BLUE STREAK CEDAR POINT

In operation since 1964, Blue Streak is one of the first coasters park guests see upon entering Cedar Point.   It’s a traditional out and back woodie and something of a classic, harking back to the days when building a roller coaster didn’t require a huge investment.  (This one was built for a modest $200,000.)  From the loading area, the train makes a left turn and ascends a 78-foot lift hill before dropping 72 feet.   It then proceeds over several consecutive hills, negotiates a left-banked turn and traverses a further series of hills before hitting the brake run.   The ride is somewhat bumpy in spots – you can feel that you’re riding a pretty old coaster - but not to the point of being rough, and there are some nice moments of airtime.  Having just ridden Millennium Force after waiting 2 ½ hours to get on it, I was delighted to discover that there was no wait at all to get on Blue Streak.   OK, so it’s not in the same league as MF or some of the other big coasters at Cedar Point, but Blue Streak can still give a good ride and a fun one.  3 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Cedar Point, visit www.cedarpoint.com. Photo courtesy of COASTERIMAGE.COM

ROLLING THUNDER

A wooden duelling coaster about to be dismantled, Rolling Thunder opened in 1979 and closed in September of 2013.   With two tracks accessed by separate entrances, it did not always operate as a racing coaster; on many of my visits to the park, the trains on only one track were up and running.  The two tracks featured different layouts, the one common element being an initial drop of 85 feet.  Each track featured a number of hills and turns.   When the ride first opened, the restraints were buzz bars;  seat dividers and seat belts were added later.

This coaster has been much maligned and while I would have to say that it was showing its age, it wasn’t nearly as bad as some would have you believe.  True, it felt somewhat rickety, but was still rideable and from the back it offered some nice pops of airtime.  It wasn’t as rough as some other old or aging wooden coasters I’ve ridden – most notably the Coney Island Cyclone, Mean Streak at Cedar Point and Grizzly at Kings Dominion.   It was a good coaster for those who could or would not ride El Toro.   My last ride on Rolling Thunder was with a 72-year-old woman who had no inclination whatsoever to ride El Toro.   So with Rolling Thunder about to become history, the park will no longer have an intermediate wooden coaster. 

In a way it’s sad to see this coaster go.  And it was a lot of fun to cross over its tracks while on El Toro.  Rolling Thunder may not have been any great shakes but it was an integral part of the park and served a purpose.  2 ½ out of 5 stars.