Swamp Fox (roller coaster)

Swamp Fox
Family Kingdom Amusement Park
Coordinates 33°40′57″N 78°53′30″W / 33.682510°N 78.891702°W / 33.682510; -78.891702Coordinates: 33°40′57″N 78°53′30″W / 33.682510°N 78.891702°W / 33.682510; -78.891702
Status Operating
Opening date 1966
General statistics
Type Wood
Manufacturer Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Designer John Allen
Track layout Double Out and Back
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 75 ft (23 m)
Drop 65 ft (20 m)
Length 2,400 ft (730 m)
Speed 50 mph (80 km/h)
Inversions 0
Height restriction 48 in (122 cm)
Swamp Fox at RCDB
Pictures of Swamp Fox at RCDB

The Swamp Fox wooden roller coaster is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina It is one of 37 rides at Family Kingdom Amusement Park.[1] The coaster is named after American Revolutionary War leader, Francis Marion.

The Swamp Fox is a wooden roller coaster that runs over a 2,400 feet (730 m), figure-eight track. The “double out and back” design takes riders to heights of 75 feet (22.9 m) at speeds up to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) and features dramatic drops of up to 65 feet (19.8 m).[2] It is number 10 on About.com's list of “The 10 Most Underrated Coasters In North America.”[3]

In one experiment performed on the Swamp Fox, operators found that the train ran its track anywhere from eight to 10 seconds faster at 9 p.m. than it did around 2 p.m. in the afternoon.[2]

The Swamp Fox roller coaster, built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company of Pennsylvania, opened in 1966 as one of the rides at Grand Strand Amusement Park. In 1992, that park was purchased by the Ammons family and rechristened "Family Kingdom Amusement Park". The Swamp Fox was then totally refurbished according to the original specifications of the original design by John C. Allen.[4] In 2016, American Coaster Enthusiasts marked the 50th anniversary of the Swamp Fox by adding a historical marker.[5]

References

  1. "Family Kingdom Amusement Park". Family Kingdom Amusement Park. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Q & A: The Swamp Fox All Wooden Roller Coaster" (PDF). Family Kingdom Amusement Park. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  3. "Top 10 Most Underrated Roller Coasters In North America, 2008". About.com. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  4. "1960's Wooden Coasters". UltimateRollerCoaster.com. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  5. Donovan, Jennifer (April 25, 2016). "Roller Coaster enthusiasts honor Family Kingdom coaster as landmark". The Sun News.
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