Watch Coney Island's New Thunderbolt Roller Coaster Get Tested

Photo by John Huntington

The newest addition to Coney Island's amusement district, the Thunderbolt roller coaster, is set to open this week after a bit of a delay, and it's the area's first new coaster since 1927's Cylcone. While it's named for the old circa-1925 coaster, which you know from Annie Hall, this monster is thoroughly modern, and Luna Park's first-ever vertical lift steel roller coaster (though until 1910 there was a wooden one which sent riders upside-down in a vertical loop).

Here are the important stats: It will reach speeds of 55 miles per hour, it stands at 115 feet tall, and has 2,233 feet of track. The ride lasts approximately 2 minutes, and includes a 90-degree vertical drop, followed by a 100 foot vertical loop, an 80 foot zero-g roll and a 112 degree over-banked turn. And that will cost you $10 per ride, though you can also use Luna Park credits for admission.

John Huntington has been diligently documenting the coaster's construction since early last year, and even caught them testing it out recently—here she is:

When an opening day is announced, we'll update this post, but expect it to be running by the weekend.