Talon (roller coaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Talon |
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Talon's steeply-banked, low-to-the-ground turn
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| Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom | |
| Location | Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 40°34′44″N 75°31′48″W / 40.579°N 75.53°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 5, 2001 |
| Cost | $13,000,000 USD |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Inverted |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Model | Inverted Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 135 ft (41 m) |
| Drop | 120 ft (37 m) |
| Length | 3,110 ft (950 m) |
| Speed | 58 mph (93 km/h) |
| Inversions | 4 |
| Duration | 2:00 |
| Max vertical angle | 50° |
| Capacity | 1200 riders per hour |
| G-force | 4.5 |
| Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
| Trains | 2 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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| Talon at RCDB | |
Talon is a thrilling inverted roller coaster located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was built by Bolliger & Mabillard and designed by Werner Stengel. This amazing ride cost $13 million to build and first opened to the public in 2001. When it opened, Talon was known as the tallest and longest inverted coaster in the Northeast United States. It stands 135 feet (41 meters) tall, reaches a top speed of 58 miles per hour (93 km/h), and features four exciting upside-down sections.
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The Story of Talon
On April 28, 2000, Dorney Park announced that a new 135-foot (41-meter) tall inverted roller coaster would be built. This new ride would have four inversions, meaning it would turn riders upside down four times. More details were shared on August 30, 2000, when the park announced the full plans for the $13 million coaster and its name: Talon.
Talon was designed to be the longest inverted roller coaster in the Northeast. It was built on land that Cedar Fair had set aside for a big new attraction when they bought the park in 1992. Construction started on September 5, 2000, and continued through the winter months. The first parts of the ride, like the brake run and transfer track, were put in place in October 2000. The highest point of the lift hill was completed on November 21, 2000, and all the track was finished in early 2001. After all the safety tests were done, Talon officially opened on May 5, 2001.
What It's Like to Ride Talon
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Once your train leaves the station, you immediately start climbing the 135-foot (41-meter) lift hill. When you reach the top, the train goes through a small pre-drop before making a sharp 120-foot (37-meter) downward turn to the right.
Next, the train dives into a 98-foot (30-meter) tall vertical loop, which turns you completely upside down! After the loop, you'll experience a zero-gravity roll, making you feel weightless for a moment. Then, the train drops back down and enters an Immelmann loop. This move takes you up, flips you over, and sends you back in the direction you came from.
The ride continues with a full 360-degree upward right turn, followed by a left turn that leads into another drop. After this drop, the train makes a highly banked right turn into a flat spin, which is like a corkscrew. Finally, the train makes a left turn very close to the ground, then goes over a small hill that gives you a feeling of airtime before heading into the brake run. After a quick stop, the train makes a right turn into a second, shorter set of brakes before returning to the station.
One full ride on Talon lasts about 2 minutes.
Cool Facts About Talon
The Trains
Talon uses two trains, made from steel and fiberglass. Each train has eight cars, and each car can seat four riders in a single row. This means a total of 32 riders can be on one train at a time. The trains are colored blue and turquoise, with black seats and yellow over-the-shoulder restraints to keep you safe.
The Track
The steel track of Talon is about 3,110 feet (948 meters) long. The lift hill is about 135 feet (41 meters) high. The entire track weighs almost 3,000,000 pounds (1,360,777 kg)! The track was made by Clermont Steel Fabricators in Batavia, Ohio.
Unlike some other roller coasters, Talon's track is filled with sand. This special feature helps to reduce the noise the trains make as they zoom along the track. The tracks are painted bright orange and yellow, while the supports that hold them up are blue.
What Does "Talon" Mean?
The entrance sign for Talon has a mini-slogan: "The Grip Of Fear." The name "Talon" comes from the word for a claw, which is a sharp, curved nail found on the feet of birds of prey and mythical creatures. The entire ride is themed to feel like a powerful bird of prey.
