Ride Profile
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where the passenger trains twist from side to side. Riders also encounter two helices and six zero-gravity moments on a journey that lasts two minutes and 19 seconds. The ride features three 14-passenger trains with an hourly capacity of 750 riders. There was one particular technical challenge in engineering the launch. As Gerstlauer notes, “This was the first time we had utilised a switch track in normal ride operation, so getting the mechanics and timing down were a challenge. The track needs to unlock, switch and re-lock quickly every 30 seconds. The resulting system was mechanically simple, but extremely complex when it came to the control system.” Ross, who has ridden FireChaser Express many times, says that his favourite part of the ride is “the show and the reverse launch. They really take you by surprise!” Volunteer recruits are invited to climb aboard
FireChaser Express as it launches from Station 7 in Dollywood’s Wilderness Pass area on a thrilling adventure to save the Smokies from potential fire hazards. Along the way, guests flash across mountainous terrain, through giant fire towers and dodge fallen telephone poles and crashed rockets. During the excursion, riders discover Crazy Charlie Cherriebaum’s Gas & Fireworks Emporium, a haphazard roadside stand that proves fireworks, gasoline and lightning do not mix. After a surprise explosion, FireChaser Express is launched backwards, through another section of track, delivering recruits back to Station 7 in reverse. The idea for the backwards launch originated within Dollywood's staff. “We were looking for a superlative for the ride and started to explore options,” Ross remembers. “The idea really came out of a ‘what if we did this?…’ discussion.”
Rite of passage rollercoaster Dollywood then turned to Gerstlauer and its North American representative, the Ride Entertainment Group, to supply the ride. “Gerstlauer and Dollywood have had a relationship going back almost a decade with the construction of Mystery Mine [EuroFighter],” highlights Ross. “They have a high quality product and are really easy to work with. They seem to ‘get us’ and the idea that we want the ride to be a part of the story and not vice versa. Their product integrated well with the Mystery Mine story and now with FireChaser Express.” “Dollywood asked us if the backwards launch was possible,” recalls Siegfried Gerstlauer, “and we re- worked to the ride layout to include it.” During the volunteer-based fire departments of the 1940s, firefighting trains were a common sight throughout the Great Smokies. FireChaser Express’ passenger trains are themed to celebrate all firefighters who bravely battle perilous blazes to ensure the safety of others. Ross believes the new ride will prove to be a popular addition to the park. “Certainly, we are hopeful that the ride drives attendance but we are also hopeful that it fills a niche that allows children as young as five to experience a real rollercoaster. It
APRIL 2014 “
will be a rite of passage coaster that they can experience with their mom and dad or brother or sister.” FireChaser Express is the latest of many Dollywood additions in recent years – and more are on the way. In March 2012, the park opened the $20 million Wild Eagle, the country’s first wing coaster (by B&M). In 2013, the adjoining Dollywood’s Splash Country followed with the addition of RiverRush, Tennessee’s
It was not
easy to design a coaster layout that children loved, but also had enough thrills to make older riders come back for more. We walked the line between these two ridership groups and feel we have a real winner
Siegfried Gerstlauer
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