Kennywood's Thunderbolt
ACE Roller Coaster Landmark
Originally built as the Pippin in 1924 by renowned coaster designer John A. Miller (1872-1941) and constructed by Kennywood's Charles J. Mach, it was the park's second under-friction coaster designed by Miller and his fifth overall for Kennywood. The Pippin was famous for a large double-dip into a natural ravine as well as saving its largest drop of 94 feet for last.
In 1967, Kennywood Entertainment president Carl E. Henninger (1906-1985) and park manager Carl O. Hughes (1921-2012) took a considerable gamble when they decided to tear down a portion of The Pippin to enlarge it and create a different roller coaster experience. The ride's loading platform, upper turn and double dip were removed. Kennywood's head of maintenance, Andrew Vettel (1914-1988), designed and supervised construction of the trilling new layout. The lift hill was lengthened to a new height of 70 feet, while the overall track length was extended to 2,887 feet that included a series of tightly banked turns and drops along the midway. A new loading station built within the redesigned structure was constructed to allow for a large 50-foot drop to occur as soon as the train left the platform. The
ride's unique midcourse lift hill and its thrilling final drop were retained along with three National Amusement Device (NAD) Century Flyer trains that had been acquired for The Pippin in 1958. The ride was then renamed Thunderbolt via a naming contest, with the opening on April 14, 1968.
ACE commends Kennywood for continuing to operate and preserve Thunderbolt, a unique and historic wooden roller coaster.
Erected 2014 by American Coaster Enthusiasts.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1924.
Location. 40° 23.317′ N, 79° 51.88′ W. Marker is in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County. Marker can be reached from Kennywood Boulevard. Marker is located on the grounds of Kennywood, an amusement park operating seasonally since 1898. Admission fee required. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4800 Kennywood Boulevard, West Mifflin PA 15122, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Thunderbolt (here, next to this marker); The Turtle (within shouting distance of this marker); Miniature Railroad (within shouting distance of this marker); The Pagoda (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Noah's Ark (about 300 feet away); Laffin' Sal
More about this marker. Marker is affixed to a wall in the wide double underpass to the loading area of the ride.
Also see . . .
1. Kennywood. (Submitted on August 29, 2014, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
2. Kennywood - Wikipedia. (Submitted on August 29, 2014, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
3. John Miller (entrepreneur) - Wikipedia. (Submitted on August 29, 2014, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 29, 2014, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York. This page has been viewed 423 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 29, 2014, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.