Blue Streak (Conneaut Lake)

Blue Streak

The ride at the top of the drop.
Conneaut Lake Park
Coordinates 41°38′06″N 80°19′05″W / 41.6349°N 80.3180°W / 41.6349; -80.3180Coordinates: 41°38′06″N 80°19′05″W / 41.6349°N 80.3180°W / 41.6349; -80.3180
Status Operating
Opening date May 23, 1938
General statistics
Type Wood
Designer Ed Vettel
Model Out and Back roller coaster
Height 78 ft (24 m)
Length 2,900 ft (880 m)
Speed 50 mph (80 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 2:25
Capacity 1600 riders per hour
Blue Streak at RCDB
Pictures of Blue Streak at RCDB

Blue Streak is a wooden roller coaster built in 1937 at Conneaut Lake Park in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania. It is the only wooden coaster operating in the park and the biggest. Blue Streak follows an out and back design. It is the 17th oldest wooden roller coaster in the United States, and it is one of two shallow coasters designed by Ed Vettel still operating. The second is The Cyclone at Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver, Colorado. This Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park first opened in 1938. The layout of the Blue Streak is very simple out and back style roller coaster. The trains immediately enters a tunnel in the shape of an 'S" and enters a 78 foot high climb up the lift hill. The train plummets down the first drop reaching up to top speed of 50 Mph and into a flat section lasting for around 3 seconds. The flat section is followed by 2 medium size hills following a wide turnaround section. The most remembered aspect is the uphill turn after the turnaround section. The uphill turn slams riders against their seat. The ride then follows 4 smaller camel back hills, providing airtime, then entering the break run and making a 360 degree turn back into the platform/station.

History

The Blue Streak underwent major renovations in 1997, 2002, and 2010. In 2002 its original 1937 trains were brought back to replace the silver National Amusement Devices trains used since the 1960s. As of the park opening in 2011, the Vettel trains are no longer used pending repairs and restraint updates. The turn around section of track was rebuild (date needed). The first drop of the ride was also repaired and re-tracked for the 2016 season. The ride received salvaged lumber from the Geauga Lake Raging Wolf Bobs coaster.

The Blue Streak has been opened and closed many times. The dates are as follows,[1]

On June 24, 2010, the American Coaster Enthusiasts donated a plaque that declared the Blue Streak a Coaster Classic and a Coaster Landmark.[2][3]

Awards

Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters
Year199820112012201320142015
Ranking 25[4]46[5]44[6]33[7]30[8] 35[9]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.rcdb.com/249.htm
  2. ↑ ACE Coaster Classic Awards
  3. ↑ ACE Coaster Landmark Awards
  4. ↑ "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 1998. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 46–47. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 46–47. September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  7. ↑ "2013 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 40–41. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  8. ↑ "2014 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 38–39. September 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  9. ↑ "2015 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 45–46. September 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
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