[tarheel1231]

Just a week until we see vertical construction!

[Jarsh]

Hope everyone had a good time Saturday!

Here's my contribution to the thread...

[coasterbruh]

are these the lift track or the first drop track? Reason for asking, I never knew ho wthe lift chain works with the newer style coasters that seems to have the return inside the track...

[FamousAmos]

Coasterbruh, I think something like this (please excuse the horribleness. I threw it together in 5 minutes)

Untitled.png (231.29KiB)Viewed 2787 times

To combat the horribleness, here is something that looks much better:

Carowinds 2015.png (899.43KiB)Viewed 2787 times

[Jarsh]

are these the lift track or the first drop track? Reason for asking, I never knew ho wthe lift chain works with the newer style coasters that seems to have the return inside the track...

I noticed that out there as well. I think the majority of them are first drop track because there isn't a location for the chain going up or coming back down (unless those things are attached later and not built into the track). Plus, some of those bigger track pieces have a slight curve to them, but that could be some camber built into the track to account for any deflection.

I went out there thinking they were lift/brake sections and left thinking they were brake/station/first drop sections. I did see the base of the lift though so... who knows, lol.

[Jay]

FamousAmos is correct. All those really big pieces are for the top of the first drop.

Here is Leviathan's drop-



You can see the majority of the drop is a support as well (these are the pieces that were 7 feet tall), and then it finally breaks away near the bottom.

I would even venture a guess that the piece of track with the big "?" on it, is the very top of the lift.

Here is the Fury 325 first drop rendering, just for comparison -

[bgwfreak]

My, what big track you have.

[FamousAmos]

My question is: why are those track sections top-side down? Wouldn't that damage the rail or crossties? But who knows. I'm no engineer or coaster designer... yet...

[RollerBee]

They normally sit the on wooden blocks and steel is hard ro damage just from laying on the ground.

[chargercrazy]

Taking a nap on Fury . . .

[coaster129]

Hope everyone had a good time Saturday!

Here's my contribution to the thread...

I thought I saw you at scarowinds Saturday, at enternal jamnation at the 9:00 show, I think I sat to the left of you?

[Jarsh]

If that was the time frame of when you think you saw me, it wasn't me. I left around 8:30 or so and headed back to the hotel to watch some football.

Twelve hours in a park is too much for me now (including anything Disney, lol).

[coaster129]

If that was the time frame of when you think you saw me, it wasn't me. I left around 8:30 or so and headed back to the hotel to watch some football.

Twelve hours in a park is too much for me now (including anything Disney, lol).

Ok, the guy had a baseball cap and a green tee on, but he looked angry for some reason. If you haven't seen the show, it is pretty good!

[Capler]

FamousAmos is correct. All those really big pieces are for the top of the first drop.

Here is Leviathan's drop-



You can see the majority of the drop is a support as well (these are the pieces that were 7 feet tall), and then it finally breaks away near the bottom.

I would even venture a guess that the piece of track with the big "?" on it, is the very top of the lift.

Here is the Fury 325 first drop rendering, just for comparison -

Thanks for posting this Jay. I never realized the first drop is nothing but a giant curved modified support beam with track attached. I never paid attention to the way the track breaks away once it reaches the bottom and continues the course. i never understood why some of those pieces are so thick. 7 feet thick is a huge steel beam. Now that is what I call engineering.

[Capler]

My question is: why are those track sections top-side down? Wouldn't that damage the rail or crossties? But who knows. I'm no engineer or coaster designer... yet...

The ride surface is likely the weakest point of the structure so they may keep it upside down so it won't get dinged when moving it around? That is only a guess.