Farmington Star

Opened: 1976 (built 1974)

Location: North Midway

Manufactured By: Anton Schwarzkopf Company

Max Speed: 45 mph

Max Height: 45 feet

Track Length: 1919 feet

Ride Time: 1 min 30 sec

Number of Trains: 8

Ride Capacity: 6-8 per train

Hourly Capacity: 1,680 persons per hour

Height Requirement: 50" minimum

RIDE EXPERIENCE

This classic Schwarzkopf coaster packs a punch and often surprises unsuspecting guests. Its long dives and tightly banked turns make for an exciting ride. Just don't forget about the brakes at the very end which stop the cars VERY rapidly.

RIDE HISTORY & INFO

After the end of the 2004 season, work began on improving the Jet Star 2. It reopened on 23 July 2005 after a "complete overhaul of [its] computer, supports and cars". It also received a new paint job. Some were expecting the ride to open in 2006 so many fans of the ride are excited to see it open so soon.

The ride opened in 1976 where the old Wild Mouse & possibly the Sky Slide once stood on the North Midway. Lagoon's Jet Star 2 originally opened to the public at the 1974 World's Expo in Spokane, Washington. It operated there from 4 May to 3 November.

Here is an excerpt from a website about the Expo:

"The Great Northwest Midway was publicized as a state-of-the-art amusement park, although that wasn't true. The 21 rides were brought in virtually at the last minute and when some organizers saw them, they were disappointed. Although the ride owner was lambasted for high prices (70 cents per ride!) and the amusement area had a reputation as the drug-dealing center of Expo, the Midway was very popular with fairgoers.

The Jet Star II roller coaster�made in Germany at a cost of $500,000 was the star attraction. Eight cars covered 2,000 feet of track at up to 55 miles-per-hour. The other must-ride was a $300,000 Ferris wheel made in Italy, with cars that could revolve 360 degrees. The Trabant, Roundup, Flight to Mars, Matterhorn and Apollo 11 rounded out the list of popular rides.

After the fair, all the rides were supposedly shipped to Tel Aviv, Israel, however, the Jet Star II is currently in service at the Lagoon amusement park in Farmington, Utah."

Part of the track was rebuilt in 1991 by Fabri-Weld. In the 1990s, Jet Star 2 started to see a lot of downtime. So in 1998, Lagoon had Setpoint install a new control system for the coaster. Jet Star's efficiency increased to a higher level than ever before.

A lot of people ask if there was a Jet Star 1 in Lagoon and if there wasn't, then why is it the Jet Star 2? It's called the Jet Star 2 because of the model of Jet Star it is, not because it's the second Jet Star in the park. The designer, Anton Schwarzkopf, designed 5 different types of Jet Stars. Here are the different models along with the year they were first completed:

1968 - JET STAR

1970 - JET STAR 2

1972 - JET STAR 3/JUMBO JET

1973 - CITY JET/JET 400

1983 - JUMBO 5

Another Jet Star 2 currently operates in Lithuania.

VIDEOS