Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train is a Zierer Tivoli model coaster, found in many amusement parks and theme parks around the world.   Six Flags purchased several of these coasters for their parks as relatively low cost family attractions which required minimal space and offered a fun family ride which was an ideal first coaster for young children and could be enjoyed by adults as well.         As part of the "War On Lines" for the 1999 season Great Adventure added more than 25 new rides, including 3 roller coasters, each targeted for a different demographic.   Medusa offered state of the art thrills, while Road Runner Railway gave the youngest riders their first coaster experience.  Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train catered to the whole family, with a tame yet fun coaster ride that adults and children could enjoy together. Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train was a standard Zierer Tivoli Coaster with the optional second track loop for a longer ride.   The early rendering of the ride featured fairly extensive theme elements to give the ride a nautical feel as part of its Lakefront location.  In the spring of 1999 as the park opened for the season, the track had been fully assembled, but the landscaping and station still waiting completion. Over the following weeks the ride opened to the public, while the station structure continued to take shape.                               Manufacturers drawing of the coaster layout:                   Technical Information         Manufacturer: Zierer GmbH, Germany   Ride Model: Large Tivoli Coaster         Opening Date: Spring 1999         Track Height: 26 feet 3 inches   Number of Lifts: 1   Lift Power: Tire-driven         Ground Length: 137 feet 10 inches   Ground Width: 122 feet 4 inches         Length of Track: 1450 feet   Speed: 22 mph         Capacity: Approx.900 guests per hour   Time: Approx. 2 minutes 30 seconds         Seats: 1 Train     20 cars per train     2 people per car     40 people per train         Restraints: Guests are secured in pairs by lap bars.         Optional Features: Double Circuit Runs         Electrical Requirement: 80 kW Drive                 Watch Video Of Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train:         Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train didn't have any kind of sign on it until the 2005 season, when the themed wooden sign was finally added to the shade structure.   For the 2006 season Six Flags took on Sunkist Fruit as a corporate sponsor.   As part of that sponsorship the ride featured signs touting that sponsorship, which included "Fresh Fruit Fun Facts" in the queue area.   The sponsorship of a family ride by a family oriented sponsor was a natural fit.  The proximity of the Buccaneer as it swings out over the track adds to the thrill of the ride.                    The multiple layers of curves and drops look much more complicated than the coaster's double figure-8 layout.   The graceful curves are disorienting to riders and spectators alike.  The now mature landscaping around and under the ride heighten the sensation of speed, making the ride feel much faster than it's 22 MPH top speed. The rails of the coaster are very simple, created from bent I-beam material.  The train's wheels wrap around the rails, riding on the flat top surface with the bottom of the rail functioning as an upstop to keep the train firmly on the track.       Perhaps the most unique aspect of the coaster is the very long train.   The 20 car train offers large capacity, but also creates a unique ride experience as it crests the hills and climb out of the valleys.   The weight makes the train speed up and slow down at somewhat unexpected times as it traverses the track. Power for the coaster is provided through a series of drive wheels lining the lift hill rather than from a chain lift that most coasters use.  That series of motors works in a synchronized fashion to haul the long train to the peak of the ride and gravity takes care of the rest.   Riders get to enjoy their trip twice as the coaster completes 2 circuits each ride cycle.