Lightning? - CoasterBuzz

How often do roller coasters get struck by lightning? Is it a very common thing? And how does it effect the ride at all?

All the time as far as I know. I know Millennium Force and Power Tower have had their share of hits.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"Let's stop saying 'don't quote me,' because if no one quotes you, you probably haven't said a thing worth saying." - Dogma, KMFDM

At PKI, Son Of Beast has taken some hits and the Drop Zone has frequently been hit.

If Son of Beast has been hit, how did the wood not catch fire? or are you referring to the loop?

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Steel - #1 Kumba, #2 Millie, #3 Mantis ||| Wood - #1 Thunderbolt, #2 Villain, #3 Gwazi
"The key to a happy life is moderation" -- Jon Stewart

I think a lot of the taller coasters/rides have lightning rods at the highest point. I'm sure you could find a ride at just about any large park that has been hit.

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What is it Lassie? Did Timmy fall down the well again? Rough. Did Mr. Wilson have a heart attack? Rough. Is the drug dealer here for his money? Rough Rough. RUN!

http://images.earthcam.com/ec_metros/georgia/atlanta/sixflags.jpg

That is what happened to SFOG's webcam when the top of Great Gasp got struck. The storm caused quite a bit of electronic damage at the park.

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My two favorite coasters are named Superman.
Nitro, Gemini, Laser, Ice, Thunder...The American Gladiators!

Ya, most big rides at any park will put a 10-15 foot taller lightning rod at the highest point (am I right on that one?)

I asked an op on MF while we were stopped for lightning, and he said that things get struck fairly regularly (a few times a summer) and, not surprisingly, Disaster Transport gets hit the most.

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A rollercoaster? What's that?

PittDesigner said:
If Son of Beast has been hit, how did the wood not catch fire? or are you referring to the loop?
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Steel - #1 Kumba, #2 Millie, #3 Mantis ||| Wood - #1 Thunderbolt, #2 Villain, #3 Gwazi
"The key to a happy life is moderation" -- Jon Stewart

Getting hit by lightning doesn't always mean a fire will start. I've seen trees struck that have been split apart but didn't catch fire.

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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

That happened to a tree in my back yard...it was freaky! After the storm, you could see the huge black burn mark around where it broke off.

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-Eric
GlitchCam Returns...if you thought the Subdivision Cam was something, wait untill you see this.
According to the general public, lots of coasters go straight down.

There has to be a high resistance to ground in order for lightning to start a fire. Lighting rods have cables to ground to provide a low resistance path. Even without a lightning rod, fare is unlikely on an open structure like a wooden coaster.

What would happen if a train was going through the course if anything? I am not one for science so I have no idea how it would effect it.

I remember last Sunday at CP, the lightning looked like it could strike the PT or MF at any time.

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If you like Wicked Twister in the back, does that mean you like to get screwed in the rear?

I dont think much would happen if tyhe coaster were going through the course. I would thiunk you would be adequately insulated that there would not a be a problem.

When the big strike hit Millie in 2000 and fried the computer I was standing inside the Fascination building looking out towards millie. Very cool. But that was a very scary storm that day, I hate it when the sky turns green, that is not a goos sign.

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The Beast and Night, They go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly

Millie shut down for lightning last week on Monday evening around 6pm, and when they reopened (around 8:30pm), they couldn't get the train going and worked on it all night. After waiting almost 5 hours, they told us it wouldn't be reopening that night and gave us exit passes for next time. We had stood there watching the mechs go up the lift hill in the gondola thingy (that was cool. I didn't know about that).
I wonder if the lightning struck something and damaged the ride?? Luckily for us, Millie was running the next morning.
The reason we waited in line that whole time was because there was nowhere else to go since it was raining off and on and lightning most of the evening. And everyone else in my part hadn't been on Millie before and that was the one ride they "were" going to ride.
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-Matt in Iowa
Just 15 miles from 2 CCI's.
Approx. 200 coasters ridden -- #1 Shivering Timbers