robbalvey Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 (edited) Hey everyone! The nice people over at Silver Dollar City have just emailed me some pics of the ride testing! Below is their most recent press release along with the photos! I for one am very interested in this ride since it's the first ride to show off the 'marriage' of S&S and Arrow technology. --Robb Silver Dollar City Adds New $10 Million, Environmentally-Designed, Explosive-Launch Roller Coaster Powder Keg Blasts Riders 0-53 mph in 2.8 Seconds (Branson, Mo. 2/05) The Silver Dollar City theme park in Branson, Missouri is presenting an all-new super launch coaster for Spring 2005 that shoots riders into a thrill zone within seconds of climbing aboard, launching them from 0 to 53 miles per hour in just 2.8 seconds. Constructed within the forests of the Ozark Mountains and winding down a hillside, Powder Keg is a family thrill ride unlike any other in the history of the park. It combines launching speed with spiraling turns, negative gravitational or “G” forces, and “floater” hills to create a thrill ride of great magnitude. In addition, it’s packaged in an environmentally sound design. “An air launch system like this is amazing - there is great launching speed yet virtually no impact on the environment,” said Stan Checketts, founder and CEO of Powder Keg manufacturer S&S Power of Logan, Utah. S&S is the world’s leading manufacturer of compressed-air rides and the largest ride manufacturer in the United States. Checketts said Powder Keg is one of only three like it in the world that uses clean compressed air technology for incredibly fast and energy-efficient acceleration. "Unlike traditional mechanical or hydraulic systems, this technique runs cleanly, and the ride runs smoothly while soaring through the trees at speeds up to 64 miles per hour.” A $10 million project, Powder Keg takes riders from the initial big blast up a lift to a 110-foot drop, into spiraling and dragonfly banked turns, through a wave of floater hills with negative G forces, giving riders the experience of weightlessness above the trees. As required by Silver Dollar City policy, only those trees that had to be removed were, with three additional trees planted elsewhere for every one removed. Themed in the Real History of the Ozarks In keeping with Silver Dollar City’s internationally-awarded commitment to bringing the colorful history of regions to life, Powder Keg salutes the miners who worked in the great Marvel Cave, which is located below the theme park. In the late 1880s, tons of nitrogen-rich bat guano were hauled out of the cave’s massive sinkhole using an archaic pulley system. The guano was taken by stagecoach and railroads to powder mills across the state and the country where it was used to make valuable black powder. “The Powder Keg ride begins in a powder mill amid barrels of nitro-explosives that rock and tip,” said Brad Thomas, general manager of Silver Dollar City. “As the nitro ‘explodes,’ the cars blast out of the building with special effects of fire and smoke shooting through the roof!” While the ride offers thrills, it has been designed to accommodate families. Anyone over 42 inches in height can ride, which is roughly a five or six-year-old, said Thomas, who cites guest surveys that resoundingly requested a family thrill ride as the reason for choosing Powder Keg. A trip on Powder Keg lasts nearly three minutes and spirals around six acres on 3,500 feet of track. The ride carries more than 1,000 people per hour with 16 passengers per train. Silver Dollar City’s Corporate Development team and the Maintenance & Construction Division are handling theming and construction. Edited February 23, 2005 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scaparri Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Awesome! This ride is really looking like a solid investment. Thanks for the pics Robb! Is anybody taking this thing for a sping this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted February 23, 2005 Author Share Posted February 23, 2005 ^ YES! We will be there in May. And we'll have a full report then! --Robb ps. Don't forget to check out the earlier construction photos: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=162 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterCrazy Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Awesome photos, I wish I could go to Missouri this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hattuchili Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Unbelievable. This ride looks really good and is the next point on my list. --Soeren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnage Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 I like the looks of that overbank in the last picture. Can't wait to ride it in June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Six Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Wow! That ride looks so cool! Michael "As all rockets do" Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan h Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Can someone explain what the little track that comes out the launch bit is used for. It looks like the back spike fo a shuttle coaster and can be seen on the parks promotional artwork for the ride. I swear I saw a picture of it on the internet someplace. If I find it i will post it. I was just wondering why they would need a spike of track like a shuttle coaster uses when this is a full cicuit coaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Volcano Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Wow, this looks absolutely amazing, I have to get ther eand ride this now! :shock: Amazing looking... nuff said... -Justin "who hasn't seen ANY part of the ride's layout until now" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 WOW! I have to say I really wasn't all that impressed