Best and Worst Arrow Mine Trains

[bgwfreak777]

I'm still a fan of Arrow/Vekoma mine trains, but many of them (Arrow) are pretty rough around the edges.

 

Probably the smoothest one I've been on is Adventure Express. Are there any other Arrow Mine Trains out there that are smooth?

 

Appologies if this is a repeat, I did search and didn't see anything come up.

Edited December 28, 2013 by larrygator

[gforce532]

The Big Thunder Mountains from what I know are manufactured by Arrow or Vekoma. And last I check they were smooth. Also if you want to add Everest to that pool.

[Shavethewhales]

ThuNderaTion at SDC is fairly smooth. There's a couple of jolts, but the park has done a good job keeping it maintained. The only other one I've been on is Cedar Creek Mine Ride at CP, which was pretty much too slow to be very rough.

[RollingRunner]

Big Thunder Mountian at WDW is probably the smoothest mine train i've ever been on so far. As for Arrow type mine trains, I'd say Trailblazer at Hershey is the smoothest out of the other two Arrows i've gone on, but a bit dull since it never gets up to a good speed and has a suck-ish layout. Canyon Blaster at TGE and Runaway Mine Train at SFGAdv are slightly better, but more rougher since they go faster.

[cb0688]

Road Runner Express at SFFT is extremely smooth!

[Airtime&Gravity]

Gemini is essentially a large mine train if that counts. I don't remember much about it, but I think I would place it as being one of the smoothest coasters I've ridden. I think Cedar Creek Mine Ride was fairly smooth, but I don't remember since it was six years ago when I rode it. River King at Six Flags St. Louis has some rough parts, but it too was fairly smooth. Then again, it doesn't really do anything.

[thrillerman1]

ThuNderaTion at SDC is fairly smooth. There's a couple of jolts, but the park has done a good job keeping it maintained.

 

I second that. It was running great when I rode it last year!

[BigDipper 80]

WED built the first two BTMRR's, but yeah, Vekoma was in charge of Tokyo's and Paris's versions. BTMRR is probably the smoothest out there. For straight up Arrows, there is Adventure Express, which is a good ride and fairly new by Arrow mine train standards, but it does have its fair share of jolts. Cedar Creek Mine Ride is smooth, but like other people have pointed out, it just meanders around and doesn't really do anything.

[ArizonaGuy]

I 2nd RoadRunner Express at SFFT. Pretty smooth.

[angryemobeaver]

I don't think any Arrow Mine Trains aren't smooth. They have bad transitions, but they are not rough. Maybe it's just the few I've ridden?

-Adventure Express

-Cedar Creek Mine Ride

-Carolina Goldrusher

-Dahlonega Mine Train

[Josh Linn]

I don't remember Hershey's Trailblazer being that bad.

[Sir Clinksalot]

I'll 3rd Road Runner Express at SFFT.

 

We rode Big Thunder at Disneyland 7 times in a row last Saturday, and while smooth, it did feel a bit bumpy on the last couple of rides.

 

I also don't remember Trailblazer or Runaway Mine Train (SFGAdv) being too rough either.

[bgwfreak777]

By rough I don't mean "Mean Streak on a bad (or normal) day", but like Carolina Goldrusher has one really BAD jolt when you're going into the final helix.

 

And Dahlonega has a few jolts as well, that make it so I don't ride it much anymore.

[smells_like_team_disney]

^Dahlonega has to be the roughest mine train I've ever ridden.

 

The Big Thunders, for the most part, offer a solid and fairly smooth ride, although I can do without the deafening anti-rollbacks on the Paris version. My favorite Arrow mine ride is ThuNderatioN, with Adventure Express being a close second. I found both to be very smooth and, overall, a lot of fun. However, my favorite mine ride PERIOD is definitely Colorado Adventure by Vekoma at Phantasialand! I've yet to ride the one at SFFT.

[XII]

Both Trailblazer and Canyon Blaster @ the Great Escape were perfectly smooth to me. Of course, they were both way too slow and boring to even be rough at all. The rest of the Arrow Mine trains, while they aren't smooth, I still enjoy them, and I still ride Goldrusher frequently, so yeah. They're definitely still fun.

