FireChaser Express

Dollywood introduced FireChaser Express for the 2014 season, opening the ride to visitors in March of that year. It was presented as a family coaster unlike anything then operating in the United States, carrying its passengers first in one direction and then the other. dollyparton.com· ksl.com

The coaster was laid out in Dollywood’s Wilderness Pass area, on ground formerly occupied by Adventure Mountain. Its course follows the wooded Tennessee terrain rather than rising as a single great monument, giving the journey a close, busy passage through the landscape. coaster101.com· latimes.com

FireChaser Express was built as a steel launch coaster with a forward departure, a lift hill, and a return journey taken backward. The arrangement was an engineering distinction for Dollywood and helped make the ride approachable to families while preserving a proper sense of occasion. coasterpedia.net· latimes.com

The project represented an investment of 15 million dollars in the park’s future. In its early years, the ride was noted not for overwhelming size, but for the ingenuity of fitting a complete two-direction journey into the hills above Pigeon Forge. coasterpedia.net· amusementtoday.com