Canobie Corkscrew
Specific Type: Corkscrew
|
Back in 1975, “the world’s first indoor amusement park” was getting set to open in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Old Chicago, as it was called, was a combination of a shopping mall and indoor amusement park, complete with its own roller coaster. Built by Arrow Development, the Chicago Loop debuted with the mall opening as only the second roller coaster to send riders upside down twice, behind only Corkscrew at Knott’s Berry Farm which opened earlier that year. Featured in the 1978 film The Fury, the double-corkscrew coaster operated at Old Chicago until the mall and park were completely shuttered in 1980.
Two years later, the coaster made its way to the Alabama State Fairgrounds where it first operated as Corkscrew, and later as the “Magic City Express.” Its run at its new home would be even more short-lived though, being purchased in 1986 by a small park in Salem, New Hampshire, Canobie Lake Park. But the ride faced further difficulties, lying unassembled for nearly two years because it exceeded the town of Salem’s height restrictions. In 1987, Salem finally gave Canobie Lake Park a waiver for its height restrictions and allowed “Canobie Corkscrew” to be erected. The coaster still stands as the park’s tallest roller coaster at 73 ft, just barely edging out the 2011 addition of Untamed, which tops out at 72.2 ft. In 2012, the coaster’s signature yellow and black color scheme was replaced with a blue and silver combination. On-board the classic Arrow looping trains, complete with head-banging over-the-shoulder-restraints, a ride starts with a quick dip and 180-degree right turn that engages with the 73 foot lift hill. Dipping and banking after cresting the lift hill, the train takes another 180-degree right turn and plummets down the first drop running parallel to the station. Rising up, the track curves to the right sailing up and over the exit of the station. The train drops back to the ground as it pulls harder to the right and banks heavily, almost parallel to the ground before rolling up through back-to-back corkscrews. A final rise as the train makes a 180-degree right turn leads into the final brake run. |
©1998-2016 COASTER-net.com, All Rights Reserved.
