[extreme]

Check out this link. I thought it had some good pics.

<a href='http://www.zplaceonznet.com/carowinds.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.zplaceonznet.com/carowinds.htm</a>

[Dukeis#1]

Wow. Thanks for pointing those out! I really like the White Lightnin in the dark. The Carolina Cyclone and Thunder Road pics are pretty nice too.

It evan has the original Rip Roarin' Rapids rafts

[Tinkerdog]

Great pics............ really bring back a lot of good memories...........

I remember the Double Decker Carousel...........
The Surfer..........
The Trains............
The Cars and Jalopies............
The Monarail........ that went nowhere!!...........
The Octopus (standard flat ride name....... don't remember the Park name)....

And those flying boats seem a lot like the new Flyers coming.... minus the control wings...................

Ah the good old days..........

[Trev32]

Those are some pretty cool pictures! Cyclone looks really odd when it was red...

[carowindsfreak13]

Love thunder Road pics.

[RollerBee]

Cool pics, but what does it mean "pre-flip" on the orginal rafts?

[swampfox43]

Cool pics, but what does it mean "pre-flip" on the orginal rafts?

The original rafts on RRR were made in-house by Carowinds because Intamin was not able to deliver their rafts in time for the 1982 opening.

Anyway, during the 1983 season, one of the rafts flipped. I can't remember the details right off. I think, if I remember correctly, the raft jumped the rail and landed into the lower area which is pictured. The original rafts had several flaws from what I was told which may have contributed to the accident. No one was killed fortunately.

[carowindsfreak13]

Whoa! Down the waterfall.

[Dukeis#1]

I think that may be one of the reasons why RRR is so tame compared to other rapids rides. The original rafts were so low down that the rapids sections didn't have to be very powerful in order to send water up over the sides of the rafts.

The new rafts have higher sides, and since the rapids are so small, they don't throw much water up over the sides.

[RollerBee]

Oh, thanks. Couldn't they add more water effects to improve the ride?