Comet (Great Escape)

Infobox roller coaster
name = The Comet

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caption = Station and lift hill of the Comet.
location = The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom
section= Splashwater Kingdom
type = Wood
manufacturer = Philadelphia Toboggan Company
designer = Herbert Paul Schmeck
model =Wooden track coaster
track = Out and Back
lift = Chain lift hill
status = Open
opened = June 25, 1994
height = 95
drop = 87
length = 4197
speed = 55
duration= 2 min.
capacity = 720
restriction = 48
rcdb_number = 262

The Comet is a wooden roller coaster located at The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom, Lake George in Queensbury, New York, in the United States.

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History

The coaster started its existence at Crystal Beach (an amusement park near Niagara Falls, Ontario) as a ride known as the Cyclone in 1927. The Cyclone was known as a fearsome coaster which often injured its riders. This apparently occurred so often that there was a permanent first aid station at the end of the ride. Its metal support structure was torn down and rebuilt as the Comet in 1947. The ride was saved shortly after the park closed down forever after the 1989 season. Charlie Woods, the owner of The Great Escape in Queensbury, New York successfully bid for The Comet and it sat in storage for a few years in Fantasy Island before making its way to the park in Queensbury where it began service again in 1993.

Ride experience

Roller coaster enthusiasts recognize it as one of the best wooden roller coasters in North America because of its historical significance, elements of hills and drops, and terrific "air" time giving riders the sensation of floating out of their seats. The coaster operates two trains, one red and one blue, each one capable of carrying twenty four riders in four cars in three rows, two across. Minimum height requirement is 48 inches to ride.

Owing to its location at the back of the park and simple queue maze, wait time for the Comet is usually under twenty minutes; wait time generally only exceeds this if the queue line overflows the maze. If both trains are running on days of low attendance it is possible to move through the queue line in less than five minutes. Park regulars know that heading directly to the back of the park when the main gates open can assure guests of three or four uninterrupted rides before the queue line grows appreciably.

Riders generally describe the Comet as fast and smooth, with little chatter or shaking during the run. This can be attributed to its special design, for although the ride is billed as a wooden roller coaster, it is technically a hybrid coaster: it has a steel framework on which is placed wooden bed, on top of the wooden bed are the steel rails the coaster wheels run on. Turns are tight and only very slightly banked. On-ride-photos are taken by a camera mounted on a dip closest to the control booth.

Theming

While using the historical name of the Comet, little is done to take advantage of the name with theming or decoration. On ride photos can be purchased with flames superimposed over the train to give the artificial appearance of actually riding a comet. Signage in the park directing guests to the Comet are similarly themed, along with the large lighted sign on the coaster structure itself.

A sign in the loading area gives most of the history of the Comet, and notes that the sheltered area for the queue line uses much of the original metal latticework from the old Cyclone.

tation Recordings

"Please watch your step as you enter the train, and secure all lose articles. Please keep your hands, arms, and legs inside the train at all times. Have a great ride on the comet.

"Welcome Back. Please lift up your safety harness and exit quickly from the train. Six Flags Great Escape and Splash Water Kingdom is not responsible for any items left at the station. Thank you for riding the Comet and enjoy the rest of you day in Six Flags.

External links

* [http://www.staffannouncer.com/crystalbeach.html The Sights and Sounds of The Comet & Crystal Beach from Steve Cichon's staffannouncer.com]