Does anyone know what is going on with PTC?

Good afternoon,

I just wandered if anyone knew what ptc is up to, becuase i havent heard much about them. Does anyone know if they are getting ask to build trains for any of S+S new woodies, or are they using Gerstlauers. I was just curious, becuase i haven't heard of any coasters using them that are new.

THanks for your help,

Wood Fan

Timberhawk, the only new non-GCI woodie to open in the US this year, runs new 3-bench PTC trains. In 2002 both new US woodies -- the New Mexico Rattler and IB's LoCoSuMo -- opened with PTC trains. Parks also contract with PTC for rehab work on trains.

mOOSH

Twister II received two new PTC trains for the 2003 season. *** Edited 11/13/2003 5:59:07 PM UTC by PT300***

I knew I was forgetting something else...thanks PT ;)

mOOSH

Twister II's trains are gorgeous, too. Too bad the ride itself is only Ok...

PTC not only supplies rolling stock but also things such as braking systems. As PT300 pointed out, they not only supply trains for new coasters but for older coasters as well. Coasters like Hershey's Comet and Clementon's Jack Rabbit are examples of older coasters that have received new trains in the past few years. I'm sure that they also supply parts for a number of rides that they once produced, everything from carousels to cuddle-ups.

I don't doubt that parts are a big business. On a construction tour to CP in early 2002, they were replacing the lapbar locking mechanism on all of the Blue Streak trains with fresh parts from PTC.

I'm sure that, whenever a park tears down a train and rebuilds it (which seems to be every couple of years), the replacement parts come from PTC. I'm willing to bet that PTC's parts business is even bigger than their "new train" business.

Mamoosh said:
In 2002 both new US woodies -- the New Mexico Rattler and IB's LoCoSuMo -- opened with PTC trains.

Are you sure PTC designed/built the Lost Coaster cars? I thought CCI did those in-house...

-Nate

LoCOSuMo's were done by CCI from my understanding.

PTC's big business is parts, since the great majority of wooden coasters (as well as a few steel coasters)use their trains, there are alot of trains out there to service. Basically right now they build and referb trains, as well as provide replacement parts. Tom has mentioned that he would like to someday build a carousel as well, but it is a great expense and he has had only one potental buyer so far, and that fell through.

Yes... the trains were custom designed by Mike Graham, now of The Gravity Group.

And that was after CCI said they would never build trains again. I think that was after Pegasus at Big Chief's.

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Rob Ascough said:
And that was after CCI said they would never build trains again. I think that was after Pegasus at Big Chief's.

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The Pegasus train was actually built for Americana's Screechin' Eagle. They hated it so much they made CCI take it back.