Carowinds Update - Retracking of Thunder Road!!

[RollerNut]

Good to see Thunder Road is finally getting some well needed attention, do you mind if I post these over at Carowinds Zone Photo Gallery with Photo Credit to you?

[hyperlink27]

Good to see Thunder Road is finally getting some well needed attention, do you mind if I post these over at Carowinds Zone Photo Gallery with Photo Credit to you?

 

If you want to post my pictures on your site, feel free.

 

What is the URL? I would like to check it out.

 

The sign is almost complete at the entrance and the supports are all up to connect the track together on, but I have not had a chance to take any pictures and am I currently traveling for the holidays...

[njf]

The url is http://carowindszone.com/

[speedracer]

Does this qualify as Carowinds first GCI?

 

Thunder Road’s structural overhaul is being performed by Great Coasters International, Inc. of Sunbury, Pa.

http://www.amusementtoday.com/index.html

[kraken613]

Maybe it will be good now! I rode it in April and it was awful!

[KDCOASTERFAN]

I'm actually very happy to see this extensive of a re-hab being done. Hopefully Cedar Fair will see the value in re-tracking as well as "refurbing" their wood coasters and continue to do more of them at other parks.

 

I agreed. Maybe they can do something about Hurler once they finish Thunder road. I know Hurler is on the bottom of my list. I would love to see some improvement on the bounciness. It look like a fun coaster but painful after riding it.

 

Not even GCI flyer trains could fix Hurler(aka firewood) it's just a poor design from the start.

[The Patchman]

thank you god! I am so happy that they are doing this.

 

But as for the future of carowinds, this is how I would like it to go.

 

2009 flat ride

 

2010 hyper or a GCI woodie.

[kraken613]

I would love a hyper! Or a GCI woddie one of the old Paramount parks in California is going to get one. I really think they are going to have to do something to compete with HRP going in Myrtle Beach.

[SpartanTS]

I would love a hyper! Or a GCI woddie one of the old Paramount parks in California is going to get one. I really think they are going to have to do something to compete with HRP going in Myrtle Beach.

 

Remember what happened the last time we got a wooden coaster. It turned into a jackhammering POS in a few years.

 

No more wood for Carowinds. The Hurler and TR are more than enough. We need steel. 200ft airtime machine that'll draw some attention.

 

Now if we're talking an Intamin Wooden coaster, then maybe. Otherwise, no. And I don't want a twisting layout with no airtime.

[kraken613]

Youve never been on a GCI if you say they have no airtime!

[The Patchman]

I have GCIs have great airtime.

 

Personally I would love to see better wood at Carowinds. Thunder Road is good, and Hurler is ok but its way too rough. I would love to see a twisting layout. I do not care if it has no airtime, at least its something freaking new.

 

I would prefer steel, come on Cedar Fair bring us that hyper under the bridge. But if it was wood I would not mind.

[kraken613]

I would like a Hyper more because not much can beat Thunderhead and thats 2 hours from me same distance from Carowinds so I would be more likley to go if the built a hyper.

[The Patchman]

I agree, hyper will definitely get me to visit more.

 

Plus Carowinds needs a true signature attraction.

[Coasterlvr_nc]

Exaclty! Even my GP friend says that we need a signature attraction ( he knows a little about coasters)

[hyperlink27]

I was able to get some updated pictures of the retracking and the new sign. They have completed the turn around (except some of the side braces) and were working this week on the actual track. You can see the clamps on the wood track if you look closely. The new sign is up but not lighted yet (in the early morning, the sign has not been lit).

New meets old

If you look closely you can see the clamps on the new track

New meets old

The new sign!

[kraken613]

The new sign looks nice. I cant really remember what it used to look like.

 

 

1000th post!!!!!

WOOT! WOOT!

[The Patchman]

The new sign looks so much better!

 

I can definitely see the transfer from old dark brown track to new light brown track. I cant wait to ride it!

[Coasterlvr_nc]

yay! it looks like they did quite a good job on the turnaround, it looks nice.

 

Lets just hope they did as good a job ride wise as looks!

[Blink]

Is re-tracking where they put new pieces of track over the old one?

[Coasterlvr_nc]

^ not over top of the old track, but they tear out/remove the old track and basically rebuild the track in that spot.

[hyperlink27]

Is re-tracking where they put new pieces of track over the old one?

 

Not exactly. What they did in this case was to take out the entire turn around and rebuild it from scratch. If you look in the beginning of the thread you can see pictures where they took out the turn around and rebuilt it.

[Johnny Upsidedown]

Thanks for all the updates on Carowinds and all the great photos of the work going on at the park.

[Coasterlvr_nc]

Is re-tracking where they put new pieces of track over the old one?

 

Not exactly. What they did in this case was to take out the entire turn around and rebuild it from scratch. If you look in the beginning of the thread you can see pictures where they took out the turn around and rebuilt it.

 

Well yeah, in this case, In most cases however its what i explained above. Either case is considered retracking however.

[TurboWagon]

The turn is pretty much complete, I drove by this morning and saw them working on the top, probably finishing up the rails. There is also a butt-load of construction off to the left of which I am assuming is all of the new crap for the waterpark ( BOO:( )

[Coasterlvr_nc]

yea thats our new wave pool, *cheer* hooray!