[Christopher Mallis]

It's nice to see that carowinds is maintaining Fury the right way considering its one of the best coasters ever.

[Techedchart1551]

It's nice to see that carowinds is maintaining Fury the right way considering its one of the best coasters ever.

you are correct.

[yawetag]

https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters ... _together/

Reddit r/rollercoasters is planning on their first official meet-up the Sunday of opening weekend (March 24th). Feel free to reply there as they begin to make plans. Looks to be a smaller event.

[Techedchart1551]

darn, wish i could make it to these events and see y'all in person.

[yawetag]

Does anyone know why the Skytower sits at the top when the park is closed? I've tried some Google searching, to no avail.

I have two thoughts. The first is that it looks cool and is almost a marketing things.

My second is based on an assumed idea on how the ride works. The assumption is that there are counterweights inside the tower that "drop" to raise the tower, using some sort of brake to govern the speed. To bring it back to the ground, motors are used to raise the weights. Because the counterweights are heavier than the tower, "relaxing" the ride actually has the counterweights drop to the ground, raising the tower.

Any insights from someone who knows?

[dirkdiggler1992]

Someone asked this back in January while at the park, it’s definitely not for looks. I can’t remember exactly how it was explained but the machanisms along the tower can move around in the wind and such when the car is at the base of tower, but when it is extended at the top of the tower they’re in a more fixed position, keeping stuff from flopping around (I’m assuming chains or cable lifts).

[Techedchart1551]

Thank you for bringing that to mind, and now that you say it-
that is kinda weird.

I could see how there could be a counter weight inside the tower, and that seems to be the most logical answer.
But if there was, there would have to be some sort of strain on the pulleys and cables if it were raised for a long period of time, right?

[RollerBee]

Does anyone know why the Skytower sits at the top when the park is closed? I've tried some Google searching, to no avail.

I have two thoughts. The first is that it looks cool and is almost a marketing things.

My second is based on an assumed idea on how the ride works. The assumption is that there are counterweights inside the tower that "drop" to raise the tower, using some sort of brake to govern the speed. To bring it back to the ground, motors are used to raise the weights. Because the counterweights are heavier than the tower, "relaxing" the ride actually has the counterweights drop to the ground, raising the tower.

Any insights from someone who knows?

1) It keeps the cables from blowing around in the wind.

2) Per Intamin and state laws.

[uscbandfan]

Thank you for bringing that to mind, and now that you say it-
that is kinda weird.

I could see how there could be a counter weight inside the tower, and that seems to be the most logical answer.
But if there was, there would have to be some sort of strain on the pulleys and cables if it were raised for a long period of time, right?

I wouldn't think so. If the cable theory is correct, the car is always hanging from one end of the cable on the outside and the weights would always be hanging from the other end of the cable in the inside. Then again, the car and tower could just have a series of pulleys and both "ends" are on the weights on the inside. Still, nothing different than an elevator car.

[Techedchart1551]

I also saw at other cedar fair parks they keep their windseekers raised as well sometimes. would that theory be the same for those rides?

[Chris]

I thought the Wind Seekers were stored on the ground?

[Techedchart1551]

I think I saw in some footage of CW that their windseeker was at the top and it was just sitting there, while the rest of the park was covered in snow. since it is an open flat ride, they had to have brought it back down to the ground. If any of you could further do some research into this subject, that'd be great.

[RollerBee]

I thought the Wind Seekers were stored on the ground?

Carowinds stores Windseeker on the ground.

In the recent Amusement Insider videos, CW’s Windseeker is also on the ground. Windseeker is beyond my knowledge, I know about Drop Zone and Carolina Skytower.

[Chris]

I think I saw in some footage of CW that their windseeker was at the top and it was just sitting there, while the rest of the park was covered in snow. since it is an open flat ride, they had to have brought it back down to the ground. If any of you could further do some research into this subject, that'd be great.

I've never seen it stored in the air. I'm not saying it never has, just that I don't recall.

[Techedchart1551]

and hey, I may be wrong, but I thought on one "yukon striker update" video I saw the windseeker there stored in the air. maybe it's just to look good, or possibly they took off the seats (if that's even possible) and just raised the rest of it into the air. who knows?