Thunderhawk at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom | NAPHA Shorts

Thunderhawk at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, PA
Replacing the park’s Great Scenic Railway (1905-1912), Herbert P. Schmeck of Philadelphia Toboggan Company was hired in 1924 to build Coaster, an under-friction out-n-back wooden coaster alongside the trolley line to the park. In 1930, Schmeck was commissioned again to make Coaster into a more thrilling twister by adding swooping drops on the far end of the course going through the park’s old picnic groves and now over the trolley tracks. The ride stands 80 ft tall with a 65 ft drop. Its top speed is 45 mph across 2,767 ft of track. Coaster also received a shared station with the Skooter bumper cars that adorned a giant statue of the park’s mascot, Alfundo. The structure was painted yellow, and the ride was often referred to as “Yellow Coaster”. When Dorney Park was sold to Cedar Fair in 1989, Coaster was renamed to Thunderhawk and received a more modern station. NAPHA celebrates Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom for providing nearly a century of timeless thrills on one of only five Schmeck roller coasters still in operation.
Footage provided by David Hahner
To learn more about and join the National Amusement Park Historical Association, visit www.napha.org
Footage provided by David Hahner.
Copyright 2024 National Amusement Park Historical Association. All rights reserved.

[@jayducharme]

That’s such a fun ride!