Thunder Run is a powered roller coaster, themed after a runaway mine train, found at

Canada's Wonderland Canada's Wonderland, formerly known as Paramount Canada's Wonderland, is a amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, a municipality within the Greater Toronto Area. Opened in 1981 by the Taft Broadcasting, Taft Broadcasting Company and the Gr ...

, in

Vaughan Vaughan ( ) (2022 population 344,412) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Regional Municipality of York, just north of Toronto. Vaughan was the fastest-growing municipality in Canada between 1996 and 2006 with its population increa ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Rather than having a traditional

chain lift A lift hill, or chain hill, is an upward-sloping section of track on a roller coaster on which the roller coaster train is mechanically lifted to an elevated point or peak in the track. Upon reaching the peak, the train is then propelled from t ...

hill, the train has an electric motor on board. The train (consisting of nine cars of two rows of two seats, plus an extra single row at the front of the train) flies directly into the Wonder Mountain, the artificial mountain that is a trademark of the park. The coaster opened on May 23, 1981, and operated until 1985 as Blauer Enzian ("Blue

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" in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

), but in 1986 it was relocated, extended, and incorporated into the Wonder Mountain. The ride occupies the interior of the Wonder Mountain, which was initially supposed to hold a "Bavarian Market". Instead, mechanical equipment was placed inside, which was later relocated to the "roof" of the mountain to make room for the ride. The relocation of mechanical equipment also resulted in the Wonder Mountain walkway being closed. Riders on

Vortex In fluid dynamics, a vortex (: vortices or vortexes) is a region in a fluid in which the flow revolves around an axis line, which may be straight or curved. Vortices form in stirred fluids, and may be observed in smoke rings, whirlpools in th ...

can still see remnants of the look-out terrace before they reach the first drop.

Ride experience

Once the train leaves the station, train riders traverse a banked left turn, followed by an upward helix to the left inside Wonder Mountain. Part of this helix is exposed, giving train riders a view of the surrounding area. Due to the nature of the train ride, the train picks up speed as it ascends the helix. The train then re-enters the mountain, traversing a downward double-helix to the right in complete darkness, with included special effects. Train riders enter a decorated light tunnel, followed by a downward banked curve to the left. The train passes through the station, then completes the layout a second time before returning to the train station. With a height restriction that accommodates children as small as tall, Thunder Run's design is geared towards families. While most of the ride is experienced in the dark, riders also encounter visual effects and props, most notably the Dragon (nicknamed "Herman" by Wonderland employees). Other visual effects include lighted tunnels and strobe lights. As previously mentioned, the train ride is programmed so that it completes two circuits, maximizing the capability of the train coaster's rather small footprints. In the past, during the park's

Halloween Haunt Halloween Haunt may refer to several Halloween events at Six Flags amusement parks: *HalloWeekends (Cedar Point) * Halloween Haunt (California's Great America) (Former) * Halloween Haunt (Canada's Wonderland) * Halloween Haunt (Dorney Park) * Hall ...

seasonal event in October, Wonderland has renamed the train ride to Haunted Thunder Run with additional light, sound and fog effects.

References

External links

* * {{Canada's Wonderland Roller coasters introduced in 1981 Roller coasters introduced in 1986 Roller coasters in Ontario Roller coasters operated by Six Flags Enclosed roller coasters