GateKeeper

A typical segment of B&M track weighs about 6,000 pounds.  Some parts of the coaster's support structure are built with steel plate that is over one and a half inches thick.  Clermont Steel Fabricators uses employees certified by the American Society for Nondestructive Testing to inspect the many pieces and welds used to create the track and support pieces.  After the Quality Control inspections, the various pieces are painted by Clermont before shipping to the amusement parks.

The first few B&M coasters had ball-and-socket joints that connected the track to the supports.  This arrangement allowed for some variability between the track position and the support locations, but necessitated inspecting and lubricating each joint every year.  More recently created rides have been designed and fabricated to much tighter tolerances, and the track can be mounted directly on support beams.

©2017 by Joel A. Rogers.