Carowinds
Thunder Road
Opened: March 1976
Manufacturer: Philadelphia Toboggan Company
HEIGHT: 93 feet
TOP SPEED: 58mph
INVERSIONS: none
HEIGHT REQUIREMENT: 48 inches
No one believes me when I tell them that Thunder Road is based on a Robert Mitchum movie about moonshining. Maybe I just don't look trustworthy. Nevertheless, you don't have to believe me - it's actually up on Carowinds' website now!
Anyways, Thunder Road is a pair of racing wooden coasters. Back in the day, one side was supposed to be the moonshiners, while the other side was the po-po. That theme is gone now, and instead they've made one major modification: they've turned one train around backwards. Despite the "not knowing what's happening next" factor, it seems like the backwards side runs a bit smoother. On most days, they do try to have both sides dispatch at the same time, so the racing element mostly remains.
The coaster is actually built over the NC/SC state line, so a full circuit actually travels through two states. Not many other coasters can boast that (in fact, none do).
Oh, and thanks to the folks who run the Carowinds website
for proving that the whole "moonshining" thing wasn't totally me being nuts.
For the 2008 season, backwards operation on Thunder Road has been
discontinued. Both sides will run forwards only. LAME.
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