Kennywood’s Thunderbolt is a unique creation as it is one of the few coasters to be completely redesigned from an original coaster that had been operating in the same location for many years previously. Thunderbolt actually began its life as The Pippin, a 1924 designed gully coaster built by the legendary coaster design team of John Miller and Harry Baker. Utilizing the natural, hilly terrain at Kennywood, John Miller designed a short, four-drop coaster that packed quite a punch. It featured a large, air-time producing, double dip similar to the park’s other John Miller 1921 designed coaster, Jack Rabbit, as well as a frightening 90 foot plummet into the natural ravine as a terrifying finale. The Pippin reigned as ‘king’ of Kennywood’s coasters for 43 years until the end of the 1967 season.

In a surprise move, park management decided to enlarge The Pippin to create a completely new coaster sensation. After relocating the park’s adjacent Whip ride to another area in the park, the task began of demolishing most of the upper portion of The Pippin, including its station and signature ‘double dip’. The lift hill was lengthened and its height increased to add more coaster thrills to the portion of the ride visible from the park’s midway. Park engineer Andy Vettel masterfully redesigned this section of the ride into a large helix of twisting drops and hills all while leaving most of The Pippin’s ravine portion of the ride intact, including its signature 90 foot final plunge.

A new name, Thunderbolt, was chosen after a naming contest and the new ride opened to the public in the spring of 1968 to rave reviews. In a 1974 New York Times article searching for the ‘ultimate coaster ride’, it was proclaimed by coaster historian Robert Cartmell to be the “The King of the Coasters”. Since the 1990s, it has also been designated an ACE Coaster Classic. Today, Thunderbolt continues to be the park’s signature wooden coaster and one of its most popular rides. 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the opening of Thunderbolt.