Daily Inspections

     Long before you even wake up in the morning, the park maintenance teams are showing up at the amusement parks to do their daily inspections and preventative maintenance to each and every ride.  Most people don't realize the time and effort involved with the amusement ride safety, but rides are inspected completely by the people who know the equipment inside and out...every single day that any ride has passengers.

The Safety Personnel

    The mechanics, electricians and carpenters are typically at the parks around 5 or 6 in the morning, early enough to allow them the time they need to complete any necessary lubrication or repair to their equipment. These are the same people who spend the entire winter completely rehabilitating all the rides, so you can be assured that they have the experience necessary to find any possible safety concerns.  Any mechanical or electrical equipment, as you know, will have glitches. Your car has problems, your furnace has problems, computers have problems, and amusement rides also have their share of problems. That is why an experienced staff is always there to monitor the safety and maintenance of the rides.  They come in long before the park opens and go home long after it closes. 

Lubrication

With the proper care and lubrication, any mechanical device will have an indefinite life span. Here, a mechanic lubricates the roller coaster wheels through special access holes in the track. Wheels are not greased all at the same time, because too much grease at one time will slow the speed of the train!

Train Inspection Area

In the photo on the left, you can see how most coasters have designated areas in which the daily inspections are able to be completed.  These areas are designed to be more accessible than the active running track, so that the mechanical crew can do their work without restrictive barriers in their way such as the understructure or the braking systems. This is where the wheels are lubricated

Suspended Coaster Inspection

Some coasters have entire buildings where the trains are stored each night. This coaster house can hold all three of its suspended trains at one time, and in a way that provides access to all mechanical areas of the train. This makes it easier for the maintenance crew to do their inspection in a safe, clean and dry environment. In the left photo, you can see how there is an upper floor in the train house for the top half of the cars, and the rest of the train can be worked on from below.

Track Lubrication

The track of a wooden coaster does get lubricated from time to time, usually after it rains. The correct way to lubricate a track is for the carpenters to take a pail of lubricant and a brush along and wipe the track as they do their morning inspection. For the record, this photo shows how NOT to lubricate a roller coaster track!  Man, OSHA would have a field day with this guy.