Batman & Robin: The Chiller

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**Batman & Robin: The Chiller** was a dual-tracked, launched roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, 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.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".** The Observatory prop that loomed over the launch tracks and exit ramp was inspired by the film source material.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".** 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 and modifications

The Chiller faced excessive amounts of downtime due to a number of reoccurring issues. During its lifetime, one track was often closed.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".** The blue Batman track faced the most downtime, operating sporadically during the ride's existence and occasionally closing for entire seasons, such as in 2005.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".** Power shortages and low temperatures occasionally caused the trains to stall on the track in a low area. This included directly in the valley after main elements, in the low valley after the zero-g rolls, or for the Robin (Red) side, in the low mid point of the cobra roll section. On one rare occasion following a power outage, the Robin (Red) side managed to stall in the zero-g roll itself, leaving 8 passengers stranded upside down, with 12 others stranded partially inverted.

The original over-the-shoulder restraints were reportedly uncomfortable.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".** Riders frequently complained of hitting their heads against them.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".** Attempts were made to improve comfort by adding extra padding, but the restraints were eventually replaced with individually-ratcheting lap bars, with the Robin side receiving the change first in 2001, followed by the Batman side in 2002.

In June 2006, Six Flags Great Adventure closed The Chiller indefinitely following a major incident involving the Robin side. The third car's wheel assembly of the train's third car broke apart during the course of the ride.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".** As a result, other damages to the track and train resulted.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".** 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 by Premier Rides, which included the removal of the zero-g rolls and a re-design of the wheel assembly system, the ride reopened briefly in 2007. The ride's brief 2007 re-opening involved the former Batman train being painted red so as to supply the more reliable Robin side with a full train to operate with. The intention was to open the Batman side using the four remaining undamaged cars from the Robin side, once they were brought back to operating capacity.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".**

### Removal and aftermath

Removal of the ride began late in the 2007 operating season. The ride was slowly removed, as removal was limited to periods of time outside the park's operating hours.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".** The taller portions of its structure were removed in the months following the close of the 2007 season. The coaster was disassembled in a fashion that indicated the park had intentions of re-selling the ride, as the pieces were carefully brought down one by one in a non destructive manner. Pieces were labeled and shipped out of the park on flatbed trucks to a storage lot in the adjacent Plumsted Township in New Jersey. Once the steel structure of the coaster was removed, only the station, observatory and queue line remained. The following year, the remaining foundation caps under the observatory and the former exit ramp were removed.**Script error: No such module "Unsubst".**

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 remodeled observatory opened on July 3, 2009, as the "Xploratorium", a new attraction with many virtual and interactive features for park guests to enjoy.

Justice League Battle for Metropolis, a dark ride, and The Dark Knight Coaster opened in the location where Chiller once stood, although the Observatory still remains and is used for various purposes.

## Ride experience

 File:Chiller entrance.jpg
The Chiller used a linear induction motor (LIM) launch system that propelled the trains from 0 to **Script error: No such module "convert".** in approximately 4 seconds. The Batman track featured an inverted top hat element with a **Script error: No such module "convert".** 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 **Script error: No such module "convert".** cobra roll followed by a zero-g roll. Both sides ended at a **Script error: No such module "convert".** 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

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## External links

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

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