Timberliner Testing resumes on the Voyage

So does this mean I still have to coordinate my wait for Voyage around enthusiasses that swears one train is better than the other?

Yeah. You know who you are.

~Rob

Advised to order backup trains? I sure hope GG is paying for them. This project was supposed to be completed in 2010. Someone must have created/promised high hopes last season that Holiday World quickly sold off twelve PTC cars.

Holiday World made a rash decision to sell off the original PTC trains. They were practically new and reliable, and their replacements were unproven. If anything, they should have held onto these trains until the Timberliners were in excellent working order. This patchwork train ordeal is embarrassing and inefficient. There is no reasonable excuse to buy a couple cars to complete the "interim trains." True, these can be used for parts on the other PTC trains in the park, but the cost for small parts is less than entire new car which consists of several parts which rarely, if ever, need replacement.

However, the blame goes both ways. Holiday World may have purchased a few extra PTC cars to improve efficency and guest satisfaction, but this came at the expense of Gravity Group's mishaps in installment of the Timberliners. Perhaps, the development of the Timberliners was premature and required further testing and analysis.

Jerry said: First impressions simply state to me a good business ethic to ensure uninterrupted operations -

Thanks, Jerry. That's what it's all about.

Paula

Paula is Jerry's friend. ;)

For the record, 'gator, I don't believe I know Jerry. It was just nice to see someone who understands the reasoning behind the decision. No need to assign blame and criticize. As our friend Will Koch used to say with a shrug, "It is what it is." We just want to be sure our coasters are operating at full capacity come May.

Thanks, Paula

^LOL Paula - "Jerry is not your friend" is pretty much de rigeur filler material for the forums during the past 6 months or so. No offense intended whatsoever.

Actually, I see things pretty much exactly the way you do (and Will did) - "You never get a second chance to make a first impression" is something I believe could not be any more true than it already is.

And to be honest, as excited/anxious as everyone is for the Timberliners, getting to ride it even longer with PTCs is never a 'bad' thing.

Maybe we could re-write a famous advertising slogan: "There will be much whine...before it is time." :)

So ultimately, this should leave Holiday World with 14 spare PTC cars, any of which can be operated easily on any of the three wood coasters.

Anybody else remember when certain park operators liked to keep extra trains on-hand so that they could always operate at full capacity, even if a train broke down?

Anybody else been looking at the attendance numbers for Holiday World in the past three years?

Prediction: If everything goes well, then at some time in the future, the Voyage will get a third Timberliner, and the storage tracks on the Raven and the Legend will be expanded to accommodate a third train for each...not because they can run three trains (in fact, they can't...) but so that they can *always* be ready to run two.

The folks at Holiday World are really good at what they do, and a big part about being good at running a park is being *smart* about running a park. I find this move to be a bit unexpected, but ultimately I think it's probably a smart thing to do.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

That or the plan is for a new woodie in the future to put these PTCs on. Just pulling that out of my ass BTW.

Raven Maven said:
For the record, 'gator, I don't believe I know Jerry. It was just nice to see someone who understands the reasoning behind the decision. No need to assign blame and criticize. As our friend Will Koch used to say with a shrug, "It is what it is." We just want to be sure our coasters are operating at full capacity come May.

Thanks, Paula

No - you don't know me personally Paula, but I'll endeavor to say hello if we ever do meet.

Whereas many executives from other amusement companies often peruse this site, it is refreshing to see one actually "Post" something without having to gain approval from the committee! There have been a few others who did this, but again nice to know people are out there reading and hopefully listening.

Just promise me the coaster won't turn into a "big pile of suck!"

:-)

As promised, here is a Timberliner update:

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

Thanks, Paula. I'm sure you understand how many of us appreciate the update. :) The good news is that a ride like The Voyage is still awesome even with PTC trains, so as much as I look forward to the Timberliners, I can handle the wait! Better that they get it right.

There is really no better demonstration platform for the Timberliners as a retrofit project than the Voyage. That may change once the Grona Lund coaster opens, as I understand that thing has curves on it that no other train* can manage.

But this is much like last season...how disappointed can we be to learn that the best coaster in the world is going to run more or less the same way that it has run since it opened? From a rider's perspective, this is a no-lose situation; in fact getting the 7th car back qualifies as a "win". And on the back end, it will keep the track builders busy for another season.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

* We'll pretend for the moment that the LoCoSuMo** train doesn't count

** Thanks, 'Moosh! Yeah, that name was one of his.

--DCAjr

It's OK, I love the Voyage with the PTC trains, and I'll get to give it another go at HWN this year. :)

Another year with PTC trains on Voyage? Oh, woe is me! ;)

I'm actually very happy to hear this. I believe in the idea that one shouldn't mess with perfection. And Voyage is perfection.

Exactly. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. LOVE The Voyage exactly how it is.

Count me in among those glad to get another chance to ride it with PTC's.

I was disappointed that I never made it there and got to ride it with the original trains. I would never be able to compare the experience with Timberliners to the experience with the PTC's.

For me, this is good news.

Return of the seventh car? Sweeeeeeet. Even though this isn't what I wanted to hear, it's good to hear exactly what's going on. Thanks!