[chknwing]

^ video is history but I did find this.



also some video here
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/entert ... 79754.html

[swampfox43]

I took this aerial view of what is left of Thunder Road today. So sad, but I can't be bitter. I can simply look forward to what CF has in store for us down the road.

[CodyH3333]

Great pic swampfox! Looks like they started clearing up some of the wood near the turnarounds.

[MarkD]

Excellent picture! Thank You.

It is a great picture to compare and kind of visualize the expansion plans.

[chknwing]

^agreed, I cant wait for tarheel to grab his box of crayons and goto work drawing in the expansion

[Jarsh]

watching that video, thats a little scary seeing how it practically fell down with just a little nudge.

The video doesn't show the hours spent strategically breaking the main support beams.

Similar to Son of Beast's demise as well. This one, was great to see coming down!

https://youtu.be/QwJvpOc4kEs

[pproteinc]

I personally would like to see them bring Son of Beast back tbh.

[tarheel1231]

If the cost of rebuilding Thunder Road's lift hills is what did it in, why would they have to rebuild it in the first place when other parks aren't usually replacing lift hills on wooden coasters?

Still confused. Never got my question answered.

[chknwing]

If the cost of rebuilding Thunder Road's lift hills is what did it in, why would they have to rebuild it in the first place when other parks aren't usually replacing lift hills on wooden coasters?

Still confused. Never got my question answered.

its the same logic the US used when looking for WMD's in Iraq

[barrynyu]

^^Agreed - I posted a similar question earlier. Can some of you ask your sources what the real issues were with TR? I don't understand why it had lots of work and was deemed too far gone while Rebel Yell stills cruises on. I think it would help the park's cause to explain everything. At least this would be easier to accept rather than low ridership. And I think many of us would really like to know the details, being interested in the nuts and bolts of coaster design and operation.

[Jarsh]

It's simple.

1. Low ridership
2. High cost of maintenance

and the biggest factor when you consider #1 and #2,

3. It was in the way of something that will bring scores more people and lots more money to the park.

Number 3 is the most important one. Cedar Fair has shareholders who expect a return on their investment. If I can get $1/share back with Thunder Road being there or $5/share back with a new water park, the choice is obvious. As much as it sucks and we all hate to lose a part of Carowinds history, it is what it is. It isn't coming back and no amount of "reasons/excuses" behind it's demise will make anyone who is still upset over it happy.

[chknwing]

^^it was a business decision made in best interest for the park. You wont get much more from cedar fair then that. Going into full detail will only make things worse and could have the potential to damage the rep of the company.

[coasterbruh]

Knowing what the real issues or not wont change the fact that its gone.

[Littlegiles]

Yes, yes, yes and yes....all the answers above are correct.

I think it was proven in the last month of operation that ThunderRoad just wasn't the ride or draw that it used to be. It really was sentimental for many and there were a lot of fans that loved it and will always miss it and remember it fondly, however, truth be told, there are A LOT more people that will come to the water park, see commercials for the water park, ride the water rides and spend money in the expansion. The expansion of "Carolina Harbor" (see what i did there??) will have a much bigger draw for the general public from out of town who may be new to Carowinds. And you can argue all you want, but there is no way they could have continued to work around TR and create the attraction that is coming.

New visitors and more visitors means that we get more and more nice things to play with.

I don't know about you, but I like shiny new toys!

[super7]

It was a shame to see such a high-capacity, re-rideable ride destroyed. Still will not convince me that any water park expansion couldn't have been built around it, since that's what they did and King's Dominion and Canada's Wonderland.

However, in reality the ride was a pitiful shell of its former self. Much like the entire park. If you look back at the photos of new Thunder Road - all red, white and blue with themed trains, and the way it ended - looking all drab and run down, unpainted, dinky sign on top, with one side operation on weekdays, it's easier to let it go.

One reason many of us hated to see it go was it was one of the few things left of the true, original Carowinds of the 70's and early 80s. But the park is nothing like that anymore, its a hodge-podge mess of nothingness with a few nice spots and a few good rides. I will give them props on their landscaping however.