Mine Train Rides

I was just curious to know if anyone enjoyed riding old-fashioned mine train rides?? My two favorites are the Dahlonega at SFOG and the River Mine at SFSTL. Of course they arent built for speed or excessive thrills, but in their own right, they do entertain quite well. Any other thoughts or opinions are quite welcome.

I enjoy them as well. Adventure Express at King's Island is probably my favorite out of all the ones I have been on.

Out of all the Arrow coasters, these seem to outlast.

Roadrunner Express @ SFoT, ThuNderaTion @ SDC (will be there in two weeks!).

Mmmmmm.....ThuNderaTion!

I'm not huge on them, but I do like oG's version, and actually got a pleasant ride on Carowind's with Gator last weekend. They can be fun.

I'm tired of over-sized mine rides right now. Especially racing ones.

TNT @ SDC (backwards) was really darn good. Gator, we don't have a Roadrunner express. You must be thinking of SFFT.

I almost always hit the mine rides. Cedar Creek Mine Ride is my favorite.

I love the themeing on Adventure Express at Kings Island. I wish it would get some TLC, which isn't likely under CF.

I was not impressed with Goldrusher at Carowinds. Slow, boring, but I liked the trains.

^^Yes Andy, I was...thanks!

RRE about 8-9 years ago was one of the best-themed rides in the chain. The last trip in...'08 I think (?)...the ride was badly in need of paint and had lost more than a third of its themed characters and such. Still WAY fast for a mine ride.

Does Excalibur at Valleyfar! even count? ;)

Goldrusher at Magic Mountain is one of my favorite coasters there...and they have a lot! :)

I love mine trains. I always wished someone would take the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad concept and make it into an intense adrenaline rush ride like the mine car chase in Indiana Jones.

Outside of Disney, my favorites are ThuNderaTion, Adventure Express, SFoT's Runaway Mine Train, and the often overlooked Quicksilver Express at Gilroy (Bonfante) Gardens. And of course The Beast, 'cause that's really what it is.

James Whitmore said:
I love the themeing on Adventure Express at Kings Island. I wish it would get some TLC, which isn't likely under CF.

AE's themeing got some love this past offseason... all the motion in the last tunnel was restored (including the lava), and the lighting was fixed in that tunnel as well.

The only major problem now is the spear tunnel, but that hasn't worked correctly since the ride's first few years.

I remember my first ride on AE, and how as you headed out of the station, it headed into a fog or mist. Haven't seen that since.

Kinda love a steelie that don't feel over engineered, has some forces both latteral and negative gs.

Mine Rides, two thumbs up

Thunder Run at Canada's Wonderland is great fun. Also, Blazing Fury at Dollywood. But really, I never met a mine ride I didn't like, at least a little.

I've always been a Mine Train fan. My first being SFoG's in 1967. This was my fave before they went and added steel supports to the 2nd section, reconfigured the 2nd lift drop and final tunnel which use to be pretty intense. I rode River King for the first time last year and really liked it.

Back when these original Arrow Mine Trains were built they were all surrounded by woods and water. Now, many of them (Carowinds for example) no longer have that added scenery.

The last Mine Train I rode that really seemed to be out in the woods was at Dollywood in 1995. They have since moved that to Magic Springs in Arkansas.

Ensign Smith said:
Thunder Run at Canada's Wonderland is great fun. Also, Blazing Fury at Dollywood. But really, I never met a mine ride I didn't like, at least a little.

I wouldn't consider either a actual Mine Train coaster as both are powered. Mine themed yes and I like both.

Ensign Smith said:
Thunder Run at Canada's Wonderland is great fun.

Not a mine train coaster in the traditional sense as it's powered through the entire course. But yeah, it's fun.

Hey, did anyone know that Thunder Run and Blazin Fury were powered coasters and not mine trains? ;)

Should I mention Fire in the Hole? Nah, probably not. ;)