Wear and Tear-

In reading the topic about Desperado, and how wear and tear has made the ride worse, it made me wonder what specifically contributes to a ride wearing down?

Thanks-
Jason
*Long time reader, first time posting.

I often wonder about the wear and tear about coasters in Florida (running 12 months straight as opposed to 5-7 months like seasonal parks).

Although, maybe that just wears out the wheels and train parts mostly, not the track itself.

So if we're saying wheel assemblies are a big reason that coasters "age," would it stand to reason that certain older Arrow coasters such as LNM or Vortex that people say are good classic Arrows aged better than say Anaconda or GASM because their wheels were replaced on a regular basis? Maybe there's hope for some of the Arrow coasters that have aged more poorly than others?

I know that up north here, the climate is really hard on anything exposed, like roads, cars, human flesh, etc. I can only assume that some of that wear and tear is simply the expansion and contraction (however slight) of metal in the cold weather.

But does it make that much of a difference when compared with warm-weather parks, like SFMM?

The winter definitly takes it toll on the rides in Colorado during the winter as well. During the summer, the rides get exposed to sun and that's never good for the paint.

The worst thing for a ride is simply lots of running...little maintance. Most rides should be able to run a lot and last a long time when taken care of right. But let me tell you from working in the amusement industry, it's not always that easy to pay as much attention to the rides as they need.

Wheel wear is not a factor in aging of steel coasters. On a properly maintained coaster, wheels are changed at regular intervals. Yes, you can get a flat spot on a wheel, but it is resolved by changing the wheel. Just look in the shop of most major parks and you will see racks with dozens of replacement wheels. Old wheels are sent out to get new plastic tires.

When Millenium Force first opened they had serious wheel problems and would pull a train in the middle of the operating day to change wheels. With proper maintenance, steel coaster trains should last almost indefinitely, though metal fatigue may require some parts to need occasional replacement. Even old wooden trains can be rebuilt to work fine. Just look at Jack Rabbit or Leap The Dips.

Properly designed and fabricated steel track should last an awfully long time. If it's underdesigned or poorly fabricated, it may deteriorate with time.

I suspect the biggest causes of steel coaster deterioration are poor maintenance, settling of the foundations, and changing perceptions on the part of the riders.