Silver Bullet (Knott's Berry Farm) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Silver Bullet |
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The 105-foot vertical loop on Silver Bullet, its first inversion, is placed over water.
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| Knott's Berry Farm | |
| Location | Knott's Berry Farm |
| Park section | Ghost Town |
| Coordinates | 33°50′40″N 117°59′59″W / 33.84444°N 117.99972°W |
| Status | Open |
| Opening date | December 7, 2004 |
| Cost | US$16,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Inverted |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Model | Inverted coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift |
| Height | 146 ft (45 m) |
| Drop | 109 ft (33 m) |
| Length | 3,125 ft (952 m) |
| Speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
| Inversions | 6 |
| Duration | 2:30 |
| Max vertical angle | 40° |
| Capacity | 1300 riders per hour |
| G-force | 3 |
| Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
| Trains | 3 (max. 2 in operation) trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train. |
 Fast Lane available |
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| Silver Bullet at RCDB | |
Silver Bullet is an exciting inverted roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm. This amusement park is located in Buena Park, California. An inverted roller coaster means your feet dangle freely as you ride!
This roller coaster has a fun western theme. It was designed by a company called Bolliger & Mabillard. Building Silver Bullet cost about $16 million. It was first announced in December 2003 and opened to riders on December 7, 2004.
The track for Silver Bullet is about 3,125 feet (953 meters) long. The highest point, called the lift hill, is about 146 feet (45 meters) tall. The whole ride lasts about two and a half minutes. During the ride, you will go through six different upside-down parts, called inversions! These include a vertical loop, a cobra roll, a zero-g roll, and two corkscrews.
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History of Silver Bullet
On May 28, 2003, the park's owners, Cedar Fair, applied for a special name protection. This is called a "trademark" for the name "Silver Bullet." This meant no one else could use that name for a roller coaster.
Construction for the new roller coaster started in September 2003. An old building, The Church of Reflections, had to be moved to make space. Silver Bullet was part of a big $85 million plan to improve all Cedar Fair parks. The public learned about Silver Bullet on December 1, 2003.
The very last piece of the track was put in place on September 30, 2004. To celebrate, Knott's Berry Farm held a "First Rider Auction" on November 5, 2004. People from all over the world could bid money to be among the first riders on Silver Bullet.
Sixty seats were available for this special event. However, only 13 of these seats received bids. The highest bid was $200. In total, the auction raised $1,643. All the money went to a good cause: the Speech & Language Development Center of Buena Park.
After all the building and safety tests were done, Silver Bullet opened. It first opened for news reporters, then to the public on December 7, 2004. It was originally planned to open on Christmas Eve that year. Silver Bullet was one of four new attractions that opened at Knott's Berry Farm in 2004.
What is the Silver Bullet Ride Like?
Silver Bullet's path goes through three different themed areas of the park. These areas are Ghost Town, Fiesta Village, and Indian Trails.
When your train leaves the station, it turns right. Then, it starts to climb the 146-foot (45-meter) lift hill. At the top, the train goes down a small "pre-drop" section. This leads into the main drop, which is 109 feet (33 meters) tall.
After the drop, you will go through a 105-foot (32-meter) vertical loop. This loop takes you completely upside down! Next, the train makes a banked left turn. This leads into a cool part called a cobra roll. A cobra roll looks like a cobra snake's head.
Right after the cobra roll, you will experience a zero-gravity roll. This makes you feel like you are floating for a moment! Then, the train goes into a downward left spiral. After that, you will go through the first of two corkscrews. These are like twisting spirals.
A banked left turn separates the two corkscrews. Finally, the train goes into an upward left spiral. This part of the ride is close to the water. Then, the train enters the brake run, where it slows down. After a right turn, it enters a second, shorter brake run. This brings you safely back to the station. One full ride on Silver Bullet lasts about two minutes and thirty seconds.
Silver Bullet's Track Design
The steel track of Silver Bullet is about 3,125 feet (953 meters) long. The lift hill is about 146 feet (45 meters) high. Like other roller coasters from Bolliger & Mabillard, Silver Bullet's track was made by Clermont Steel Fabricators in Ohio. It was put together by Coan Construction Company.
The track is filled with sand. This helps to make the ride quieter by reducing the noise from the trains. Silver Bullet was the first inverted roller coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard to use special magnetic brakes. These brakes help the train slow down smoothly.
The track and supports from the second brake run to the lift hill are all red. The rest of the track is yellow with red rails. The remaining supports are white.
The Trains of Silver Bullet
Silver Bullet uses two trains for riders, and there is a third train kept ready for maintenance. Each train is made of steel and fiberglass. It has eight cars. Each car seats four riders in a single row. This means 32 riders can be on one train at a time.
The seats are a light blue color. Riders are held in safely by orange over-the-shoulder restraints. The wheel coverings on the trains are colorful, with red, orange, and yellow.