[YoshiFan]

Trailblazer is smooth, Runaway Mine Train at Great Adventure isn't too bad, but the drop after the MCBR can throw you around especially if you aren't in the front row of a car (the front row of each car has more leg room)

[LcHg5265]

Colorado Adventure - The Michael Jackson Thrill Ride!

 

It is best to ride Michael Jackson in the back...you even get some airtime!

[ginzo]

I don't think any Arrow Mine Trains aren't smooth. They have bad transitions, but they are not rough. Maybe it's just the few I've ridden?

 

I think this describes the situation fairly well. Many of the Arrow mine trains are Ron Toomer coat hanger coasters, but they never go fast enough to hurt that much. Vekoma makes a better mine train, like Michael Jackson and BTMRR at Disney Paris.

[Philrad71]

Gemini is essentially a large mine train if that counts. I don't remember much about it, but I think I would place it as being one of the smoothest coasters I've ridden.

 

Gemini has deteriorated in recent years in my book. It had always been butter smooth and even though the turns are still pretty gentle (save for the end helix of death), there seemed to be a relative amount of jackhammering at the bottom of every hill when we rode it a couple of weeks ago. Not sure what they can do to rectify this, but sure hope they will as Gemini used to be one of my favorites!

 

As far as mine trains, I would agree with most that the Disney one's are probably the smoothest and most fun. I have never been impressed with any of the one's at the Cedar Fair or Six Flags parks. Didn't care for Hershey's either...

[coasterbear30]

I am from Atlanta and I can tell you that Dahlonega is one of the worst out there. It is so rough and jerky and I can promise I won't ride it again.

 

As far as really smooth ones, the only one that I have ridden that was really smooth and fun is Iron Horse at Freestyle Music Park but I guess that if you have not ridden it then you won't get that chance.

[coasterdude2011]

Gemini has deteriorated in recent years in my book. It had always been butter smooth and even though the turns are still pretty gentle (save for the end helix of death), there seemed to be a relative amount of jackhammering at the bottom of every hill when we rode it a couple of weeks ago. Not sure what they can do to rectify this, but sure hope they will as Gemini used to be one of my favorites!

 

Really? I went on it last week and I still think it's the smoothest ride in the park along with Millennium Force, well besides the back seat though, that one can jolt you around, but yea Gemini has always been the butter smooth one for me. Cedar Creek Mine Ride has it's jolts unforunately, if you sit in the front seat it can really throw you around, it's a nice ride to go on there since it never has a line, but sit in the middle then it's kind of enjoyable

[AstroDan]

El Diablo at PortAventura is smooth, although it's very lame!

 

[Philrad71]

^^ Hmmm...that is odd. We sat almost right in the middle of the blue train because we remembered it being rough in the back last year. The middle didn't treat us any better, as not only was I dreading hitting the hill bottoms, other riders around me were "Oww-ing" as well.

 

Maybe we are not sitting in the right seats (wheel vs. non-wheel?) or we're catching it on bad days....or maybe we're just not riding it right?

 

All I know is that it is definitely not the same ride I remember as a teenager...perhaps I am getting too brittle in my old age!

[bgwfreak777]

Wow this thread got a lot more response than I expected.

 

I think one of my problems is that over the years I've packed on a lot of muscle on my legs, and I have pretty big legs and not really designed for those restraints.

 

I sit cross-legged on them, but still kinda tight.

 

I still love riding Carolina Goldrusher, especially at night. But boy does that final helix try to throw out my back!

 

Thanks Ron!

[GigaG]

This is simple. And Gemini can be counted off to the side - it isn't really a mine train. What are the best and worst "genuine" Arrow mine trains that you've been on?

 

For me, best is almost certainly Adventure Express. It has fairly good theming (for Cedar Fair, especially - at least they kept the theming after acquiring KI) and is speedy and rather intense. My one or two rides on SFGAdv's mine train were good, too. I also found Magic Mountain's interesting.

Worst is harder - CCMR is boring and somewhat repeats itself, Dahlonega is boring but fun, and based on videos, Carolina Goldrusher (which I went on forever ago) is just weird. I've never been on Thunderation (isn't that one the better ones?) or many other ones. What is your opinion?