[cwgator]

^ you see metal tracks in that pic? I cant tell if they are there or gone

They look gone to me.

[LocalYokel]

During the ACE tour of Thunder Road Steve Jackson, Carowinds head of maintance, said the lift hill needed several million dollars worth of work. He gave a number but I don't remember it exactly and don't want to misquote him. I think it was $5 million. The last few hills also needed to be retracked.

[Jonathan]

Well, I didn't want to mention the lift hill thing before because I heard it from a third party in rumor form, but since Steve Jackson himself said it during the tour then there you go. What was relayed to me was that the lifts would need to be completely rebuilt. That was apparently the fatal blow.

[Bigcoasterguy]

I was in line for Dorsil Fin drop (or whatever the slide is right next to TR) and there was a reflection coming from the track like there was still metal on it.

[tarheel1231]

Thanks for the info. I feel much better knowing it didn't come down for nothing. While the GP won't understand it and will see it as the park being greedy, I know that money will be put to good use elsewhere in the park. The one negative thing is that it makes it seem like Hurler getting "Thunder Runned" by RMC less likely.

[KIJester]

Time to turn the webcam

[chknwing]

I wont repost the pics but they are on TPR. TR is mostly gone.

[tarheel1231]

They're moving along faster than I thought.

[pproteinc]

WELP on my way home I stopped and took pics from the blvd. Alll that's standing is the station, the lift hill to the bottom of the first drop and the turn arounds. Everything in the middle is scrapped.

[LocalYokel]

Wow, the devastation is extreme.

[chknwing]

people driving down carowinds blvd. "whoah carowinds has a water park".

[LocalYokel]

For those wondering if they removed the track first I'd say the answer is no.

I can't get many good pics because of the angle of the sun. As was already mentioned, the only things left are the station, lift hill, the last hill before the turnaround, and the turnarounds. Almost the entire track is a big pile of wood.

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[Littlegiles]

And that would be why nobody responded to my email about repurposing the wood....it's scrap now. I figured that the removal would be brutal. If they were trying to save any of the wood it would take them forever to get it torn down.

[barrynyu]

I'm curious...I was just on Rebel Yell this week and it looks like it hasn't been touched for forty years. Rode okay, but I wonder why TR has needed so much attention (previous rebuilding, the lift hill issue, etc) when RY just keeps on going.

[chknwing]

^Rebel yell is painted, TR is further south (hotter), and is also positioned next to a waterpark. It could be too much moisture from the waterpark is ruining the wood to quickly. Really throwing darts at the wall here. I dunno, I suspect something went wrong in the rebuilding of it requiring portions of it to need to be rebuilt again. CF may have just decided it was just too costly to rebuild a 40 year old coaster, saw an opportunity to make the water park into a real attraction. Who knows, maybe they planned to have GCI rebuild TR at a later date else where in the park.