I just heard on the local news that at about 1:30am, lightening struck the top of the American Plunge and started a small fire which was quickly put out by Station 10. The picture showed only minor damage to what I suspect is the small cubicle at the top of the lift just before the plunge. I would assume that that means AP will be closed for a time...oh wait...it's not open during OTC anyway is it. Here's a link I found after hearing that...no picture though: http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=361466
That's very unfortunate. On the "glass is half full" side of things, maybe insurance will kick in and provide MUCH needed upgrades to the AP!
Now beta that is some very "constructive" thinking! :o :o
They might actually upgrade the plunge. This won't happen but maybe they will redo the drop like Daredevil Falls's drop.
Here's a pic of Daredevil Falls drop at Dollywood.
http://www.dollywood.com/upload/rides/daredevil_falls_2.jpg
excellent pic! I will be at the city sunday. try to ge some pics, if nobody has done so by then.
From the picture I saw on the news this morning, I don't think the fire caused very much damage. A little to the roof of that dispatch tower from the looks of it. Certainly nothing elaborate enough to induce a major rebuild. Sorry guys.
DARN!! :o :o
I saw it yesterday. The control booth is completely gone, just two charred supports remain. It doesn't look too extensive though, they'll just have to rebuild the booth before the next opening day.
Here are some pics I took Friday morning of the top of the AP slide. Doesn't appear to be any undo damage to the structure aside from the booth at the top.
(http://imgur.com/Uqi90.jpg)(http://imgur.com/jyFBS.jpg)
FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!
This won't be seen as an excuse/opportunity to mothball the ride, will it?
Wow! That's a lot worse than the picture I saw on the news. Still, it should be an easy rebuild.
StL news showed the control structure with what looked like very minimal damage, but then followed it up by saying that the fire could be seen for miles. That is much worse than what I expected. Good thing the fire was caught early. I am sure the logistics of fighting the fire up there...inside the park,,,after hours... could have been a bit tricky.
Good thing there is a fire station next to SDC!
^The fire at the bottom of the hill has been going on for decades, and no one seems to care. In just one big wind could spread to that nice Opry House they built down there.
Anyway, this is why they evacuate those rides when lightning gets close.
It is a good thing there is a fire station next to SDC. There building one next to DW it should open in 2011.
Silver Dollar City used to have it's own volunteer fire department consisting of park employees. The fire house next to the park is where their vehicles were kept. They went through real training and I think were certified. Believe it or not, several of the firemen worked at FITH! True story. I don't know if the park still maintains the fire station, or if it is a part of the Stone County units or maybe the Branson West units. Just an interesting tidbit for you all.
Were there any controls in the booth at the top? I thought the person in the booth could control the spacing between the logs coming up and going down the hill. Anyway, I would think that would be a pretty large expense if that equipment burned up in the blaze.
I was at the park the day the lightening struck and asked one of the citizens about it and they said that they would have to replace one or two of the motors in addition to the little watch house...maybe some of the support boards as well...
I wonder if, because the booth sits right at the top of the structure, the fire didn't kind of burn itself out....kind of like holding a wooden match upright.
^Probably so, considering it would have to have been a pretty hot fire to burn through the big supports. I'm pretty sure most support work these days is made to be somewhat fire-retardant as well.
Hmm, it might be telling to see how they rebuild the booth. If they do as quick and dirty of a job as they did with the tunnel, it might be another sign that the Plunge's days are numbered, at least for it's current form. How many park model flumes are left? I think AP is about the last Arrow flume around, now that Cedar Fair has gotten rid of all of theirs. Six Flags might have a couple left...
^Cedar Fair has gotten rid of all of theirs?
I guess I will go tell...
-Worlds of Fun
-Knotts Berry Farm
-California's Great America
-Kings Island
-Kings Dominion
-Michigan's Adventure
-Canada's Wonderland
-Dorney Park
that their flume rides are no longer "valid"
Honestly the only parks to have removed their flume ride and not replace it with another in the chain are Valleyfair and Carowinds. Cedar Point just replaced their flume ride this year.
SF StL switched theirs from 2 flumes down to one about 15-20 yrs ago, but it is still there!
^Are you sure about that
^^^ Huh, I actually thought that most of those parks had gotten rid of their Arrow flumes, if they even had them to begin with. I guess I just never see them mentioned in the PTR's people post. CP is actually the only CF park I've been to personally. :-X
Still though, the original Arrow's are a lingering breed. I'm surprised so many have lasted so long considering the issues regarding the lack of restraints on most models. AP will hang in there in its current form for some years to come I'm sure, but I'm sure a plan to rebuild the ride with a modern Hopkins or Mack system has been mulled over.
Sorry Swoosh I stand corrected! There are in fact 2 flumes on the Arrow Log Flume that was opened in 1971 @ Six Flags STL. I don't know what I was thinking! ONce I looked at a photo it was an "OH yeah" moment"! thanks for keeping me in check!
