Nightmare at Crack Axle Canyon

Nightmare at Crack Axle Canyon (formerly known as Starchaser and Nightmare at Phantom Cave) was a twister roller coaster at Great Escape amusement park in Queensbury, New York. The relatively simple steel coaster was enclosed in a warehouse-like building allowing the cars to run in the dark giving a heightened sense of disorientation around sharp twists and turns. The ride was situated in the park's Ghosttown area and was appropriately-themed to the Old West.

Nightmare at Crack Axle Canyon
Building exterior and entrance to the Nightmare.
Great Escape
Park sectionGhosttown
Coordinates43°21′09″N 73°41′33″W / 43.352491°N 73.692515°W / 43.352491; -73.692515
StatusRemoved
Opening date1999 (1999)
Closing date2006 (2006)
Darien Lake
Coordinates42°55′44″N 78°23′06″W / 42.929°N 78.385°W / 42.929; -78.385
StatusRemoved
Opening date1996 (1996)
Closing date1998 (1998)
Kentucky Kingdom
Coordinates38°11′42″N 85°44′49″W / 38.195°N 85.747°W / 38.195; -85.747
StatusRemoved
Opening date1987 (1987)
Closing date1995 (1995)
Beech Bend
Coordinates37°01′26″N 86°23′42″W / 37.024°N 86.395°W / 37.024; -86.395
StatusRemoved
Closing date1984 (1984)
General statistics
TypeSteel – Enclosed
ManufacturerAnton Schwarzkopf
ModelTwister roller coaster
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height44 ft (13 m)
Length1,765 ft (538 m)
Speed31 mph (50 km/h)
Inversions0
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
Nightmare at Crack Axle Canyon at RCDB

History

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Before arriving at The Great Escape, Nightmare at Crack Axle Canyon was located at Beech Bend Park, Kentucky Kingdom as Starchaser and at Darien Lake as Nightmare at Phantom Cave. The 2006 season was the last season that the roller coaster was open at The Great Escape. The park later confirmed that the coaster had been scrapped, possibly shortly after its closure. In 2013, at The Great Escape during Fright Fest (Halloween event) the building is used for a haunted house.

Capacity issues

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The trains were single cars with two rows of two riders each, for a total capacity of four riders per car. The low capacity could result in long wait times. To remedy this, the new Flash Pass system (named for the Flash, a licensed DC Comics character) was introduced in 2006. Riders arriving at the attraction were given a ticket and asked to return at a designated time, when lines were noticeably shorter.

References

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