River King Mine Train has been operating at Six Flags St. Louis since June 5th, 1971. It was one of the original rides that opened with the park. This classic Arrow Dynamic’s mine train has a top speed of 30 MPH. If you grew up at Six Flags as your home park, then there is little doubt what is your first roller coaster. It certainly was for me as a budding coaster enthusiast. As I’ve gotten older it doesn’t seem to be nearly as scary as I thought it was. Yet, the Mine Train is a truly great family roller coaster.
River King Mine Train at Six Flags: Overview and Analysis
Arrow Dynamics made a lot of these mine trains. It’s a testament to the quality, and also the popularity of rides like this that most of what they built is still in operation. The River King Mine Train is probably not the roller coaster that you will leave the park raving about. But, I assure you it’s one that you’re going to enjoy.
Riders share one lap bar per row. Three rows make one cart, with each train having 5 carts. A truly unique thing about this Mine Train is that one of the ride operators still has to manually lock, and release the bar.
River King Mine Train at Six Flags, Ride and Review
Once you leave the station, it’s a fairly simple operation. You will go through some mild theming, which leads to a chain lift hill. The first lift hill sends you into some mild dips and turns.
Up the second chain lift, you go. The second half is significantly more intense, but still nothing overly so. It consists mostly of a helix, then into some very mild bunny hills. Nothing to give you any actual airtime but still fun. Before you get to the third chain lift, you’ll be able to get some really good views of the Ninja to your left.
The third chain lift is a very small one. I suspect that it was done more for aesthetic purposes, than for actual need. This sends you into what is everybody’s favorite part of the ride. Its twists and turns just a little bit leading you to a very dark tunnel. About the time that you lose the ability to see what’s going on in front of you, suddenly a dip down into a very decent hill. If you are sitting in the back you will get a very nice pop of airtime. Especially little children really get knocked out of their seats at this part.
Couple of Nitpicks
Only minor complaints about The River King Mine Train. The coaster makes rough transitions. The second chain lift really kicks hard when it catches the train. Also, it is mild enough that it’s not one I ride when I am by myself. Yet, The River King Mine Train is exactly what it is trying to be.
Final Verdict
This was my very first roller coaster when I came of age. Now that I’m older I am able to impart my love of roller coasters to my children with The River King Mine Train. My oldest daughter‘s first ride on this coaster came on my birthday this year. One of the best birthday presents I’ve ever had.
If you go to ride The River King Mine Train hoping for a fun classic arrow mine train, then you will not leave disappointed. It’s the mildest roller coaster in the park, and it is definitely geared towards families. Its setting is hidden away from the rest of the park. Night rides in the back are the best way to experience it. I hope that six like St. Louis keeps this Mine Train going for years to come. On a scale of one to ten, I give the River King Mine Train a nine.
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Pros: Solid family coaster, Great finale, Beautiful setting
Cons: Rough in spots
Trivia: 1. For the 1984 season, River King Mine Train was converted into a standup roller coaster, and the name was changed to Rail Blazer. Which didn’t last a season, because of the tragic death of a female rider. 2. When the park opened they built two mine trains to help with the capacity expectations their state-of-the-art coaster was going to have. Later it was sold to Dollywood. Then they sold it to Magic Springs and Crystal Falls in Arkansas. It is still in operation as Big Bad John.