The Thunderbolt was a wooden roller coaster located at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. It operated from 1925 until 1982 and remained standing until it was demolished in 2000. It was designed by John Miller. In June 2013, it was announced that a new steel roller coaster would be constructed on Coney Island named the Thunderbolt. Although they share the same name, the new coaster bears no resemblance to the old one, as the new version is made of steel and uses a completely different design.In popular cultureIt was featured briefly in Woody Allen's 1977 film Annie Hall as the boyhood home of Alvy Singer (Allen's character). The house was a real residence, built in 1895 as the Kensington Hotel. The roller coaster was constructed with part of its track scaling the top of the building.The indie rock/slowcore band Red House Painters 1993 album, Red House Painters (Rollercoaster) features a sepia toned photograph of the Thunderbolt as its cover art. The last film to photograph the Thunderbolt was Requiem for a Dream.
"The twists and turns of Coney Island's new roller coaster are sure to provide a thrill. Your two-minute rolling adventure over 2,233 feet of steel track begins with a hair-raising 90-degree vertical drop, hurling The Thunderbolt at speeds up to 55 mph over an exhilarating course highlighted by a 100-foot vertical loop."
