News from Martin & Vleminckx website regarding retracking, new rides

On their page of completed work (they title it "realizations') they have the Wildcat at Lake Compounce at the top of their list of retracked coasters. The Wildcat was supposed to be retracked by them this winter, so I guess this confirms that it was done. It has always been a fun historic coaster, so it will be fun to ride it this year.

gardener14 - not only was it supposed to be retracked, but reprofiled BACK to it's original Schmeck design! If that's true Wildcat is gonna be a whole lot wilder ;)

Well...it might mean they did it in the past, perhaps many years ago, but, I hope you're right :)

No, P...during this offseason.

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Mamoosh said:
gardener14 - not only was it supposed to be retracked, but reprofiled BACK to it's original Schmeck design! If that's true Wildcat is gonna be a whole lot wilder

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That sounds great! It will be a great year at The Lake with Down Time, a renovated Wildcat, and a renovated Music Express (so I hear).

So now there's gonna be a good solid family terrain coaster AND all the insanity of a "virtual" Schmeck?

Hmmmm, Lake Compounce, Lake Compounce....;)

Rob A....I *would've* said Winter '02 (OK, winter for us, Jan-Mar), maybe my timeline is off? Anywho....Lion seems to be the gentler, floatier, of the two and needs less maintenance. Tiger, with the more *aggressive* layout, probably tears up more trackwork...(but it's the one I like better, I don't mind an intense coaster....which brings me back to Schmeck)...:)

bill, glad to see M-V getting work, it means people are taking CARE of their woodies...also hoping they'll getting a chance to re-construct STARLINER...

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1EyedJack said:
Maybe we can et them to come down and work on Mean Streak... MS is A1 eye candy, but needs some TLC

1EJ[

/quote]

PSST! Their the ones that tamed it :(

Chuck, who says they also did work on Herc too.

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*** Edited 4/21/2004 11:50:45 PM UTC by Charles Nungester***

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Jeff said: Maybe it was Scott Short who said to me, "Did you notice there are actual laterals in the turnaround?" Good times.

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That sounds like something I would have said.

Not to steal CF's thunder, but M&V also did work on Paramount's and SF's woodies. Could this be a contract that just carried over as part of the purchase?

Probably not, SF was doing all the work in house before the purchase.

That is excellent news about the Wildcat having its "Schmeck-ness" returned. Something about that ride has always felt "off" to me when compared to other Schmeck designs and I couldn't figure out if it was the work that Summers and Dinn did to the ride in the '80s or if the Wildcat is merely one of his less-distinguished designs. I guess I'll find out this summer. Thanks for the heads-up, Moosh!

'gator: Help me out here... when you're given the choice to go right or left, which is Lion and which is Tiger? Either way, both times I was at the park, I had to ride the "right" side (the side furthest from Montu when you're standing in the station) because the other side was down. I can tell that the ride is quite aggressive and I'm sure that makes it difficult to maintain, but all the work is worth it- that coaster is incredible! Between Gwazi and the DBH, southern Florida has quite a collection of wood coasters.

I wonder if we can convince Old Town in Kissimmee to buy the Starliner? I heard they were interested in a wood coaster ay some point...

As you enter the queue from the locker area, you will (every once in a while) get a choice of going right or left, through the grass-thatched huts and into the station. Montu won't help me explain, but Kumba will...:)

If you head to the LEFT (the side closest to Kumba), you're riding Tiger...my personal choice, when offered both. If you go RIGHT, (away from Kumba) you'll get more floater air, and likely even a smoother ride, but with lower intensity....THAT side is Lion.

bill, hoping the grass infield behind Gwazi becomes a *real* flat ride (KMG Afterburner or the equivalent)...where the vertical-drop looping Beemer is going, that's ANYBODY'S guess....LOL. ;)

Wow. I've been riding Lion all this time. If Lion is as good as I've found it to be and Tiger is even better.... I better get down to BGT again!