The Rocky Express
Years Operational 1989 to 2021The Rocky Express was a Mack Rides Spinning Train ride, which had been thrilling guests at the resort since it opened in 1989. It was the second oldest ride (32 Years) still in operation at Thorpe Park in the 2021 season. It can reach a max speed of 11 rotations per minute, and a ride cycle will normally last for approximately 90 seconds. It has a capacity of 48 riders per cycle, with two riders sitting in each row. Children riding with parents, the child must be sat on the inside of the train, with the parent on the outside. The minimum height restriction is 0.9m but guests below 1.2m must ride with an adult, and it is a ride that is thrilling and fun for the whole family.
The ride was made up of 8 different trains, comprising of a locomotive car, and a carriage. The locomotive car can hold 2 riders in one row, and the carriage can hold four as has two rows. These trains are painted in four different colour schemes, each colour is used twice and each locomotive and carriage is numbered. The colour schemes are as follows: Yellow (1,5), Blue (2,6), Red (3,7), and Green (4,8). Situated in the Old Town, formerly Canada Creek area of the park. This hasn't been the rides only home inside the resort, it used to be located in the central area of the park in the Children's Ride Area, which would later become Octopus Gardens, it was relocated to it's current location in Canada Creek between 1996 and 1997 seasons. It was confirmed by Thorpe Park on Twitter that the area of the park which located Rocky will not reopen in 2022 for the construction and land clearing for the Project Exodus coaster. Rocky was left standing but not operating for the entire duration of the 2022 season with the area closed off from the public, what the future of holds for Rocky Express is was unclear, but the odds were higher that the much loved thrilling kids ride has closed forever and will just be removed from the resort. Once the construction of Project Exodus was green lit, by the end of December 2022, Rocky Express had been dismantled to make way for the construction of the UK's tallest rollercoaster. |
Thorpe Park announced on the 12th January 2023, that "It's with a heavy heart, we can now confirm the much-loved little trains are retiring from the theme park industry <3"