The New Mexico Rattler

A major roller coaster at Cliff's Amusement Park had been proposed ten years prior to The New Mexico Rattler's construction. The growing size of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was a contributing factor to constructing the roller coaster. By the early 2000s, the nearby population had grown enough and visited the park enough that a large addition to the park was feasible. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, park co-owner Gary Hays brought forward the construction of its conceived roller coaster by a year to help in the recovery of tourism. Then-mayor of Albuquerque Martin Chávez assisted in facilitating permits for the park to build the roller coaster, which faced some opposition from the city hall. A month later, groundbreaking and construction of the roller coaster began. In early May, steel supports began to be erected, with construction of the wooden track taking place soon after. The roller coaster's anticipated opening date was set back in June due to construction delays, and a new opening date was scheduled for mid-July. In late July, manufacturer CCI filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, ceasing operations and leaving the ride unfinished. Following CCI's closure, the park independently employed seventeen workers previously from CCI alongside another eight workers to finish the roller coaster. The delays caused additional costs to the $2 million initially slated for its construction. == Characteristics ==

The New Mexico Rattler was primarily designed, manufactured, and constructed by Custom Coasters International. Before the manufacturer's bankruptcy, there were around 25 people who worked on building the wooden roller coaster, both from the company and locally. The New Mexico Rattler was the first major roller coaster to be built in the state of New Mexico. In contrast to more traditional wooden roller coasters, The New Mexico Rattler utilizes steel supports, which allow for steeper drops and banking. The roller coaster exerts a maximum of 3.1 g-forces on its riders. It has a total track length of , longer than the originally planned . The New Mexico Rattler operates with one train with six cars that contain two rows of two seats each, allowing for a maximum of 24 people per cycle. The train was built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. Each seat contains a lap bar restraint system. ==Ride experience==

After leaving the station, the train dips to the right before ascending the 25.4-degree and tall lift hill. banking to the right and reaching maximum speeds of . It then traverses a series of left-banked hills before descending into a drop. The train ascends to the left before dropping into a succession of curved hills and entering a right-banked hill. Following the banked hill, the train continually descends into a tunnel, emerging in an upward right-banked turn. The train continues downward into a right turn, ascending a few hills before banking into the left turn. Exiting the turn, the train turns right into the final brake run before turning right to enter the station. A cycle of the roller coaster takes approximately one minute and fifteen seconds to complete. ==Reception==

Upon opening, The New Mexico Rattler received generally positive reviews from guests and critics. Leanne Potts, a writer for the Albuquerque Journal, commented on the roller coaster's nonstop pacing, stating there were "no pauses in the ride, no slowing down". The owners of Cliff's Amusement Park also earned the "2003 Best Promotion Award" for actualizing the ride and for their marketing efforts. The New Mexico Rattler charted in ''Amusement Today's'' Golden Ticket Awards lists of the world's best wooden roller coasters for several years. == References ==