Winter Maintenance on Storm Runner at Hersheypark

Date: February 7, 2026

Hersheypark amusement park may appear dormant during the cold winter months when the Park gates are closed, but behind the scenes, a dedicated full-time maintenance team is hard at work. Their overarching task is crucial: to prepare over 70 rides and attractions, including the most coasters in the Northeast, for another season of safe, thrilling and family-friendly fun when Hersheypark reopens for Spring Weekends on April 3, 2026. 

During the off season, our Communications team is giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the Storm Runner overhaul process. A specialized team of four maintenance technicians is exclusively assigned to complete the winter maintenance of this globally recognized and fan-favorite hydraulic launch coaster. Two of the team members are dedicated to coaster train maintenance, while the other two oversee the hydraulic system. 

Coaster Train Maintenance

The months-long maintenance process begins in November, during the transition between the Park’s shoulder seasons. Following the conclusion of Hersheypark Halloween and Dark Nights, each Storm Runner coaster train is craned off the track and lowered into the maintenance bay below the ride platform. Storm Runner is one of seven attractions at Hersheypark featuring a maintenance bay directly at the ride. Once the trains are in the maintenance bay, two of the four maintenance team members disassemble them for extensive cleaning, a thorough inspection and a battery of non-destructive testing (NDT) procedures. 

The off-season coaster train maintenance culminates in mid-March when the trains are craned back onto the tracks. Once reinstalled, the maintenance team then dedicates several weeks to rigorous functional and operational testing before the attraction is cleared for opening day. 

However, the work certainly does not stop once Hersheypark Happy is in full swing. Ensuring the safety and operational efficiency of the Park's thrilling attractions is a constant, year-round commitment. A highly-trained two-person maintenance team is assigned to Storm Runner each morning to complete a rigorous 4-hour daily inspection. The inspection encompasses several critical areas, including a meticulous test of all lap bars and restraint mechanisms, a track walk, a hydraulics system check and coaster test runs. After this process is documented and signed off, the ride is cleared for operation.

Maintenance of the Hydraulic Launch System

What makes the maintenance process for Storm Runner especially unique is the additional care required for its hydraulic launch system. The coaster is one of three remaining in the United States (the last on the East Coast) to utilize a hydraulic launch.

The other two team members in the core Storm Runner maintenance group devote most of their work hours to the meticulous maintenance of this powerful apparatus, housed in its own building (often referred to as the “brains” of the coaster) near the base of the signature top hat. In this building, the heart of the launch system lies in a series of high-capacity accumulator tanks. These tanks are the key to storing the immense energy required for the instantaneous acceleration. 

The front portion of each tank is filled with hydraulic oil and the back side is comprised of nitrogen. A free-floating piston separates the two and assists in creating stored energy, which is then pushed through robust hoses into a powerful hydraulic motor. This motor is coupled to a gearbox, which, in turn, drives a large winch drum. Connected to the rotating winch drum is a steel cable that attaches to the "catch car," a specialized vehicle designed to engage with and propel the coaster train. The massive transfer of energy from the hydraulic system to the catch car enables the entire train to be launched up the steep incline of the launch track in just two seconds.

Ride Storm Runner at Hersheypark in 2026

Since its debut in 2004, Storm Runner has been a centerpiece of the amusement park, known for its launch system that catapults riders from a standstill to 72 miles per hour in mere seconds. Beyond its iconic high-speed start, which immediately sends riders rocketing 150 feet into the air over the signature “top hat” hill, Storm Runner offers a truly unique and complex layout. The ride then features a towering 135-foot cobra loop, an inverted "flying snake dive" and a multitude of intense barrel rolls and high-G turns before the train glides safely back into the station. 

Check out this POV of Storm Runner to get you excited for the season ahead.

If you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at Storm Runner, be sure to check out other maintenance stories from previous years, including Lightning Racer, Wildcat's Revenge, Skyrush and Candymonium. If you want to see another particular ride, reach out to our Hersheypark social media channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok) with your suggestions. Stay tuned for even more maintenance spotlights coming soon!

2026 Hersheypark tickets are available now at the Best Price Of Summer when purchased online through March 31. Buy yours now to save on a sweet spring and summer full of coaster riding. We look forward to seeing you soon at Hersheypark!