[coastermom2]

Gosh! Am I crazy? I go to a dentist who used to be a ride op on the Goldrusher for 3 summers before he went to college. During a most unpleasant procedure at his office day before yesterday, he was telling me how the ride ops at the Goldrusher used to stand on the lap bar to lock it down over very large people.
He told me tales of how White Lightnin' use to hydroplane when the tracks got wet and would roll dangerously close to the high end after the launch through the loop. He told me that one night after closing, two other young gentlemen employees decided to have a "race" on Thunder Road. (both trains ran forward then) They started at the back of the trains and during the ride, raced to see who could get to the front seat. The winner only made it to the third seat.
Then he told me that he went to a yard sale a few weeks ago and found two old brass lanterns that looked familiar. He asked the seller where they came from and lo and behold they came from the Goldrusher at Carowinds. He said he didn't know whether to believe it or not but he bought both lanterns ($3 for the two).
If they are really from the Goldrusher, I WANT THEM! I was too shy to ask if he would sell them or not. Now I wish I had've at least asked <_<

[swampfox43]

Interesting stuff there mom! I worked at Carowinds myself for 1 season (1977) and vividly remember the day White Lightnin' DID crash through the stopper at the high end. It was early one morning, and yes, the track was wet from a rain storm. The launch, combined with the wet track, created a little too much speed during the morning test runs. When I got to the park, the front car was dangling off the top end. Needless to say, the crane rushed to get the train down before the park opened to the public and the actual incident remained hush, hush in fear of the media finding out. It never made it to the papers. We were told not to mention this to the public that day.

There was another freak incident that happened on the Scooby Doo coaster that never made it to the news fortunately. I don't feel like typing anymore though but no one was hurt thank goodness.



Good luck with the lanterns!

[Carowindsman]

hey you said dont mention it to the public whoops lol naa but i had heard something about White Lightnin actually doing that a few times i dont know if they were true. and Coastermom about the guys who decided to race up the front on Thunder Road that must have been when safety really wasnt a matter because that has got to be the dumbest thing i have ever heard. Its like me saying a ride op from TG and me race from the back of TG to the front of it. I find that pretty messed up. But thats just me

[coasterdude89]

I know that Thunder Road has crashed before (I think it was the forwards one) because the brakes failed and the two trains collided, sending a few people to the hospital with minor injuries. That would be bad if WL had did that with people on it. You could imagine the lawsuits that might have irrupted if somebody was seriously hurt, or even worst killed.

[RollerBee]

I worked at Carowinds myself for 1 season (1977) and vividly remember the day White Lightnin' DID crash through the stopper at the high end. It was early one morning, and yes, the track was wet from a rain storm. The launch, combined with the wet track, created a little too much speed during the morning test runs. When I got to the park, the front car was dangling off the top end. Needless to say, the crane rushed to get the train down before the park opened to the public and the actual incident remained hush, hush in fear of the media finding out.

After asking someone who knows more about White Lightnin' breed, this proves to highly unlikely. Plus, the incident would have be visible from Carowinds Blvd.
"I heard of this but due to the many rumors out there I would not believe
it without a photo. No photo, hard to believe. Imho the stopper should
have stopped the train IF it really made it up to this point..."
The train would have knocked the water off before it hydroplaned, plus water would only make it faster going down hill.

[swampfox43]

After asking someone who knows more about White Lightnin' breed, this proves to highly unlikely. Plus, the incident would have be visible from Carowinds Blvd.
"I heard of this but due to the many rumors out there I would not believe
it without a photo. No photo, hard to believe. Imho the stopper should
have stopped the train IF it really made it up to this point..."
The train would have knocked the water off before it hydroplaned, plus water would only make it faster going down hill.

Can't say I blame you for being skeptical. There were plenty of other witnesses to this though. Keep asking around and you will likely find someone that you will believe when they tell you it really did happen. In fact, I personally know a guy (who I met 15 years after this happened) that has been doing work for the park since it opened in 1973. He was there that morning when it happened and remembers it well. Of course, it really doesn't matter who believes what anyway. The coaster is nothing more than a legend today. And a great one at that!

[montumax]

After asking someone who knows more about White Lightnin' breed, this proves to highly unlikely. Plus, the incident would have be visible from Carowinds Blvd.
"I heard of this but due to the many rumors out there I would not believe
it without a photo. No photo, hard to believe. Imho the stopper should
have stopped the train IF it really made it up to this point..."
The train would have knocked the water off before it hydroplaned, plus water would only make it faster going down hill.

Turns out that I know somebody who knows of the incident too.....so.......why is it so hard to believe! Stranger things have happened.

Max

[bgwfreak]

...the coaster is nothing more than a legend today. And a great one at that!

Well not quite "nothing", it is still running in South Africa after all.

[swampfox43]

...the coaster is nothing more than a legend today. And a great one at that!

Well not quite "nothing", it is still running in South Africa after all.

Very true. Actually I should've said it was nothing more than a Carowinds legend....

[coasterdude89]

If this did happen, and I think that it probaly did, I would aggree that it would most likely be visible from Carowinds Blvd. WL was the tallest coaster in the park, so you would be able to see the train go all the way to the park. Its strange that way back then PC had a taller coaster than any other coaster in the park today. <_<

[swampfox43]

If this did happen, and I think that it probaly did, I would aggree that it would most likely be visible from Carowinds Blvd. WL was the tallest coaster in the park, so you would be able to see the train go all the way to the park. Its strange that way back then PC had a taller coaster than any other coaster in the park today. <_<

Oh, it was visible from Carowinds Blvd. But, the fact that it happened at 8:30am on a Sunday morning helped keep the visibility to a minimum.

[montumax]

And you could see White Lightnin' very good from Frog Creek....

[coastermom2]

If our White Lightning is in Africa, then what happened to King's Dominion's
shuttle loop coaster? I think it was called the King Cobra. (or do they still
have it? It's been a long time since I've been there.)

I remember when WL started, the ride op would say "Lightning strikes NOW!"

[bgwfreak]

It's in Brazil (King Kobra)

<a href='http://www.rcdb.com/installationdetail1152.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.rcdb.com/installationdetail1152.htm</a>

[swampfox43]

Before it hit Brazil though it was in Ocean City, MD. and then it went to Alton Towers in England where I got to ride it it's last year there. It's a shame that these first generation shuttle loops are becoming a dying breed in the US.