Powder Keg: A Blast into the Wilderness
Powder Keg: A Blast Into The Wilderness (commonly referred to as Powder Keg) is a steel launched roller coaster located at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. Manufactured by S&S – Sansei Technologies and installed by Ride Entertainment Group,[1] the ride opened to the public in 2005. Powder Keg is the longest ride at Silver Dollar City.
| Powder Keg | |
|---|---|
| Previously known as Buzz Saw Falls | |
 | |
| Silver Dollar City | |
| Coordinates | 36.669733°N 93.342961°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 2005 |
| Silver Dollar City | |
| Name | Buzzsaw Falls |
| Coordinates | 36.6697°N 93.343°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | 1999 |
| Closing date | 2003 |
| Replaced by | PowderKeg |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | S&S – Sansei Technologies |
| Designer | Drew Schlie |
| Lift/launch system | 3 types Transfer Track, Compressed Air Launch, and Chain lift hill |
| Height | 98 ft (30 m) |
| Drop | 110 ft (34 m) |
| Length | 3,506 ft (1,069 m) |
| Speed | 64 mph (103 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:53 |
| Max vertical angle | 76° |
| Capacity | 1000 riders per hour |
| Acceleration | 0–53 mph in 2.8 seconds |
| G-force | 3.9 |
| Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 16 riders per train. |
 Must transfer from wheelchair | |
| Powder Keg at RCDB Pictures of Powder Keg at RCDB | |
To save on construction costs, elements of the former Buzz Saw Falls Water Coaster, which was manufactured by Premier Rides[2] and was replaced by Powder Keg, were used for the new ride; namely the lift hill structure. Other tributes to the former ride can be found in the thematic elements surrounding the queue line, such as an old Buzzsaw Falls car stuck in the roof of the first queue building, and a piece of old Buzzsaw track sticking out of the queue building's roof.
Audio track and launch sequence
Before the train launches, a short audio track plays. A man with a deep voice says three lines, as of the 2017 season.
- Hey, that area is restricted!
- You're too close to that nitro!
- Do you smell smoke?
The train moves forward out of the nitro shed and a siren goes off and the stop lights go red-yellow-yellow-green and flames would shoot out of the nitro shed. Soon after, the train launches using compressed air, and the ride starts.
In 2007 one more modification to the pre-launch sequence was made where stoplights were added on the launch section to go from red-yellow-yellow-green while making a siren sound and then launching like usual. Before the 2007 season the nitro shed would just shoot flames and the train would launch soon after.
Rider experience
After being launched out onto the track, riders go up a relatively small hill and down a very steep drop. Riders go up and down hills many times and go through several tight turns before slowly traveling up a chainlift hill equipped with audio speakers playing bluegrass music. The train goes through a 90-degree left turn before going down another steep drop onto a small spray-painted blue section of the track. At the final end of the ride, the train travels through a large helix that almost turns the track completely upside down before the train slams into the final brakes and turns into the station.
References
- "Projects". Ride Entertainment Group. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- "Powder Keg: A Blast in the Wilderness – Silver Dollar City (Branson, Missouri, USA)". rcdb.com. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Powder Keg: A Blast into the Wilderness. |