Morey’s Piers, celebrating fifty years on the boardwalk of the Wildwoods, NJ, officially opened the Runaway Tram. The family-friendly roller coaster pays homage to the Wildwood Sightseer Tramcar, an icon of the Wildwood Boardwalk for 70 years.
A total investment of $4 million, the Runaway Tram climbs 40 feet before coasting, twisting and turning riders along 922 feet of track at speeds nearing 30 miles per hour. The Force 280 coaster was manufactured by Zierer in Deggendorf, Germany and features one train with 10 two-person passenger cars. JRA custom designed the ride’s train and station. Surfside Pier was completely reconfigured and seven rides were moved to make space for the roller coaster.
“We’re excited to unleash the new Runaway Tram this season in celebration of our 50th anniversary,” said Jack Morey, Owner of Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Waterparks. “Our guests are loving the new coaster because of its iconic theme, three dimensional nature of being able to walk under the coaster, and its rider demographic – it’s for the whole family to ride. One of my favorite things to hear as people are exiting the new ride is the positive feedback – it’s better than they imagined!”
“The Moreys have two great gifts: a real understanding of their audience and a fearless sense of humor,” reflected JRA Senior Project Designer, Scot Ross. “For those of us with deep roots in the theme park industry, it’s this magic combo that makes their projects such a delight to work on.”
Images and B-roll courtesy Morey’s Piers.
Featured photo: members of the Morey family with Floss Stingel, the voice of the Wildwood boardwalk tram car and John “Gigi” Gigliati, also known as Mr Tramcar, Wildwood tramcar driver for more than 25 years.