Desperado (roller coaster)
| Desperado | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Primm Valley Resorts | |
| Park section | Old Western Times |
| Coordinates | type:landmark source:dewiki 35°36′51″N 115°23′04″W / 35.61417°N 115.38444°WCoordinates: type:landmark source:dewiki 35°36′51″N 115°23′04″W / 35.61417°N 115.38444°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | August 11, 1994[1] |
| Cost | $30,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Hypercoaster |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Designer | Ron Toomer |
| Model | Hypercoaster |
| Track layout | Ron Toomer |
| Lift/launch system | Chain |
| Height | 209 ft (64 m) |
| Drop | 225 ft (69 m) |
| Length | 5,843 ft (1,781 m) |
| Speed | 80 mph (130 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:43 |
| Max vertical angle | 60° |
| Capacity | 900 riders per hour |
| G-force | 4 |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 30 riders per train. |
|
Desperado at RCDB Pictures of Desperado at RCDB | |
Desperado is a hypercoaster located in Primm, Nevada, United States at the Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino a part of the Primm Valley Resorts complex.
According to the roller coaster database, Desperado was one of the tallest roller coasters in the world at the time of being built. It features a 60-degree, 225-foot (69 m) drop; a 209-foot (64 m) lift hill; and top speeds around 80 mph. On the 2 minute, 43 second ride, riders will experience almost 4 Gs.[2] A portion of the ride runs through the interior of the casino. The coaster was listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's tallest roller coaster in 1996.[3] It is the only Hypercoaster in the state of Nevada. The ride was provided by Arrow Dynamics and fabricated by Intermountain Lift, Inc.[4]
History
Looking to attract people driving by on adjacent Interstate 15 to his new casino, Buffalo Bill's, which opened on May 14, 1994, Gary Primm contracted Arrow Dynamics to build a highly-visible roller coaster. The roller coaster opened to the public on August 11, 1994, as one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world. The ride's 209-foot-tall (64 m) lift hill was the tallest in the United States, second behind only the Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in England. Its drop length of 225 feet (69 m) and top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) were ranked second in the country behind Kennywood's Steel Phantom, which featured a slightly longer drop of 229 feet (70 m) and a higher top speed of 85 mph (137 km/h). The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Desperado in its 1996 publication as the tallest roller coaster in the world.[3]
For his Top Secret special that first aired on February 24, 1999, magician Lance Burton staged a death-defying escape in a stunt where he was tied to the roller coaster's track and had to break out of handcuffs in order to escape.[5]
References
- ↑ Palermo, Dave (August 7, 1994). "PRIMM SPRUCING UP CALIFORNIA-NEVADA BORDER". Las Vegas Review-Journal/Sun.
- ↑ Desperado's page on www.rcdb.com
- 1 2 "Desperado Roller Coaster Fact Sheet". Primm Valley Casino Resorts. August 13, 2001. Archived from the original on March 24, 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
- ↑ "Amusement". Intermountain Lift, Inc. July 30, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
- ↑ "Lance Burton's Escape On The Desperado To Air Next Wednesday". Retrieved 2007-04-18.