Runaway Mine Train

It’s hard to beat the original.
That’s right folks, this was the very first ‘mine train’ style roller coaster in history, and it debuted here at SFOT back in 1966. In fact, it’s one of the first tubular steel coasters worldwide, and its existence helped to usher in a new era of thrill machines.
What makes a mine train coaster unique is its length, measured not in feet of track, but rather ride duration (as in seconds on the clock). Most offer relatively milder thrills in comparison to their 200ft/​80mph brethren, but can still run upwards of 3 minutes, which is quite long by roller coaster standards. Several top out at only 50ft in height and rarely surpass 30 or 40mph, yet often times the rough-​and-​tumble ride can still leave you pleasantly surprised and/​or battered & bruised.
SFOT’s Runaway Mine Train has three separate lift hills (multiple chain lifts are yet another distinct feature of these types of rides) and some mining-​themed objects dispersed throughout the course. There are also several tunnels, the last of which dives underneath a small lake. This is an ACE (American Coaster Enthusiast) landmark, and rightly so! The sign in the entrance queue states this [see attached] and they’re even given a nice shout-​out following the 3^rd lift hill, where the train passes through the ‘Ace’ Saloon and Hotel, which is not a coincidence.
Because this ride – like many mine trains across the world – rely heavily on the terrain and low-​to-​the-​ground maneuvers to deliver thrills, the coaster closes when the area experiences flooding or high water levels. Apart from that, the ride crews keep it running constantly and wait times are negligibly small.
So while this may not be the fastest, longest or scariest ride around, its role in roller coaster history cannot be argued, and it’s perfect for families and young’uns getting their coaster ridin’ training wheels. Yeehaw!