Coal Cracker

Coal Cracker
Location	Hersheypark
Opening date	1973 (1973)
Type	Flume
Manufacturer	Arrow Dynamics
Height	55 ft (17 m)
Drop	49 ft (15 m)
Length	2,000 ft (610 m)
Duration	3:30
Max vertical angle	35°

Coal Cracker is a classic hydroflume ride located at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The ride was installed by Arrow Dynamics in 1973, making it the oldest water ride at Hersheypark still in daily operation. It has a unique layout, due to the terrain features of this part of the park.

Riders are seated in 12-foot (3.7 m) boats for the three and a half minute ride along a water channel over 2,000-foot (610 m) long.^[1] Once the fiberglass boat has ascended the first lift hill, riders are only 55 feet (17 m) off the ground. A second lift carries riders above the Twin Turnpike ride, preparing them for the final 35-degree, 49-foot (15 m) drop. Riders' photographs are taken midway through the drop. The Coal Cracker shares space with several newer rides, including the SooperDooperLooper (built in 1977) and the Great Bear (1998).

The water supply for the ride is pumped through pipes connected to a 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m²) man-made lake. This lake has the capacity to store 100,000-US-gallon (380,000 l) of water, and the pump system can handle approximately 25,000-US-gallon (95,000 l) a minute.^[1] Guests are loaded into the boats from a revolving turntable; as the boats are always in motion this permits a higher ride capacity while providing more stability during loading and unloading.^[2]

Coal Cracker ride photos are produced and sold by Get The Picture Corporation.

The Coal Cracker ride is not in operation during fall and winter events at Hersheypark, such as Hersheypark in the Dark and Christmas Candylane.

Also, "Coal Cracker" is an endearing name natives of the Pennylvania Coal Mining Region have given themselves and they proudly display it on T-shirts and bumper stickers.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Hershey's Guidebook, Western Publishing Company, 1974.
2. ^ [1]