Wooden roller coasters can last for generations — but only with an incredible amount of maintenance.
To learn how it’s done, I spoke with Daniel Sikowsky at Belmont Park.
The park’s legendary coaster, Giant Dipper, recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Daily Track Inspections
Every single day begins with a full inspection of the coaster.
Maintenance crews walk the entire track looking for any issues.
They inspect:
• Steel rails
• Wooden supports
• Track bolts
• Structural components
Once they reach the end of the track, the process starts all over again to ensure everything is safe.
Manual Train Movement
One of the most surprising parts of the maintenance process involves the transfer track system.
To move trains on and off the main track, the team manually pushes them.
Four or five crew members physically move the train along the transfer track until it lines up with the lift hill.
No buttons.
No motors.
Just manpower.
Maintaining Original Equipment
Some parts of the ride are still incredibly old — including the original lift hill drive wheel.
While the belts are replaced periodically, the alignment process is still done using old-school techniques like string measurements to ensure everything is positioned perfectly.
It’s a reminder of how precise engineers were when this coaster was built back in 1925.
Watch the Reel
https://youtu.be/slPvSC9V0JQ?si=mzmBZ3K993uLYG0L
Final Thoughts
Keeping a century-old roller coaster running is a massive effort.
Thanks to dedicated maintenance teams, historic rides like the Giant Dipper can continue thrilling riders for generations.
And hopefully… we’ll all be back to celebrate its 200th birthday someday.
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