Predator (roller coaster)
Predator is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Darien Lake. It was designed by Curtis D. Summers and built by Dinn Corporation and opened on May 25, 1990.[1]
| Predator | |
|---|---|
 Predator's lift hill | |
| Six Flags Darien Lake | |
| Location | Six Flags Darien Lake |
| Coordinates | 42°55′45″N 78°23′10″W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 25, 1990 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood – Out and back |
| Manufacturer | Dinn Corporation |
| Designer | Curtis D. Summers |
| Height | 95 ft (29 m) |
| Length | 3,400 ft (1,000 m) |
| Speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 1:50 |
| Capacity | 1300 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | Single train with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. |
| Predator at RCDB | |
Design
The coaster is a double out-and-back design and does so in a fairly confined space. The main section of the coaster runs along the lake to its north.
Renovations and upgrades
At the end of the summer of 2006, the last year of Darien Lake being owned by Six Flags, a major re-tracking took place and some wood was replaced on the ride to help make it more enjoyable for guests. In 2001, during an earlier tracking job, part of the queue line was removed to make way for an expanded seating area for the nearby food stand.
In 2010, Darien Lake purchased 12 PTC articulated cars from Holiday World, where they were used on The Voyage.[2] These trains replaced the original PTC trailer-style trains which were known to have an extremely rough ride. With the closure of Raging Wolf Bobs at the defunct Geauga Lake in 2007, The Predator was the last roller coaster to operate with PTC trailered trains.[3]
In 2020, it was revealed that Great Coasters International will be replacing some sections of Predator's track with their new steel Titan Track.[4]
References
- Rook, Christine Leta (May 25, 1990). "The Predator is set to pounce in Darien". Democrat and Chronicle. D&C Staff Writer. Retrieved February 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- Ben Beagle (May 8, 2010). "Coasters get new look, upgrades at Darien Lake". The Daily News. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved Dec 29, 2011.
- Dave Althoff, Jr. "How Roller Coaster Cars Work (or don't)". Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved Dec 30, 2011.
- Coaster Nation (November 8, 2020). "Six Flags Darien Lake's Predator To Receive New Titan Track". Coaster Nation. Retrieved March 31, 2021.