Voyage after Retracking

But those normal retrackings are because the coaster needs it. I rode Voyage at the end of last season and it does not need retracking. The people at HW are perfectionists both in their coaster design and maintenance. We are lucky those people are taking care of our best ride. *** Edited 5/11/2007 2:09:53 AM UTC by RavenTTD***

I was there this last Sunday and got a few laps in. They were running only one train on all the coasters so I didn't get as many rides as I had hoped to. Voyage was running just as well as it was last year, and seemed to gradually pick up speed as the day went on. No noticeable change in any spots on the Voyage. Both the Raven and the Legend were also in prime form ready for the season ahead. I actually thought that the Legend was running better than it did last season, but that might just be me!

I rode TV Sunday as well. For some reason, it seemed a bit slower than last year IMO...maybe it's those insane night rides I still remember from HWN to which my mind is subconsciously comparing it. It did seem that the track needed a good greasing. However, I'm confident it will be running in fine form for HWN II. One more week to go!

I survived a Japanese typhoon and the Togo flat ride of death!!!!!!

Legend running better than last year? Well that *IS* great news. Although Voyage has come in and taken over that park, Legend is still *my* baby. Some of my favorite coaster moments of all time have come courtesy of that ride.

Think of the Voyage retracking this way:

Some people don't give their car an oil change until they absolutely have to, long after their oil warning light has lit and the engine is making odd noises. Sure they spend less money per year at Jiffy Lube but down the line the likelihood for problems and costly repair bills is pretty likely.

Some people get oil changes for their car every 3,000 miles. They may spend more money on the proceedure every year but I bet their car runs better, has a longer lifespan, and needs fewer repairs due to neglect.

I think that's a misleading way of looking at it. Sticking with the car methaphor, I see retracking as more like replacing a worn tire; you don't do it until you need to (how often do you want to replace your tires?). In my opinion, retracking is not regular maintenance, though it is typically inevitable. I would not like to have to retrack 20% of my ride after its first season.

The oil change metaphor I would think is more like greasing the track. *** Edited 5/11/2007 11:33:48 AM UTC by SupermanFan1***

I knew it wouldn't take long for someone to read my analogy and focus on the small picture and not the big picture. ;)

Rob Ascough said:
I don't think anyone is insulting Holiday World, as their dedication to keeping their wood coasters in top shape should be commended. A few of us (myself included) are just wondering what would result in the need for so much track to be replaced in the ride's first offseason, perhaps a greater problem that is going to need to be addressed in the near future... if it hasn't been addressed already.

OK, Here it goes. The Beast. One of two coasters longer than Voyage gets retracked from midcourse to second lift almost every year and some sections of that get retracked again durring the season. It's helix gets retracked about every two years or at least good portions of it and it's first fan turn gets replaced quite often.

Quite honestly, Any non simple out and back with PTC's gets a lot of trackwork. The trains twist on the track and in reality it's the whole reason why they've gone from four benchers down to two.

I hope someday the guys at CCI can find a train builder that can do it cost effectivly to build some full articulates simular to the MF trains.

Chuck

rollergator said:
^ Because I do....and can.
1,300' is slightly over 20%. That's on the high end of *normal*, but in medical jargon, WNL. As we've said, wooden coasters generally get "re-built" about every 5-7 years. That means 14-20% of a ride will be replaced every year. The Voyage is on the high end of average, esp. taking into account that it just had its first year of operations, but it's also a *little* more aggressive than most woodies too. OK, a LOT more.... ;)
:)

Gator, Wooden coasters often get adjustments made to its bankings and arch of hills. When you adjust the ledgers the track no longer fits the new profile.

I rode Voyage on Labor day, The only shaky part to me was right before the lifthill flyover and I think some of this was due to spot greasing. It seemed to get a little better as the day went on. It was by no means painful.

Im sure there were lots of areas on this coaster they wanted to give some special attention too. IMHO nothing out there comes close in the shear insanity of layout and elements.

Considering Beast gets roughly 20 percent or more replaced every year (And 20 percent of the rides is lifthills. I don't think it's unrealistic for Voyage after one season.

The real guage would be after this season.

Chuck

I hope someday the guys at CCI can find a train builder that can do it cost effectivly to build some full articulates simular to the MF trains.

CCI, Chuck? I hope the guys at Gravity Group don't hear you call 'em that, lol ;)

Yeah, I know and I happen to know three of them :)

I forgive them for not updating their website as well :)

Mamoosh said:
Think of the Voyage retracking this way:
Some people don't give their car an oil change until they absolutely have to, long after their oil warning light has lit and the engine is making odd noises. Sure they spend less money per year at Jiffy Lube but down the line the likelihood for problems and costly repair bills is pretty likely.
Some people get oil changes for their car every 3,000 miles. They may spend more money on the proceedure every year but I bet their car runs better, has a longer lifespan, and needs fewer repairs due to neglect.

Not wanting to cause an arguement, but by that logic, every wood coaster should replace 20% or their track every year?
;)

I change my oil every 3000 like clockwork and will say that it does help an angine. I've had two cars hit over 225,000 miles on the original engine, (most cases, the frames let go, damned ohio rocksalt)

Great Lakes Brewery Patron...

-Mark

Mamoosh said:
I knew it wouldn't take long for someone to read my analogy and focus on the small picture and not the big picture.

It has been my experience that car analogies just don't work around here. And it's too bad, because I'm pretty good at car analogies!

I guess I got caught up in the analogy that my point wasn't made well.

I am simply saying that I think retracking should not be considered regular maintenance after one year. Therefore, I did understand the big picture of the analogy and am saying that I disagree with Mamoosh. All non-analogy comments from my post still stand. :)

But Moosh makes a good point. A big part of coaster maintenance is preventative maintenance- the best coasters are the ones that get work done to them before work really needs to get done. Considering that The Voyage is an intense ride whose design really pushes a number of wood coaster limits, it does make sense that it may need work more severe than other new wood coasters.

I think what some people are wondering is why the coaster ended up needing so much attention after its first year. Is there something about the design that is going to require this kind of yearly work, or is a problem being corrected that will make the need for this kind of work go away?

SupermanFan1 said: I am simply saying that I think retracking should not be considered regular maintenance after one year.

The point you seem to be missing is this: perhaps what the park is doing is attending to those areas where strong forces are exerted on the track and supports and making sure they are in good condition by retracking in a preventative fashion instead of waiting until the repairs were absolutely necessary as well as more extensive and more costly.

Or to summarize: they spend a little money now to prevent having to spend LOTS of money later.

It's really not a difficult concept to grasp.

By comparison, Replacing one 30ft section of B&M track would be far more costly than 1200ft of voyage.

Chuck

How about 3 sections of Intamin track? ;)

Mamoosh, I am not trying to argue. I was just stating my opinion is not the same as yours. I fully understand what you're saying (though I appreciate the implication that I am too stupid to). I also don't think that we consider "retracking" to be the same thing.

I've made my point; I am not trying to get everyone to agree with me. Just adding my two cents.

I see you post the interns site in your sig.

Did not all GCI's without MF trains need a lot of retracking?

I know Wildcat was retracked a lot in some spots.

Chuck