Knott’s Pony Express coaster set to arrive

Knott’s Berry Farm anticipates the delivery of the new Pony Express roller coaster cars by the end of next week in advance of a May 22 debut.

The horseback coaster is currently en route from Italian manufacturer Zamperla and should arrive at Long Beach Harbor on March 19 with delivery to the Buena Park theme park expected on March 21 after clearing customs.

On-track testing of the $10-million “tweener coaster” should begin in early April after crews complete construction of the steel track, Zamperla officials said.

Harnessed aboard a galloping roller-horse by a T-shaped back restraint, Pony X riders will take a 36-second ride from launch to brakes on an elongated figure-8 track featuring hairpin turns, whoop-de-dos and 60-degree banks. (Watch video.)

You can find comprehensive Pony Express construction photos at Westcoaster and Roller Coaster Pro as well as continuing Knott’s Berry Farm coverage at the Bearytales fan site.

Find the latest amusement and theme park news at the
Los Angeles Times Funland blog: www.latimes.com/funland.

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

[Photo: Zamperla]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 3:09 pm by Brady MacDonald and is filed under Family & Kids, Knott's, San Diego, Theme Parks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.