29yrswithaGApass Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Long before it was Johnny Rockets and Papa Johns, the food stand outside of Wiggles World was known as the Lightnin' Loops Cafe. Built in 1978 to accompany Lightnin' Loops, this was the first major food establishement added by Six Flags Corporation to fill the need for additional restaurant and snack places across the park. Also, regarding the Lightnin' Loops Cafe', I was an assistant manager at LLC during the 1981 & 1982 seasons and the restaurant did not have service windows directly to the outside. That is, although there was no indoor seating for the restaurant, you did have to go inside the restaurant to be served. Below is a great old photo of the Lightnin' Loops Cafe when guests had to go inside the building to get their food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightnin78nic Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 man would i like to see the old lightnin loops over on the old freefall site and take the chiller from down the road out of storage on the farm and reinstall it fo 2010!!! That would make the wound from Free Fall being removed much better for me but I heard that the side that was the Python was scraped.Though the other Diamondback is still in operation in Oklahoma.At least it would be reliable and not as as costly as the newer versions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterPrince Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) Are all those umbrella's needed 3 pics above... Edited October 23, 2009 by CoasterPrince Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Available at Target.com, K’NEX Loopin’ Lightning Coaster Set. Almost Lightnin' Loops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 still a great ride, wish we could get a new version back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightnin78nic Posted December 4, 2010 Report Share Posted December 4, 2010 Lightnin Loops was the first move I thought was bad but got over it with Chiller(like a newer replacement).Plus we had Scream Machine and all them flats.It was also just moved to Maryland as Python but dismantled a few years later.I really think they should have get one side,I never knew how popular and loved this coaster really was.When Hershey got Sidewinder I thought it was gonna be one loop like Lightnin Loops.When I saw the monster Sidewinder was in 91 I had to wait another day to prepare myself for 3 inversions backwards instead of the one and getting pulled up the lift straight down backwards.lol But Scream Machine my big licorice red roller coaster,I thought it would out last me,I miss GASM so much more than any ride thats gone from GA.It is and was my favorite coaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted January 16, 2011 Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 Here is a video of the lower blue Lightnin' Loop at Frontier City as Diamond Back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightnin78nic Posted January 27, 2011 Report Share Posted January 27, 2011 Nice video! The ride looks well maintained also,the trains are sweet with painted up like a snake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gasmspiritblue Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 Thought that this was worth sharing, blue loop now as diamondback off ride! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batmanrobinchiller Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 It looks like a lot of fun! I wish I could have ridden it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAnerd Posted July 24, 2016 Report Share Posted July 24, 2016 An interesting fact is that some time before the 1980 season the back car was tuned around but proved to be a uncomftorable ride with the first launch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daved Thomson Posted July 24, 2016 Report Share Posted July 24, 2016 An interesting fact is that some time before the 1980 season the back car was tuned around but proved to be a uncomftorable ride with the first launch. I don't ever recall any of the cars on Lightnin' Loops being turned around. In fact, I'm not sure how it would be possible on an Arrow shuttle loop because the end cars on their shuttle loops were not the same as the end cars on a regular Arrow loop coaster and the seats were molded into the fiber glass outer shell. You would not be able to have the outer shell fit on the chassis with their shuttle loops, while it might be possible to do it with a standard Arrow loop end car. If you were going to do it, I believe the entire train would have to be reversed. And, since each cycle went forward and backwards, why would you even need to do it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted July 24, 2016 Report Share Posted July 24, 2016 I don't recall this either and like Daved said, what sense would it make other than to have you go backwards first then forwards. Below is a picture of the last car of Lightnin' Loops. Like the front, the back had an overhang which covered the launch cart on takeoffs. It would seem to me that reversing it would be impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAnerd Posted July 25, 2016 Report Share Posted July 25, 2016 ^ I was told by a former arrow employee that this happened. I also thought it would impossible with a fiberglass train but. So I think he may have been confused with some other arrow coaster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted July 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2016 I think I remember seeing the Arrow Shuttle Loop in Blackpool with half the seats one direction and half the other in an OLD roller coaster show from TV (back in the 80's). It was a British show called "Ride of Your Life" which I may still have on a video tape somewhere... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericthewanderer Posted August 1, 2016 Report Share Posted August 1, 2016 ^ I was told by a former arrow employee that this happened. I also thought it would impossible with a fiberglass train but. So I think he may have been confused with some other arrow coaster? Maybe the employee got it confused with XLR-8?That ride started with all-forward seating and then had the back half reversed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrummer Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 I remember riding Lightning Loops in the spring of 1979. I could not believe how much the structure moved and swayed during the launch and ride phases. Standing on the platform it felt like there was an earthquake. Obviously the structure was designed to take that movement. My love of coasters was one of the reasons I went into the civil engineering field and have worked there since. I've worked on lots of bridge projects, but unfortunately never anything at an amusement park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medusa42 Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Diamond Back at Frontier City is getting a roof over the station this year. https://www.facebook.com/groups/OklahomaCoasterClub/permalink/2761998573882353/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 It is great to see that ride still operating and being cared for at its current home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted April 20, 2020 Report Share Posted April 20, 2020 From the spring of 1978, you can see the platform for the higher (red) platform of Lightnin' Loops under construction. Picture was taken from the "Moon Flume". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted September 2, 2022 Report Share Posted September 2, 2022 What difference color makes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted June 4, 2023 Report Share Posted June 4, 2023 Here is a photo of the blue Lightnin' Loop during its first season in 1978. Notice there aren't any air-gates yet, only chains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.