[swampfox43]

Those are all great ideas. I may be in contact with one of you. I talked to a guy at work today that also may be able to help me with this so I will see how that turns out first since that would be most convenient.

I had no idea Carowinds plays that song each morning. Is it the original by Gene Patrick & John Moehring? There's 2 sides to the record, one side is the "Carowinds Song", and the other side is the "Carowinds March". Do you know which one they play (or do they play both)?

[Mr.Nitro]

Man looking at that pic from the skytower showing Pirate Island and T-Road, im PISSED that Thunder Road isn't white anymore. It looks so GOOD like that, I wish I could have seen it in person.

[swampfox43]

Added 1972-1977 brochures tonight....

http://www.carowindsearlyyears.com/brochures.html

[Chris]

Added 1972-1977 brochures tonight....

http://www.carowindsearlyyears.com/brochures.html

Awesome! Thanks again for all your hard work, man! It's greatly appreciated!

[Iheartcarowinds]

Wow. General admission was $7 in 1977. You can barely buy a drink for that now! Thanks for the nostalgia.

[swampfox43]

OK, I promise I won't keep posting everytime I do a big update but I may need a little advice/help on this latest update. And who better to ask but my fellow CCC'rs.

I have never added music files of any type to a webpage so I need to know if these 2 files play for you all without having to download a special player, etc. My web editer gave many options on how to set up the play bar and I used the audio/mpeg option. Some google research led me to believe that was the one to choose. And the example was shown with someone using Windows, and I use a Mac, so here's hoping it will cross platform OK.

A simple PM will be fine, but just let me know if they are playing and if not, what kind of message you get as to why and I will attempt to correct it.
Thanks very much! Oh, and enjoy the songs.
The link:
http://www.carowindsearlyyears.com/songs.html

[Chris]

The music works great!

[swampfox43]

Added a Whirling Dervish video today. I really hate we lost this ride.
Here's the direct link:
http://www.carowindsearlyyears.com/wingoswing.html

Added the rest of the brochures, 1972-1983:
http://www.carowindsearlyyears.com/brochures.html
still have a few inside pages on a couple of the years.

Also added the Palladium concert schedule for 1980. Some big names played that year!
http://www.carowindsearlyyears.com/paladium.html

Enjoy!

[AMartin777]

Awesome! I will be visiting this site and checking everything out. Keep up the good work!

[Jimmy H]

I cant hear the music, it doesnt show any way to make it play i would vary much like to hear it.

[DaveVan]

On the McClelland House and Shortline RR.
The McClelland House was original to the Carowinds property. It sat pretty much unused until it was torn down for Thunder Road. When I worked there there was always rumors it would be used for a Haunted house walk through but that never happened. There were some crops planted around it and the Shortline to fit in with the Country Crossroads theme.
To get to the Shortline you went up a hill just past the CCRR CC station, across a suspension bridge to the small platform station. The Shortline and CCRR did come close to each other but the Shortline was at a little high elevation and during the summer crops of corn formed a separation. I always felt Pat found the little 24" train while looking for the other trains and bought it...not really having a plan for it. The Shortline was run by a Country Crossroads member and not by one of the CCRR crew as it was a simple diesel loco that did not have a Federal law covering it as did the CCRR. We did run the Trolley during its short life. BTW...it was really a fork lift with rail wheels and Carowinds made body.

Swampfox43...thanks for your site!

[bgwfreak]

Not sure if this has already been mentioned, but thanks to Dave I found where Melodia ended up at and she sounds like she's in good hands.

http://pcrailroad.wordpress.com/2007/01 ... y-of-no-3/

[swampfox43]

^Good work there Mr Wes!!!

Found the double-decker carousel's home in Germany:
http://www.carowindsearlyyears.com/carousel_today.jpg

We all know where White Lightnin' is today......

Now if we can just find out where that monorail ended up, cause it ain't in Acapulco! Wes???

[swampfox43]

On the McClelland House and Shortline RR.
The McClelland House was original to the Carowinds property. It sat pretty much unused until it was torn down for Thunder Road.
To get to the Shortline you went up a hill just past the CCRR CC station, across a suspension bridge to the small platform station. The Shortline and CCRR did come close to each other but the Shortline was at a little high elevation and during the summer crops of corn formed a separation.

On this 1974 map image, I have noted the bridge that took you to the Shortline RR. Strangely enough, the McClelland House was labeled on the map as if it were meant to be noticed for whatever reason....

Shortline RR map image:
http://www.carowindsearlyyears.com/shortlineRR.jpg

Aerial photo image showing Shortline RR:
http://www.carowindsearlyyears.com/shortlineRR2.jpg

[super7]

Thank you for your wonderful webpage. It really brings back the magic of what WAS Carowinds and a great THEME park. It had so many special touches back then. The park was not a Disney-type theme park with extensive theming onthe rides, but it was an excellent environment where each section's buildings and special scenery created a feeling that you were in that place in time. And each ride had a good, creative name that matched the theme of the section.

The thing that I always liked about Carowinds when it was themed, is that it also had a master theme of the Carolinas as well. The only thing Carolina about the park now is that they stick the name Carolina infront of every coaster and section name! lol

It is sad how Paramount managed to totally rip out the heart and soul of this well planned park. The park is generic, ugly and just a collection of mediocre thrill rides now. Even the logo is generic!

Most of the original theme sections have been ruined and changed into something generic. Plantation Square into Carowinds Plaza, Frontier Outpost into the awful Carolina Boardwalk (with no water! Pirate Island was so much better!), Pirate Island disappeared into Carolina RFD, Queens Colony disappeared into Nick Central and what is Thrill Zone now never had much of a good theme.

Looking at those photos makes you realize that all of the water has disappeared too. The water where the Carolina Sternwheeler was is almost all gone, the water around Pirate Island and now the water where the log flume was.

Thanks for your site! I have the desire to visit your site to remember a wonderful place. I have 0 desire to ever go to Carowinds again.