If they'd just rebuild what was damaged and throw a few bucks toward theming the cave area, and perhaps throwing a few more atmosphere pieces along the plunge route, it would sure help pep things up. I hope they do.
This has nothing to do with log flumes, but, has anyone noticed that SFoG is removing all of there rides lately to build some pitifully themed coaster. I also heard that there not doing to well in attendance, and when I was there a couple months ago almost noone was in the park!
ok people.... having a brain fart here... SFoG???
SF=Six Flags
SFoG=Six Flags over Georgia
Quote from: Junior on November 30, 2010, 09:59:19 AM
If they'd just rebuild what was damaged and throw a few bucks toward theming the cave area, and perhaps throwing a few more atmosphere pieces along the plunge route, it would sure help pep things up. I hope they do.
I completely agree! The American Plunge is an old classic, but it still has a lot of life left in it if they would simply refurbish it. I hope this lightening strike was a “sign” of sorts to reinvigorate the ride. They could even rename it to The American Lightening Strike Plunge! ;)
Anyone who made a trip to SDC in late December see any repair work going on at the plunge?
The damaged portion was removed, but no repairs. I knew they wouldn't touch it until the off season. I am pretty sure those replacement parts are going to be pretty hard to come by for a 1981 log flume!
I might be remembering wrong, but seems like the plunge was a SDC crafted ride. There was a time up until about the mid-80s they did a lot of the work on their rides...I don't think it was until the 1990's they started buying rides and customizing them for their park. I'm not 100 percent on this, but I think I am more right than wrong.
I'd say you are probably pretty close! Although the basic functions of the plunge may have been bought off site, but most of the plunge has that Silver Dollar City "homemade" feel to it.
The worst part about the off season is the unknown! ;) Since most of us have no access during the next couple of months it will be just a waiting game until more updates come through from on scene source.
The American Plunge was built by Arrow Dynamics, the same people who built Thunderation, I believe. They were responsible for pretty much all the classic flume rides. A ton of Arrow flume rides still exist, though they are disappearing bit by bit. Parts are not an issue though.
The new control booth may be the most exciting addition of 2011. ::)
I thought it was an Arrow, but I wasn't going to quote anything on that one.
Of course that is assuming that they rebuild the control booth at all. With technology these days, who knows what Silver Dollar City might do? I can remember a time when the booth above the Thunderation lift hill used to manned. I am not sure if there are actually controls there, or not, but it has certainly been unmanned for a several years now.
Like I mentioned before, I sure hope Silver Dollar City will take the initiative, and completely remodel the American Plunge. Sure, with over a million dollars already sunk into Half Dollar Holler my hopes are whimsical, but a guy can dream can't he? ;)
I guess I never really payed attention to what exactly the worker in the booth was doing. I figured it was all a safety issue (standing, rocking boats etc...) I also had never really taken time to look at my photos of the structure...Here's one last look for you all.
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/johnscabin277.jpg)
Thanks for the picture Rube! This has been my biggest regret. During my last trip to Silver Dollar City I accidentally neglected to take even one photograph of the plunge. :-\
Hopefully, it will stand tall for a bit longer before anything too drastic happens. :)
As the resident archivist, I keep track of it all so you don't have to!
AND we THANK YOU for that rube..
I don't believe that AP was built by Arrow. I was on the construction crew for it and I believe it was an in-house project through and through. BTW, when it was built, the plunge itself had little bars/ribs on it that caught the water as it flowed down, causing it to spray up and into the boats after they passed. It was decided in testing that the spray got people too wet so they were removed.
I did hear the other day that they were doing some welding up there on the tower, so something is going on...I'm not sure what though.
Rube, you are definitely the archive master! :P
And thanks Zephon for the mini history lesson with your American Plunge trivia. I will say this, welding is a much better sign than say a wrecking ball. ;)
No doubt!! rube is one of the "Jedi masters" of this site....
When you stop, and think about it, it is unbelievable that the tower hasn't been struck by lightening before. It sat high, and in the middle of an isolated tree clearing. I am assuming that it didn't have much in way of lightening protection. I certainly wouldn't want to hang out in the control booth during a Thunderstorm. :P
I have wondered in the past how many times that decorative piece of Powderkeg track that sticks straight up in the air near the launch area has been struck by lightning.
SOTH Inspiration Tower HAS to hold the record in Branson...
thaty would be interesting to know..... ??? ??? ??? ???
Quote from: U Smell Smoke on January 08, 2011, 07:53:18 PM
I have wondered in the past how many times that decorative piece of Powderkeg track that sticks straight up in the air near the launch area has been struck by lightning.
At least once! That is why it is all blackened, and mangled at the top.
I'm just teasing of course. :P
lol ;D ;D
How is the repair work going at AP since the lightning strike? How about a few photos?