with this ride until I just saw these pictures! Now I'm pretty excited about getting to hit it come May! Elissa "I can't believe that thing has a 42'' height restriction!!!" Alvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenshinmac Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 I'm still trying to understand this ride... Did they retain the splashdown? Is there some pyro (where is the pyromanic emoticon? )? Still it looks like it has some nice steep corners and could very well be a exciting ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissanskyline1235 Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 bah! I wish I go go to Silver Dollar City, I can never go many places, stupid parents! Powder Keg looks so cool though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenDen Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Thanks for sharing the AWESOME shots! I'm very curious about this ride, and so far, it looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimwolg Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Can someone explain what the little track that comes out the launch bit is used for. It looks like the back spike fo a shuttle coaster and can be seen on the parks promotional artwork for the ride. I swear I saw a picture of it on the internet someplace. If I find it i will post it. I was just wondering why they would need a spike of track like a shuttle coaster uses when this is a full cicuit coaster. I believe the back spike is in case of a rollback of a train not clearing the first hill. PK is a full circuit but it is a 'disconnected full circuit' for lack of a better term. There is a transfer track that connects the lower end portion of the ride to the upper portion where the back spike and launch area is. The transfer table goes up an incline due to the topography of SDC which amongst other things is going to make this a unique ride. Glad to know that PK will most likely be up and running on March 17 when the park opens for the season. JW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corkscrewed Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Whoa, pretty neat! I was all thinking why does a Rocket Coaster have that track, then I reread and realized it's an S&S design. Still hard to picture a fast launched coaster with that sort of track! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimwolg Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Whoa, pretty neat! I was all thinking why does a Rocket Coaster have that track, then I reread and realized it's an S&S design. Still hard to picture a fast launched coaster with that sort of track! Some people were expecting the rubber tires like the other S&S. But PK utilizes quite a bit of the Buzzsaw Falls track like the chain lift hill and the helix that leeds up to the chain lift which was from Premier. Jim W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelated Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 If I was OLDER I would trek out there! That looks like a freakin' solid ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDG Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 (edited) I can't understand why SDC removed Buzzsaw Falls, in my opinion a much much nicer ride than this S&S / Arrow crap. It looks so, so tacky, so bizarre. The way the hills are shaped, the curves, the supports, the trains, etc. Almost no logic or imagination in all of that. S&S should be banned from the coaster business...maybe only as a partner to others, to develop air launch systems or something. Their towers are awesome, their ideas are great, but the coasters I've seen so far are rubbish. Same for Arrow, lol. Oh well, let's hope it's a good ride. I wonder how they'll use the vertical spike. Edited February 24, 2005 by BDG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasters 4 me Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 wow...that coaster looks brilliant, especially those over-bank turns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oralawson Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 hey the disneyland anniversary is coming up on May 3rd i think and i was wondering if you guys are gonna be there for it? or are you gonna wait a while for the crowd to die down? because i know that space mountain is gonna be brand new and the pirates of the carribean might have some new puppets of jack sparrow. so we'll see. hopefully they do a good job and i know they will. there disney. they can never do a bad job. -Aris look at this old disneyland ride back in the 60's or 70's. that would be cool if they still had it goin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillMontu Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 I think that spike is probably some type of theming for the ride, sort of like the fake track on Nemesis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socalMAN123 Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 I have three words for y'all: NEED TO RIDE! :shock: -Brent "Hasn't been to a theme park out of California" Shenton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimwolg Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 I think that spike is probably some type of theming for the ride, sort of like the fake track on Nemesis. The back spike is case of a roll back if a train does not clear the first hill. Jim W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephwanek Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 The picture "keg4" looks so awesome! Guess who's going there this summer! :love: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 WOW! I wasn't so impressed with the ride until i saw these pictures! The ride looks Great! :o Those overbanked turns are quite cool! Too bad I can't go to Missouri this summer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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