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Texas Tornado (roller coaster) facts for kids

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Texas Tornado
Roller coaster in Wonderland Park.JPG
Looking south towards the Texas Tornado and Shoot the Chute
Wonderland Park (Texas)
Coordinates 35°14′37″N 101°49′55″W / 35.243721°N 101.832064°W / 35.243721; -101.832064
Status Operating
Opening date 1985
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer Hopkins Rides
Length 2,050 ft (620 m)
Inversions 2
Height restriction 50 in (127 cm)
Texas Tornado at RCDB
Pictures of Texas Tornado at RCDB

The Texas Tornado is a steel roller coaster at Wonderland amusement park in Amarillo, Texas. It is the first coaster to be designed by North American water ride company Hopkins Rides. The design for Texas Tornado was scribbled on a napkin at a cocktail party at a trade show.

During the park's 2009 winter off season, most of the track was repainted from plain white to red, white and blue.

Ride Layout

Riders begin by climbing the chain lift hill beside the highway to the coaster's highest point of 80 ft (24.4 m) before it heads down the first drop. Immediately after the drop, the train powers through a 72 ft (30 m) tall vertical loop before heading along an elevated section nearly level section of track with a slight dip to the right. The train turns downwards and left and then back up and left towards the second 52 ft (15.8 m) tall vertical loop. After the second loop, the train heads down and through a 13 ft (4 m) deep, 200 ft (61 m) long tunnel before climbing back to the brake run. The Texas Tornado's famous double loops do not occur in a row, but are lined up to appear that way.

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