Thunderation opened at Silver Dollar City in 1993. This was the second roller coaster at the park since their in-house built Fire in the Hole. So while this is their second, it is the first traditional roller coaster for the park. Designed and manufactured by Arrow Dynamics as a classic Arrow Mine Train.
Thunderation at Silver Dollar City analysis
Like a lot of roller coasters at Silver dollar City, you cannot see much of Thunderation before you get on it. The first time we were getting on this I was expecting a mild family coaster. I was pleasantly surprised to find a rather forceful and fun Mine Train. The first thing that you’ll notice odd about this coaster is that when it leaves the station it doesn’t go to a lift hill. Instead, it starts to slowly pick up speed going downhill all the while making sharper corners as it goes. It was around this time that I started thinking this might something very different and special. That was when the ride got to its double helix.
The double helix is the most intense element on any family Mine Train that I have ever been on. You go faster and faster the longer it goes. Tunnels always make for a fun element on roller coasters. You come out of the double helix right into a tunnel. In the front, this element is extremely exciting. Yet, because of this one element I recommend sitting in the back. The feeling of being out of control and the speed while in the back is my favorite part of this coaster.
Thunderation at Silver Dollar City does things differently
Since Silver Dollar City likes to build their coasters a little unconventionally this is actually the point when you get to a lift hill. I’ve seen something like this before where the ride doesn’t have a lift hill in the beginning. Instead, a lift hill gets you back to the station. While you might think that the ride is now over, Thunderation still has some pleasant surprises.
The Finale
That surprise is another extremely forceful and fun element. A rather large drop to the left, then up another hill, and now back into the station. Thunderation actually does something that I think is a very good complaint about a lot of great roller coasters.
Roller Coasters and the Momentum Problem
Roller coasters use momentum and typically burn off steam as they go. So the most intense elements are upfront and then as the train loses steam the ride gets less forceful. Here they want to give you a grand finale. It’s little things like this that make the roller coaster lineup at Silver Dollar City so special.
Negatives
As for any complaints I would say that the ride is not exactly the smoothest. Though when one gets on an Arrow Mine Train I don’t think that you’re expecting smoothness. This doesn’t seem to be any rougher than any other Mine Train that I have been on.
Final Verdict
The great film critic Roger Ebert once said movies should be judged based upon what they are trying to achieve. So you wouldn’t judge an Arrow Mine Train from 1993 like a B&M Giga made today. I just want you to understand that I love this roller coaster and I’m about to give it a very high score. Just keep in mind that it is a high score based upon the genre that this coaster belongs in. As a family coaster, and as an Arrow Mine Train, Thunderation knocks it out of the ballpark! On a scale of one to ten, I give Thunderation a nine.
Pros: No lift hill out of the gate, Double Helix, Fast, a grand Finale
Cons: Pretty rough the faster it gets
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Hey Jared,
you’re wrong when saying that Thunderation is the last Arrow mine train being built. That was the mighty Roadrunner Express at Six Flags Fiesta Texas a few years later (which is also kind of unique and offers a similar ride experience). But I admit, that Thunderation is a great and forceful example of an Arrow mine train.
I just wish, that I could have ridden the ride, when it still had the backwards facing wagons.
That would have been really cool to ride. I love it when rides give the opportunity to interact with your group on rides. I think that is why the swinging pirate ship ride is one of the all time greats.
As for the mistake in the article thanks for catching that! Updated the post and removed that.