Batman & Robin: The Chiller

Overview

imagedimensions	250px
location	Six Flags Great Adventure
coordinates	40.13671°N, -74.44188°W
section	Movietown
status	Removed
soft opened	June 7, 1997
opened	April 4, 1998
closed	June 28, 2007
cost	US$15,000,000
replacement	Justice League: Battle for Metropolis The Dark Knight Coaster The Flash: Vertical Velocity
type	Steel
type2	Launched
type3	Shuttle
manufacturer	Premier Rides
designer	Werner Stengel
model	Dueling LIM Shuttle Loop Coaster
track	Dueling
lift	LIM launch track
name1	Batman
name2	Robin
height1 ft	200
height2 ft	200
drop1 ft	139
drop2 ft	105
length1 ft	1137
length2 ft	1229
speed1 mph	65
speed2 mph	65
inversions1	1 (2007) 2 (1997-2006)
inversions2	2 (2007) 3 (1997-2006)
duration1	0:32
duration2	0:48
angle1	90
angle2	90
acceleration1	0 to 65 mph in 4 seconds
acceleration2	0 to 65 mph in 4 seconds
gforce1	5
gforce2	5
capacity	1360
restraint	Individual ratcheting lap bar, formerly individual shoulder harness
restriction in	54
trains	2 (one on each side)
carspertrain	5
rowspercar	2
ridersperrow	2
rcdb number	424

Batman & Robin: The Chiller was a dual-tracked, launched roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Designed by Premier Rides, the ride was themed to the 1997 film Batman & Robin.

The coaster opened to the public on June 7, 1997, but after a series of setbacks shortly after its debut, it closed for much of its inaugural season and did not reopen until 1998. When it did, ride operation was changed to launch only one side at a time as a result of the amount of power required by the ride's linear induction motor (LIM) launch system. Although modifications were made over the years to improve the ride experience and limit the amount of downtime, the park decided to remove the attraction following the 2007 season.

History

Development and opening

In 1996, Six Flags Great Adventure announced the addition of a new roller coaster for the 1997 season. The new ride would be a dual-tracked, launched roller coaster called "Batman & Robin: The Chiller", featuring linear induction motor (LIM) technology for its launch system. The theme was chosen to promote the Batman & Robin film, which was set to debut in mid-1997.[1]

Ongoing issues and modifications

The Chiller faced excessive amounts of downtime due to a number of reoccurring issues. The most prominent issue was that the LIMs required massive amounts of power, which frequently caused the ride's computer to record an error and shut down the ride. Park guests frequently did not know whether the ride would be closed for the entire day. Power shortages and low temperatures occasionally caused the trains to stall on the track in a low area, sometimes in the middle of an inversion.[11] Incidents of stalling were so frequent that Six Flags Great Adventure added evacuation platforms in places where the ride was most likely to stall.[11] On one occasion following a power outage, the Robin (Red) side managed to stall in the zero-g roll itself, leaving 8 passengers stranded upside down, with 12 others stranded partially inverted.[12]

In addition, during the ride's test runs, the LIM motors had issues with overheating and Six Flags officials could not provide the full thrust necessary to operate the ride consistently at high speeds.[13] At the time, park management was not concerned, as Flight of Fear at Kings Dominion in Virginia also had issues with the launch system.[14] One of the trains suffered damage when the launch system closed onto the fins. The train was removed for adjustments and was later put back in place.[15]

The original over-the-shoulder restraints were reportedly uncomfortable, as riders frequently complained of hitting their heads.[11] Attempts were made to improve comfort by adding extra padding.[10] The restraints were eventually replaced with individually-ratcheting lap bars, with the Robin side receiving the change first in 2001, followed by the Batman side in 2002.[4][11]

The Batman track was more prone to closure than the Robin track; it operated sporadically for only a few weeks during some seasons, and it did not operate at all during one season.[11] In June 2006, Six Flags Great Adventure closed The Chiller indefinitely following a major incident involving the Robin side.[16] The third car's wheel assembly of the train's third car broke apart during the course of the ride, further damaging the track and train. It remained closed for the rest of the season, while the park considered a major overhaul of the ride. After several significant modifications the following off-season by Premier Rides, which included the removal of the zero-g rolls and a re-design of the wheel assembly system, the ride reopened briefly in 2007.[4] The ride's brief 2007 re-opening involved the former Batman train being painted red so as to supply the more reliable Robin side with a full train to operate with.[11] The Batman side never operated again.

Batman & Robin: The Chiller

History

Development and opening

Ongoing issues and modifications

Removal and aftermath

Ride experience

Critical reception

External links

References