I think the coolest thing about ThunderBolt is that there is absolutely no lift mechanics throughout the ride. That first drop, right out of the gate, provides the forward momentum to get started and then the lay of the land causes the speed and locomotiin for the rest of ride! Genius!

Kennywood! What a gem of a park! Walking underneath the highway, your like, "What am I getting myself into?" and then you clear security and step into another time - a gentler, kinder place straight out of the early 1900s. OOOh, and I absolutely love that racer they have at Kennywood! What a great ride! But like I said, I'm a HUGE steel fan.

I could list out my favs at each park I've been too, but you guys would either be bored to tears or rip me for my choices... :o) But seriously - current fav steel coaster is The Hulk in Universal Florida... I can't wait to get back there!

"My favorite bit about the Thuderbolt is that it seems to get progressively faster. Many other older wood coasters kind of limp home in the last bit, the Thunderbolt just keeps up the speed. The pull out of the ravine at the very end seems impossible but it always makes it."

Just like my personal favorite (or favorite wooden out-and-back, at least,) the Lakeside Cyclone, which like Thunderbolt was also designed by a Vettel (Ed: Cyclone, nephew Andy: Thunderbolt - the redesign in the 60s.) For me that's an absolute essential, the ingenuity of the design which squeezes every last ounce of oomph out of the energy acquired from the first drop. Cyclone still has so much speed on the back end of its run that it has to use a series of big bunny hops (with nice airtime) right before the turn into the station to slow the thing down sufficiently.

I've been intrigued by Thunderbolt ever since I first heard of it, but I've never experienced it. It looks like there's a fair chance I'll be able to get out to ride it this year, though. Can't wait.