The Runaway Mine Train was Great Adventure's first major roller coaster, and though considered tame by today's standards, it was the state of the art in high thrills when it opened in 1974.
The ride's custom designed layout took it through (what was then) a densely wooded area of the park, and along the scenic lake shore. The interaction of the coaster with the trees, water, Skyride and Fort structure made the ride more exciting and memorable. For many children of the 1970's, the Runaway Mine Train will always be remembered as their first "big" roller coaster.
The coaster was custom designed for the park by Arrow Dynamics, one of the most prolific builders of rides for theme and amusement parks during the 1960's, 70's and 80's. Their revolutionary creation of tubular steel track for the Matterhorn Bobsled ride at Disneyland ushered in the modern steel coaster era, and they were pioneers along with Six Flags corporation in the creation of the log flume ride.
Arrow was commissioned to create the Runaway Mine Train for Great Adventure as well as the Log Flume. In later years Arrow also designed the park's Hydro Flume, Lightnin' Loops and Great American Scream Machine.
Unlike many other Arrow designed mine train coasters, the Runaway Mine Train utilizes a single lift hill, and ascends to a much higher point, where many of their designs remained low to the ground and featured several stop and start points as trains engaged multiple chain lifts over the course of the ride.
The large single lift hill allows the coaster to spend a good deal of time high up in the trees for the first half of the ride, then swoops low to the ground in the second half, plunging down to the lake level.
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