Vortex (Canada's Wonderland)
| Vortex | |
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Overview of Vortex
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| Canada's Wonderland | |
| Park section | International Festival |
| Coordinates | 43°50′30.89″N 79°32′36.44″W / 43.8419139°N 79.5434556°WCoordinates: 43°50′30.89″N 79°32′36.44″W / 43.8419139°N 79.5434556°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 1991 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Suspended |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Model | Suspended Coaster |
| Track layout | Terrain |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 91 ft (28 m) |
| Drop | 85 ft (26 m) |
| Length | 2,361 ft (720 m) |
| Speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
| Duration | 1:36 |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. |
 Fast Lane available |
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Vortex at RCDB Pictures of Vortex at RCDB |
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Vortex is a suspended roller coaster, which enables it to swing under the track at Canada's Wonderland. It officially opened during the 1991 season. On "Vortex" riders are taken up through the top of the mountain and dropped at high speeds. At some points in the ride, the trains swing just above a river running through the middle of the park, giving riders the illusion that the train will touch the water. It is the fastest roller coaster of its kind in the world, joint with Ninja at Six Flags Magic Mountain, both with top speeds of 55 mph (89 km/h).
The Bat (formerly Flight Deck and Top Gun) was built in 1993 at Wonderland's sister park Kings Island. It has a near identical layout to Vortex, but there are notable differences. They include speed and height variances and the addition of another car to each train, allowing for 28 passengers per train as opposed to 24.
The train climbs the 91-foot (28 m) lift hill immediately after departing the loading station. The lift takes riders up and over the park's mountain centerpiece. Upon cresting the lift, the train slowly turns to the right adding to the suspense of the upcoming drop. The train then quickly dives off the side of the mountain, sweeps to the right and climbs up the "fan-turn" element of the ride that flies over guests on the midway. It then sweeps back down over the grass and above the river, swooping left and right at 55 mph (89 km/h). The train dives into a downward helix, which swings only a few feet above the surface of the water. Upon returning to the station, the train swoops left and right a few times more until it charges into the brake run. The immense swinging force as the train enters the brake run causes the cars to swing even after the train stops moving. The ride then turns right back into the station. Vortex is also the tallest suspended coaster in the world; according to the Guinness Book Of World Records
Midway through the 2005 season Vortex ran with five cars on each train as opposed to the usual six car operation. It is speculated that the first car and the last car of the trains were damaged, possibly as the result of a collision due to a blocking error. Although there is no information to confirm this, it is still considered a possibility due to the fact that the unit numbers on the trains were 6, 2, 3, 4, 5 from front to back on one train, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 on the other.
From that point until the end of the season, Vortex ran with five cars, reducing the capacity to 20 passengers per train. Although the units were removed, the wheel assembly which held the unit was still present on both trains. For the 2006 season, the missing cars were replaced. It is said that one of the cars was repaired while another was shipped from Chessington World of Adventures. The car was used on the Vampire roller coaster, which now uses floorless trains designed by Vekoma.
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Wikipedia