originally posted on 12/16/2022 1:35:00 AM
Photo: Courtesy of Playland. View full-sized image.
A new roller coaster is coming to Playland at the Pacific
Northwest Exhibition in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadian traditional
park holds a soft spot for ACE members owing to the magnificent wooden coaster
standing on the property, an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark.
However, a new roller coaster is coming to take the place of
the Vekoma Corkscrew that operated through 2018. The park has announced
the ride is coming but has also elected to keep a few things under wraps — for
instance, a name.
Zamperla has been noted as a manufacturer, and at the recent
IAAPA Expo, a Lightning vehicle was revealed. However, there is a little more
to this story. The layout is the same as Senzafiato that operated in
Miragica (Molfetta, Italy). After that park closed
in 2018, the Intamin track was sold, and Zamperla has overhauled much of the
attraction using that track, including changing the launch from a hydraulic
launch to linear synchronous motors.
Corkscrew operated through 2018.
Photo: Brian Peters. View full-sized image.
The new coaster will occupy the site vacated by Corkscrew.
Photo: Courtesy of Playland. View full-sized image.
As mentioned, Zamperla will be replacing the train. It’s a
single train that seats 12. Restraints are only overhead lap bars, allowing for
great freedom for the upper body in comparison to the one that ran in Italy. This
should be a vast improvement.
Intamin trains ran on the ride when the coaster was in Italy.
Photo: Steve Gzesh. View full-sized image.
At the IAAPA Expo, Zamperla revealed the train vehicle that will be used on the PNE project.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
Other than that, only renderings with futuristic images have
been provided. The portal shows sculptures that include a large bird, a wolf, a
bear and what appears to be a dolphin’s tail. Clearly, a story would appear to
be developing.
The ride will begin with a launch through a light tunnel.
The layout features numerous turns and airtime hills before returning to the
station. According to the park, the coaster strikes a balance between fun and
thrill. There are no inversions. A rendering supplied by Playland shows
intertwined helices that cross on three levels.
The coaster will launch from the station through a light tunnel.
Photo: Courtesy of Playland. View full-sized image.
The tallest point on the ride will be 59 feet, and the track
length is 1,247 feet. Although a new speed hasn’t been announced for the
upgraded launch system, the park boasts it will be the fastest launched coaster
in Canada.
New coaster news is always exciting, but fans should be
aware that this project is intended to open in 2024, so patience is needed.
2023, however, will be the 65th anniversary of Coaster, the park’s
woodie, and its recent refurbishment is reason to celebrate in the upcoming
season.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
#ACENews