New Mexico Rattler
Specific Type: Wooden
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While coasters of both wood and steel have had a habit of popping up each year throughout the world, especially across the United States, one state has been without a major coaster - much less a major wooden coaster - for just a little too long. But, on September 28th, 2002, all of that changed for New Mexico when the two-million-dollar New Mexico Rattler arrived from Custom Coasters International as the state's first major timber-shaking, scream-inducing, arm-raising wooden coaster. Thanks to Albuquerque's Cliff's Amusement Park, thrill-seekers can now ride down and over 2,750 feet of wood-tracked bliss, brought to us by Custom Coasters as that company's newest steel-supported, wooden-tracked scream machine. Following one of the few hybrid out & back / twister layouts in the world, riders of the New Mexico Rattler round eleven curves, crest ten hills and spiral around two helix-type maneuvers during the ride. With a maximum height of 100 feet and top speeds of 50 miles per hour, this coaster has prove a world-class wooden coaster experience and the signature attraction of Cliff's Amusement Park.
With a right-handed L-turn out of the station, the 24-rider train begins the first 25-degree 100-foot ascent up the chain lift. At the peak, the track begins to curve to the right again for the diving first drop of 75 feet. After leveling out, the train speeds along and starts up a climb to New Mexico Rattler's first turnaround section. Around and around the track leads - around over 200 degrees of curvature to the left and over two rises and dips along the way. The coaster next dives down again onto a straightaway and up a form of a Double-Up which leads the train around to a curving ascent to the left parelelling the lift hill structure. Riders drop back down and then climb over a Camelback Hump sure to serve up some airtime. Dipping back down, the track begins to veer to the right and then climbs up again, curving to the left and over another hill. The course banks and begins a 270-degree Fan Curve-type rotation whisking the train around to the right. After completing the Fan Curve, the 'Rattler dives to the ground and begins a second curve in the same direction sending passengers up and then gradually back down running alongside the back of the Fan turn. The tracks bank around and then sends the train up over one more Camelback hill and then through a grand finale of a banked helix climbing, dipping, then climbing once more up and over the fifth drop and into the brakes, a U-turn leading the train back into the station. |
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