# Roller coaster closed for huge failure **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 1, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425 "2023-07-01T22:38:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2023, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/21 "2023-07-03T18:07:17Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > They’re taken apart and reassembled in a new town every week. This actually makes me think they are pretty safe. They get a lot of “hands-on” time. The people are probably very familiar with them and can spot trouble, make repairs as needed. Yeah, pretty optimistic, right? ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2023, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/22 "2023-07-03T18:24:45Z")
The news this morning showed this story, which the video is jaw-dropping, but then shared another photo of the same location from about a month ago with the crack evident but not all the way thru the support. I am not sure if the person who took that photo reported the issue, but the whole “the rides are inspected daily” thing seems like a farce. “Safety is our top priority”, uhh, evidently not - if it takes one of your guests to notice and report such a problem! ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2023, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/23 "2023-07-03T18:29:56Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > > [@aceplace57](#): > > > > They’re taken apart and reassembled in a new town every week. > > This actually makes me think they are pretty safe. They get a lot of “hands-on” time. The people are probably very familiar with them and can spot trouble, make repairs as needed > > Yeah, pretty optimistic, right? My wife and I walked around one of those parking lot carnivals a few years ago, and did ride a couple of the rides. However, we passed on the small roller coaster when we noticed that the support struts rested on sawed-off chunks of 2x4s, shimmed in under the feet, exactly the way a restaurant will cram a folded-up napkin under a wobbly table leg. What really persuaded us was seeing a carney hammering one in…as the ride was in motion. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/24 "2023-07-04T05:37:39Z")
In case you were wondering how quickly the ride was shut down after the crack was reported (to multiple people), there was apparently no rush at all. > As [Wagner] peered at the Fury 325, a car hit one of the ride’s turns, pressing into the track and exacerbating what seemed to be a crack in a steel support pillar. At first, Wagner dismissed the idea that he’d just found a flaw. He figured the crack was part of the structure’s design… He turned his attention back to the Fury 325 as another car hit the turn. This time, he saw light shooting through the expanded crack before the car passed and the crack contracted. He knew something was wrong. Wagner got out of the truck, flagged down a Carowinds employee and pointed out the crack. “I was like, ‘Y’all need to shut this ride down. That’s bad news,’” Wagner recalled telling the man. Unsatisfied with what he described as the man’s “lack of urgency,” Wagner went back into the park, where he spoke to several more employees. He eventually talked to someone in guest services, who asked him to send her the video he’d shot of the crack. Once he had, Wagner said, she walked away. “The biggest thing for me — there was no sense of urgency,” he said… Wagner left, unnerved. During the hour-long drive home, his dread ate at him… He feared the pillar would fail, sending a car shooting off the tracks and diving into a crowd below. If tragedy struck and he hadn’t done more to shut down the ride, Wagner knew he would blame himself and forever wonder whether he could have prevented it. > **[His family kept riding a 325-foot-tall roller coaster – then he saw a crack](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/07/03/carowinds-fury-roller-coaster-crack/)** > > Jeremy Wagner waited in his truck for his family to come out of Carowinds amusement park Friday night. Then he saw a crack in one of their favorite rides. [Unfortunately paywalled] ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/25 "2023-07-04T08:46:31Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > And in addition to the daily in-house inspection, I think these parks are regularly (monthly? quarterly?) visited by state inspectors. That’s going to vary by state. I expect some are very on top of inspections and some… well, it wouldn’t surprise me if some states do no inspections at all. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/26 "2023-07-04T13:30:22Z")
I can’t tell from the video - is this support pillar steel or concrete? I can’t imagine steel cracking like that but I also can’t imagine concrete sheering like that. Anyone know for sure? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/27 "2023-07-04T14:19:17Z")
I’m fairly sure steel. I remember reading somewhere that it started from an inadequate weld. ---
**Author:** ![Old\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecccb3/32.png) [@Old\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Wench)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/28 "2023-07-04T15:02:11Z")
I’ve ridden it multiple times & walked under it. It’s all steel. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/29 "2023-07-04T23:08:34Z")
Decades ago, my uncle (a hydraulic engineer) did some inspection work at nearby carnivals. I had the impression it was at the start of the season; of course, regulations could easily have changed since the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/30 "2023-07-04T23:27:28Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > …regulations could easily have changed since the 1970s. Let’s hope so! ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/31 "2023-07-04T23:35:52Z")
Hopefully for the better! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2023, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/32 "2023-07-05T00:09:59Z")
Dream on. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2023, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/33 "2023-07-05T11:38:24Z")
More roller coaster related madness… > **[Watch: Riders trapped for hours on rollercoaster](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-66109997)** > > Eight passengers were safely rescued after the malfunction at the Wisconsin Forest County Festival. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/34 "2023-07-06T03:16:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Every superglue repair requires a whole tube. Because no matter how much of the tube you use, by the time you get to the next project, that tube is unusable. This should be on the list of Things You Need To Know. Bravo! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/35 "2023-07-14T17:15:27Z")
I try to reuse super glue tubes, with limited success. You can often get a few uses by poking through the dried glue with a needle to squeeze more out. But yeah, it tends to dry out over time. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/36 "2023-07-14T18:39:37Z")
I’ve had good luck buying superglue in plastic bottles. Store in refrigerator. The tiny metal tubes, yeah, fuggedaboutit. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/37 "2023-07-14T19:34:14Z")
> **[New Support Column Now In Place On Fury 325 At Carowinds, Investigation...](https://www.themeparktourist.com/news/20230714/33562/new-support-column-now-place-fury-325-carowinds-investigation-continues-when)** > > The new support column is now in place on Fury 325 as the investigation regarding what caused the crack and when it was first seen continues... I am surprised it is being repaired so quickly [I thought they would have to do lots of investigations first]. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/38 "2023-07-14T19:40:09Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > [Fury 325 REOPENS At Carowinds, Official Statement Released!](https://www.themeparktourist.com/news/20230714/33562/new-support-column-now-place-fury-325-carowinds-investigation-continues-when) > > I am surprised it is being repaired so quickly [I thought they would have to do lots of investigations first]. - Gotta get the dollars rolling in. Investigations can wait. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/39 "2023-07-14T20:21:57Z")
I am surprised they had another support beam of just the right size laying around. What, do they keep back-up hardware like that, just in case? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2023, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425/40 "2023-07-14T20:40:22Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I am surprised they had another support beam of just the right size laying around. What, do they keep back-up hardware like that, just in case? - The new support beam even came pre-repaired. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roller-coaster-closed-for-huge-failure/986425.md?page=3)