No Timberliners on Voyage in 2011

[BP317]

Posted on themeparkreview

As promised, here is an update about the Timberliner trains for Voyage:

In 2011, The Voyage will use two seven-car PTC trains (The Raven will have two six-car PTC trains).

The Timberliner models tested here in 2010 will be upgraded after similar models are used at other parks this season. Because of the extreme speeds and forces on The Voyage, we feel it is better to wait until there has been a full season of Timberliner-use elsewhere (on less extreme coasters which were designed with Timberliners in mind). GravityKraft will then refurbish our trains so that we’ll have the most up-to-date models.

We intend to introduce Voyage’s Timberliner trains at the start of the 2012 season.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Paula

[monsterfan99]

When looking for quality wooden coasters that are reliable, smooth and open on time, look no further than the GCII. As clearly 2 years is just not enough time for Gravity Group to get their trains working.

I also love how many people said that HW buying the PTC cars was for this reason and were told the PTC's were a "back-up plan only." Those same kool-aid drinking fans are now on the "this is great, the delay will make it worth it" crowd. I'd love to see the same reaction if this was a SF or Cedar Fair park.

[FParker185]

Yep

2 years(even one year) is totally unacceptable to get a new product working. I'm surprised these other parks agreed to get Timberliners. The worst part is Gravity Group obviously designed the Voyage, so nothing on it should have been a surprise to them and their new trains, by all means, they should have designed/engineered the trains with all this in mind, fabricated the trains, loaded them onto Voyage's track, Cycle them for however many hundreds of hours are required, get the operating sticker and be done with the process. I don't even know how HW is putting up with it, when I am a customer for anything or any service I expect a quality product and good service.

When GCII came out with their Millennium Flyers for Roar at SFMW, they were well designed, well bult, they were put on the track and worked from day one with no major problems. Even today other than shaving a bunch of weight off the cars, they are mechanically the same as the prototypes. Same with the Vekoma Wood Coaster Trains, of course news travels slowly from overseas, but never heard of any major issues out there either. And again the same goes for Gerstlauer, though mechanically they are a near identical PTC clone.

It's also worth mentioning that the other trains the Gravity Group guys designed and built also had a bunch of serious issues when they first debuted. The coupler between the cars is now on it's probably 4'th or 5'th design.

[monsterfan99]

At least with the Voyage, I could understand a delay due to the beating the track took from the PTCs. But that also goes back to maybe the steel frame/wood track designs were not the best way to go. Seems to be a common problem with GG coasters of getting ultra rough within a couple of seasons.

Lets see how the PR convinces people that this is a "wonderful thing and great for the park." They bet on a loser here and have to live with that. Can't wait to here how bad the numbers are at HoliWood Nights this year.

[FParker185]

Well, CCI and then Gravity Group has always used some extremely questionable structural designs. Neither company makes/made rides that are really built to last.

Wood track on steel structure has been around basically as long as wooden coasters have, most of Coney Island Cyclone is wood on steel, along with just about everything built by Traver amongst many other coasters of days gone by.

Also I don't think HWN's numbers will be affected much if at all, the event has never really been about riding coasters so much as seeing people you only see once or twice a year. Back even when Raven was the only coaster in the park they were getting 400-500 people annually. Also it helps now that even with PTC's Voyage is generally ranked in the top 5 by many people.

[BP317]

Well look at layout of the rides they have built: Hades, Voyage, Boardwalk Bullet, etc. These rides have furious layouts taken at fast speeds and the trains/structure take a beating every time it does a cycle. Same exact problem with the S&S wooden coasters like Avalanche and J2. I think Gravity Group realized that GCI and Intamin offered a better product for a long term wooden coaster addition, which is what prompted them to start making lighter weight trains made to ride with the track and take the beating better (which apparently is not working).

I don't think Holiday World really has a choice other than to keep testing and waiting until the trains are ready for operation, unless they are willing to have Voyage track like Hades and beat the living sh*t out of their park guests or commit to continue doing chronic major track work.

[FParker185]

That is one place where I will give HW a lot of credit. They have some truly horrible business practices in some areas (most that barely/don't affect the GP), but they have always been willing to spend whatever is necessary to keep their coasters, and other rides for that matter, running in top shape.

[Coaster Justin]

Yeah, lets rush production on Prototypes, Let me think of a Few things that Worked:

- Deja Vu
- Stealth
- Mr. Freeze
- Superman: The Escape
- The Bat
- Hypersonic XLC
- X
- Volcano
- Son Of Beast
- Battlestar Galactica
- Perilous Plunge
- Rhino Rally
- Flying Coaster

[BP317]

Nobody is questioning Holiday Worlds decision not to rush them, it's not their fault the trains can't operate consistently. I'm sure the park wants them to running ASAP, more than any of us do, because of how much goes into maintaining the ride in it's current state. What is disappointing is Gravity Groups inability to get it right and the fact that the new trains will not operate with guests until 2 years after they were announced.
Also many of those rides you listed are not unreliable because they were rushed, they are unreliable because they were poorly designed and/or poorly engineered. Hypersonic and X are good examples, both had prototypes built at their respective plants in Utah and were tested for years before actually being built at parks, yet still were unreliable (and ironically now are the same company).

Also I don't think HWN's numbers will be affected much if at all, the event has never really been about riding coasters so much as seeing people you only see once or twice a year. Back even when Raven was the only coaster in the park they were getting 400-500 people annually.

Wow with 400 people that would be over a 16 train wait and Raven only had 1 train up until 2009