Batman & Robin: The Chiller

Defunct roller coaster at Six Flags Great AdventureTemplate:SHORTDESC:Defunct roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure

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**Batman & Robin: The Chiller** was a dual-tracked, launched roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. Designed by Premier Rides, the ride was themed to the Batman & Robin movie. It opened to the public on June 7, 1997, but after a series of setbacks shortly after its debut, the roller coaster closed for much of its inaugural season and didn't reopen until 1998. When it did, ride operation was changed to launch only one side at a time as a result of the amount of power required by the ride's linear induction motor (LIM) launch system. Although modifications were made over the years to improve the ride experience and limit the amount of downtime, the park decided to remove the attraction following the 2007 season.

## History

### Announcement

In 1996, Six Flags Great Adventure announced the addition of a new roller coaster for the 1997 season. The new ride would be a dual-tracked, launched roller coaster called "Batman & Robin: The Chiller", featuring linear induction motor (LIM) technology for its launch system. The theme was chosen with the intent of promoting the *Batman & Robin* film, which was set to open in the summer of 1997.[*citation needed*] The Observatory prop that loomed over the launch tracks and exit ramp was inspired by the film source material.[*citation needed*] Each track represented one of the title characters, with the blue track for Batman and the red track for Robin.

### Construction and opening

The ride was fabricated by Dynamic Structures and Intermountain Lift, Inc. Following a series of delays, Batman & Robin: The Chiller opened briefly to the public on June 7, 1997. It was closed a short time later in what Six Flags Great Adventure cited as "inconsistencies" with the LIM launch system and unsatisfactory ride quality. Early adjustments failed to solve the issue, which included changes to the LIM configuration and the installation of additional padding to the passenger restraints. On July 30, 1997, the park announced the possibility that the new coaster would be closed for the remainder of the season. The Chiller didn't operate on a full-time basis until 1998.

### Ongoing issues

The Chiller was faced with excessive amounts of downtime while the launch systems were repaired. One track was often closed, while the other was kept in operation. The Batman track faced the most downtime, operating sporadically during the ride's existence and occasionally closing for entire seasons. Power shortages and low temperatures occasionally caused the trains to stall on the track in a low area following the zero-g roll.

The original over-the-shoulder restraints were reportedly uncomfortable. Riders frequently complained of hitting their heads against them. Attempts were made to improve comfort by adding extra padding, but the restraints were eventually replaced with individually-ratcheting lap bars, with Robin's side receiving the change in 2001 and the Batman side in 2002.

In May 2006, Six Flags Great Adventure made the decision to close The Chiller indefinitely. It remained closed for the rest of the season, while the park considered a major overhaul of the ride. After several significant modifications the following off-season, including the removal of the zero-g rolls, the ride reopened briefly in 2007. Ultimately, the ride became too expensive and problematic to maintain, and another incident in June 2007 sealed its fate. The park permanently closed the ride following the incident and began demolition in October 2007.

### Removal and aftermath

During the end of the 2007 season, the ride was completely removed, leaving only the station, observatory and queue line behind. The following year, the remaining foundation caps under the observatory and the former exit ramp were removed. The ride's parts were relocated to a storage lot in the adjacent Plumsted Township in New Jersey.

The ride remained there for several years before Beto Carrero World, a Brazilian park, purchased the coaster. The ride was never assembled for unknown reasons and was scrapped in 2018.

In December 2018, the Robin train was reused as a third train on Mr. Freeze at Six Flags Over Texas.

Following the removal of the ride, the queue line was used for the "Escape From The Asylum" Terror Trail during Fright Fest. The Fright Fest exclusive attraction turned the former ride area into a Terror Trail maze for guests to walk through while costumed employees were hiding and frequently scaring guests. The remodelled observatory opened on July 3, 2009, as the "Xploratorium", a new attraction with many virtual and interactive features for park guests to enjoy.

## Ride

 File:Chiller entrance.jpg
The Chiller used a linear induction motor (LIM) launch system that propelled the trains from 0 to 65 mph (105 km/h) in approximately 4 seconds. The Batman track featured an inverted top hat element with a 139-foot (42 m) drop, followed by a zero-g roll inversion. The Robin track had a similar layout, but instead of an inverted top hat, it featured a 105-foot (32 m) cobra roll followed by a zero-g roll. Both sides ended at a 200-foot (61 m) incline with a 45-degree angle, which also featured a second set of LIMs that propelled each train close to the top. They rested momentarily before rolling backward down the incline, propelled by the LIMs and repeating the course in reverse.

In its early days, both tracks ran their trains simultaneously as intended to provide a dueling scenario. When operated in this fashion, the trains would reach the end of their respective tracks at approximately the same time. However, the amount of power required by the LIM infrastructure led to the park only launching one train at a time. The zero-g roll element on each side was removed prior to the 2007 season and replaced with small hills.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Marden, Duane. "Batman And Robin: The Chiller  (Six Flags Great Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
2. ↑ Pryma, Kristy (October 4, 2001). "Engineer bridges gap between telescopes and roller coasters". IT World Canada. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
3. ↑ "Amusement". Intermountain Lift, Inc. July 30, 2011. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Garvey, Allison (July 31, 1997). "Six Flags keeping Chiller closed". *Asbury Park Press*. Toms River Bureau. Retrieved December 19, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
5. ↑ "Batman & Robin: The Chiller At Six Flags Great Adventure". *www.greatadventurehistory.com*. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
6. ↑ "Batman & Robin: Chiller Being Dismantled".
7. ↑ Marden, Duane. "unknown". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 14, 2012. Cite uses generic title (help)
8. ↑ "Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast Six Flags Over Texas - SFOT Source".
9. ↑ Futrell, Jim (2004). *Amusement Parks of New Jersey*. Stackpole Books. p. 196. ISBN 0811729737.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Zalud, Todd (August 6, 1998). "Blasting Speed Into Amusement – Park Rides". MachineDesign. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "90s Steel Coasters". *ultimaterollercoaster.com*. Retrieved June 20, 2018.

## External links

* Batman & Robin: The Chiller at the Roller Coaster DataBase