A rendering shows riders tackling twists and turns in the Quantum Accelerator’s bronze, steampunk-themed “hover bike” cars.
Reminder Publishing submitted image
AGAWAM — Six Flags New England is no stranger to thrill rides. “Superman: The Ride” has a 221-foot drop and a maximum speed of 77 miles per hour. “Batman, the Dark Knight” hits riders with 4 G’s of force. “Flashback” sends riders through two 360-degree loops, then sends them through the loops in reverse.
But when the park announced its newest attraction, a straddle coaster called “Quantum Accelerator,” park president Pete Carmichael compared it to “Pandemonium,” a steel spinning coaster with a max speed of 31 miles per hour. Both “Pandemonium” and the new coaster, he said, are thrill rides the whole family could experience together.
Reminder Publishing submitted image
That being said, “Quantum Accelerator” will be twice the size, twice as tall and have two launch pads, the latter of which will propel riders to a top speed of 45 mph.
“Make no mistake, it is designed to be a mega thrill ride,” said Carmichael.
At the station, riders will mount a bronze, steampunk-themed “hover bike” with a lap bar and handlebars. Gripping the handlebars, they will be launched onto the half-mile track at 30 mph, going through twists, turns and curves for over two minutes. Halfway through, they will be launched a second time at 45 mph. Riders will experience 11 moments of airtime, said Carmichael.
The coaster will be in Crackaxle Canyon, a Wild West-themed section of the park, in a spot that hosted a lazy river in 1970s and 1980s, said Carmichael. The Wild West theme blends well with the steampunk theme of the coaster, he said.
“This allows us to really blend the Old World theme with the cutting edge technology in the ride system,” he said.
It also allows them to tell a fun story, he said. The premise of the ride is that it is a time travel device invented by the mad scientist Dr. Screamore. The riders will be his test subjects.
Riders must be over 48 inches tall. Carmichael said there are no weight restrictions.
“Quantum Accelerator” will be the park’s 12th roller coaster, and its first new one since “The Joker” opened in 2017.
“It’s important to keep investing in our facility, so we can keep being a world-class attraction that our community is proud of,” Carmichael said.
Construction should begin on the coaster this fall, said Carmichael, and last through the off-season. It should be open around Memorial Day next year, he said.
The coaster is a long-term investment and Carmichael hopes people will still ride it 20 to 30 years from now.
“We would expect it to be a successful investment,” he said.
