott's Berry Farm was reached in 2011.[10]
Trivia
The final round of the cancelled Cartoon Network game show, BrainRush, took place on this coaster. The final contestant would have to spit out answers fitting under a certain category (ex. American Idol winners) while riding. They would then gain the option to double their money in a final round where they would be asked only one question. If contestants answered their question right, the coaster would launch, but if they didn't, they would be forced off without getting to ride. In addition, contestants would always receive the opportunity to earn extra money by eating some type of meal before the ride.
Images
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Xcelerator overbank
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A train on the brake run
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Entrance to Xcelerator
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The queue line
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Xcelerator's Hydraulic launch
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Xcelerator's Station
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Xcelerator's launch brake fins
_entrance_01.jpg)
_2008_01.jpg)
References
- ↑ Xcelerator Ride Report - Twisted Rails (WayBack Archive)
- ↑ Knott's Accelerates Into 2002 With New Hot Rod Coaster - Ultimate Rollercoaster
- ↑ "Two Roller Coasters Closed For Restraint Modifications". Ultimate Rollercoaster.
- ↑ "Xcelerator Being Repainted".
- ↑ "Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm Debuts Striking New Color Scheme".
- ↑ "When will Knott's Berry Farm reopen the Xcelerator coaster?".
- ↑ MacDonald, Brady (2023-06-23). "Knott's Berry Farm hopes to reopen Xcelerator coaster this summer". The Sun. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
- ↑ "Xcelerator coaster returns at Knott's Berry Farm after two years on disabled list". Orange County Register (in English). 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
- ↑ 2 hurt when roller coaster cable snaps - abc7
- ↑ Knott's Berry Farm settles with victim of roller coaster accident - LA Times
External links
- Xcelerator on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
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