Carolina Cyclone Receives “New” Trains, With Help from Kings Island’s Vortex

When Carolina Cyclone opens at Carowinds next season, frequent visitors to the park will notice something is a little different about the coaster’s trains in 2021.

The two trains on Carolina Cyclone will have new bodies next year, made possible by the closure of Vortex at Kings Island.

Following Vortex’s final rides, the trains were shipped to Carowinds during the 2019-2020 off-season, where they were sanded and repainted.

“We’re proud to work with our fellow Cedar Fair parks to share parts that are in excellent condition,” said Carowinds Communications Director Lisa Stryker. “It’s a great way to reduce waste.”

 

Above: New Carolina Cyclone bodies. Below: previous Carolina Cyclone bodies.

The “new” train bodies for Carolina Cyclone feature a more “rounded” look than the previous Cyclone trains, and also feature a silver piping accent on the sides, where Vortex had its stripe. There are a few more subtle differences as well.

The Vortex “shells” will be riding on top of the chassis of the previous Carolina Cyclone trains. Because both Vortex and Carolina Cyclone were manufactured by Arrow, the process to combine the two train elements was very easy, according to Carowinds.

The two trains have been painted solid purple and yellow, and during our visit to the park this past February, work was still being done on Carolina Cyclone’s yellow train. The restraints came from the previous Carolina Cyclone trains.

“The Vortex may be gone but it will always hold a special place in the hearts of Kings Island fans and roller coaster enthusiasts alike,” said Don Helbig, long-time Area Manager for Digital Marketing at Kings Island. “It was an iconic attraction, the first roller coaster in the world to send riders through six inversions on a continuous circuit. It was big and intense but that didn’t scare families away. From thrill-seekers to first-time riders, everyone wanted to ride it.

“The Vortex trains rolling on the rails of steel track again on the Carolina Cyclone will remind not just Kings Island fans, but amusement park fans everywhere that hey, a part of the Vortex is still here,” he concluded.


For more information about Carolina Cyclone, be sure to visit Carowinds’ website, and follow the park on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

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