RailBlazer

For the roller coaster at Six Flags St. Louis formerly named Rail Blazer, see River King Mine Train.

Not to be confused with Trailblazer, a roller coaster at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

RailBlazer is a steel roller coaster at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, the single-rail roller coaster opened in June 2018. RailBlazer is the ninth roller coaster at California's Great America, and features a 90-degree drop, three inversions, and an off-roading adventure theme.

RailBlazer
RailBlazer's entrance
California's Great America
Location	California's Great America
Park section	NorCal County Fair
Coordinates	37.3951°N 121.9737°W / 37.3951; -121.9737
Status	Operating
Soft opening date	June 9, 2018 (2018-06-09)
Opening date	June 14, 2018 (2018-06-14)
Replaced	Invertigo
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Rocky Mountain Construction
Designer	Alan Schilke
Model	Raptor - Prototype (Mirror)
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	106 ft (32 m)
Drop	100 ft (30 m)
Length	1,800 ft (550 m)
Speed	52 mph (84 km/h)
Inversions	3
Max vertical angle	90°
Capacity	600 riders per hour
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 1 across in a single row for a total of 8 riders per train.
Website	Official website
Fast Lane available
Single rider line Available
RailBlazer at RCDB

RailBlazer was one of two prototype single-rail coasters to open in 2018, the other being the Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster at sister park Six Flags Fiesta Texas, whose layout is a mirror image of RailBlazer's.

History

California's Great America announced RailBlazer on August 16, 2017, and accompanied it with an official groundbreaking ceremony.^[1][2] On the same day, the park released a simulated POV of the roller coaster.^[3][4] RailBlazer opened to passholders on June 9, 2018, and opened to the public 5 days later.^[5][6]

Ride experience

The ride begins by exiting the station and ascending a 106 feet (32 m) tall chain lift. The train then banks left making a 180 degree turn and entering a 106 feet (32 m) tall 90 degree drop, diving into a tunnel and reaching a maximum speed of 52 miles per hour (84 km/h) before entering a dive loop. The train then rises up to the right into an off-axis airtime hill, followed by a right-facing upwards helix. After the helix, the train makes a left turn and quickly drops, entering a right-facing cutback and a corkscrew. Finally, riders go through an over-banked turn to the left before hitting the brake run.^[7]

Characteristics

The roller coaster is themed to California State Route 1.^[1] It is meant to reflect an off-road adventure around the San Francisco Bay Area and California central coast. Multiple large rocks surround the ride, as well as a pool of water, which the queue interacts with. The trains are also built to resemble all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) with handlebars, grille, headlights and bumper.