Intamin giant drop Dalton Terror struck by lightning

[thomas2]

On friday july 28 our Intamin giant drop tower Dalton Terror at Walibi Belgium was struck by lightning. It has a lightning protector but apparently it didn't work properly.

Dalton Terror is 78m high and thus attracts alot of lightning.

The tower wasn't operating at the moment of impact, question raises what the effects where when people where on this thing.

At this moment, the tower is closed for repair, God only knows when it will reopen...

[TheArchfiend]

Lightning protector? Like what? A forcefield?

 

I assume it got struck by lightning because it was made out of metal and lightning strikes big tall metal objects all the time.

 

It probably had a faulty ground somewhere and the thing blew some circuitry. That or the heat from the bolt melted something that lead to the breakdown.

[XanderLee]

Umm just to let you know, rides get struck by lightning all the time.

 

They (especially the taller rides) are designed to withstand a lightning strike. Assuming it just struck the tower and not a prox switch or something the ride should be fine.

 

Now if it struck a prox switch things get a little more interesting.

[Carnage]

Lightning protectors are never going to protect the ride 100%.

 

Lightning hits rides all the time, quite often causing damage that has to be repaired.

[jamesdillaman]

Lightning protector? Like what? A forcefield?

 

 

More likely a lightning rod. The invention of Ben Franklin that protects tall objects from lightning strikes by catching the electricity and carrying it to the ground through a wire so the structure won't be damaged.

 

-James "Has a lightning rod on his house" Dillaman

[verticalzero]

As long as the lightning did not strike any breakers the ride should be fine.

 

It was not operating right when I visited the park at the end of May, some of the sides where not working or struck 1/2 way up the tower.

[Carnage]

 

More likely a lightning rod. The invention of Ben Franklin that protects tall objects from lightning strikes by catching the electricity and carrying it to the ground through a wire so the structure won't be damaged.

 

-James "Has a lightning rod on his house" Dillaman

 

A lightning rod won't make something imune to lightning though. It'll help yes, but lightning can and will get around it from time to time.

 

Mother nature's a bitch, a little pole isn't going to stop her.

[CoasterFanatic]

Lightning rods do protect to a point, but it is hard to predict that whole "wrath of God" thing.

 

Apprently, God doesn't like:

Intamin Drop Towers

GCII Woodies

ACE Classics (Bluestreak)

Kingda Ka

or Cedar Point patrons

[MSLSM]

^He just hates CP all together. If you know anything about CP's history, a tornado hit it in the 60s or 70s.

 

 

It is a good thing nobody was on it, but it is strange that it some how managed to halt its' operation.

[Carnage]

^ Lightning has a tendancy to fry circuits.

 

It's quite common to have to completely rewire the electrical in a house after it gets hit.

 

So if a ride is hit by lightning it can quite easilly take otu sensors,computer control systems,etc.

[ECZenith]

I was going to say... it is most likely the electrical system/mechanisms etc. rather than damage done to the structure itself, the rod would protect the thing from being toast.

[UberBeavis]

So just blame Allen-Bradley...

[ducky]

they shut i dowwn most likely that is the tallest point in the park

[Chaddyboy]

i'd love to see a long shot of the tower as the lightning was hitting it.