Pony Express

Pony Express is a steel motorbike roller coaster located in the Ghost Town area of Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. The attraction opened on May 22, 2008, and was developed as a $9 million addition designed to evoke the speed and adventure associated with the historic Pony Express. Rather than using conventional coaster cars, it places riders astride horse-shaped seats in a posture resembling horseback riding or motorcycling. This presentation connects the attraction to the mythology of the American West while giving the ride a distinctive physical identity within the park. The coaster was the first Moto Coaster built by Zamperla in the United States. Its propulsion system uses a flywheel and clutch mechanism: stored rotational energy is transferred to a cable attached to the train, launching it from rest to as much as 38 miles per hour in less than three seconds. The 1,300-foot steel track reaches a maximum height of approximately 44 feet and provides a short, high-intensity ride lasting about 36 seconds. The layout also gives riders views of nearby Ghost Town attractions, including Boot Hill and Calico River Rapids. Each train consists of eight rows with two seats per row. The attraction is designed for a stated capacity of up to approximately 900 passengers per hour. An automated restraint system presses against the rider's lower back while leaving the upper body relatively mobile, reinforcing the impression of riding a horse. Knott's Berry Farm has characterized the attraction as a high-thrill experience, assigning it a four-out-of-five thrill rating. Pony Express experienced an operational incident during Knott's Scary Farm on October 7, 2010. A train carrying nine riders did not clear the first hill, rolled backward into the loading station, and collided with a second train. Ten people, including one guest waiting to board, were taken to hospital; reports stated that none sustained major injuries. The ride reopened several days later. The incident is part of the attraction's documented operating history, but available reference material does not establish a broader long-term effect on its status or branding.

Pony Express was conceived as a major new attraction for the Ghost Town section of Knott's Berry Farm. Its name and visual concept draw on the nineteenth-century American Pony Express, but the attraction itself is a modern steel roller coaster rather than a mail-delivery business. The ride was developed as a $9 million project and opened to the public on May 22, 2008. The attraction was supplied by Zamperla, an Italian amusement-ride manufacturer based in Vicenza. It was identified as the first Zamperla Moto Coaster constructed in the United States. The Moto Coaster format places passengers astride individual horse- or motorcycle-like seats instead of inside a conventional seated coaster train. At Pony Express, the horse-shaped seats and Western setting were intended to make riders feel as though they were participating in a rapid frontier mail run. Technically, the ride uses a flywheel launch system. A flywheel stores rotational energy, while a clutch and cable arrangement transfer that energy to the train. The launch accelerates riders from zero to approximately 38 miles per hour in less than three seconds. The steel track extends about 1,300 feet, reaches a maximum height of approximately 44 feet, and completes its course in roughly 36 seconds. The short layout emphasizes acceleration and sensation rather than a long sequence of elevated elements. From the course, riders can see other Ghost Town attractions, including Boot Hill and Calico River Rapids. The train has eight rows with two seats per row, and the stated throughput is up to approximately 900 passengers per hour. Riders straddle the seats, while an automated restraint presses against the lower back. This arrangement permits more upper-body movement than a conventional seated coaster and supports the attraction's horseback-riding theme. Knott's Berry Farm has rated the ride four out of five for thrills. On October 7, 2010, during the park's annual Knott's Scary Farm event, a train carrying nine riders failed to clear the first hill. It rolled backward into the loading station and collided with another train. Nine riders and one person preparing to board the stationary train were injured and transported to hospital. Available reports said that none suffered major injuries. Pony Express reopened a few days afterward. The documented incident did not end the attraction's operation, and the available reference does not provide evidence of a permanent rebranding, closure, or ownership change.

• 2010

  Launch-system rollback and station collision

  [1]Pony Express (roller coaster)en.wikipedia.org

  During Knott's Scary Farm on October 7, a train rolled back after failing to clear the first hill and struck another train in the station. The attraction reopened several days later.

• 2008

  Pony Express opens at Knott's Berry Farm

  [1]Pony Express (roller coaster)en.wikipedia.org

  The steel Moto Coaster opened in the Ghost Town section of Knott's Berry Farm on May 22, 2008, after a reported $9 million development project.

A compact, high-thrill Western-themed coaster that combines horse-riding imagery with Zamperla's motorbike-style seating and flywheel launch technology.

• Steel motorbike roller coaster · 2008

  Pony Express

  A Zamperla Moto Coaster in Knott's Berry Farm's Ghost Town area. Riders straddle horse-shaped seats and are launched by a flywheel and clutch system from zero to as much as 38 miles per hour in less than three seconds. The 1,300-foot track reaches approximately 44 feet and the ride lasts about 36 seconds. Its Western theme is based on the historic Pony Express mail service.

• 2008

  Launch of a Western-themed Zamperla Moto CoasterProduct launch

  Background

  Knott's Berry Farm planned a substantial new attraction for Ghost Town, using the historic Pony Express as the theme and Zamperla's motorbike-style coaster format as the ride system.

  Action taken

  The park introduced Pony Express on May 22, 2008, with horse-shaped seating, a flywheel launch, and a compact high-speed steel track.

  Aftermath

  The attraction became an established Ghost Town ride and is described as the first Zamperla Moto Coaster built in the United States.

  Development cost. $9 million (2008)

  Source

1. 1Pony Express (roller coaster)en.wikipedia.org