Voyage Retracking

Does anyone know what kind of wood is used for a wood coaster? Oak, maple, pine, ceder, ash, apple etc. ;)

Usually Southern Yellow Pine for supports because it's cheaper, Douglas Fir for track because it's tougher.

I had wondered about that too Discern. It seems to me that land can settle regardless and when you deal with something as large as the Voyage, it seems like it could happen.

Some other points mentioned are important also. Maybe it's just annual maintenance. Hooray for HW for doing it!!!

When on a behind-the-scene tour of SCBB's 2640-foot-long Giant Dipper a mechanic told me that about 500 feet of track is replaced annually. That's about 19% of it's entire trackage. Over a 5 year period the entire ride has been retracked.

Voyage has 6,442 feet of track, so the 1,120 feet recently worked on represents about 17% of the ride's total trackage. That doesn't seem excessive or alarming to me...sounds like routine maintenance on a wood coaster.

^ And that is right Mamoosh without a doubt.

I wish I could find out more information and nag the workers a bit to squeeze a little out of them. I have a natural gift with wood working (not bragging) but when I was in school I made the most elaberate pieces of fine wood craftsmanship in my class (wonder why I didn't do anything with it), but wood is living and act's in funny ways when tampered with or sustained to climate change.

Those are also very interesting statistics Mamoosh, and the adverage coaster buzzer should think about those stats a little more instead of just looking at a bunch of numbers.

It bugs me because I would love to get my hands on there log books and records. Wouldn't that be a pot a gold at the end of the rainbow. ;)

How much retracking did the Kentucky Rumbler recieve after its first year of operation? Zero. I believe the only wood that needed replacement were a few wood hand rails. What does that say about GCI? I rest my case.

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CoasterDiscern said:
we undrstand that footer's will not move if cemented right, but even if they are laid right and the ground decided to move ... the footer would move to...

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^ IIRC, Lightning Racer has had a grand total of 10 feet replaced (pre-lift) since it opened.

It's all about the trains.

^^Were is the kentucky rumbler. KENTUCKY! You don't need as much wood replacement there. What do you think is going to happen to voyage's wood through the winter season and/or off season?

What kind of wood is lightning racer "AND" kentucky rumbler made from? It all depends. Listen guys, there is no right or wrong answer here, bottom line the wood needs to be treated one way or another. If very few pieces are replaced on one ride and alot on another, then there are reasons for that. Fill me in and lets talk about it. I don't want to argue over wood replacement for coasters. Dragster, you of all should understand a good debat for a class of a hundred, then something that is not relevant Louisville University. Chill my little kitten's. Conan would be scared ;).

*** Edited 12/2/2006 6:24:37 AM UTC by CoasterDiscern***

CoasterDiscern...Rumbler and Voyage are less than 2 hours from each other. I don't think the geographics are that different from each other. TV is just much more aggressive and not built the same way as KR (with the continuous slab). Kudos to HW.

It certainly can't be a bad idea. Look at how much PKI is going to shell out for correcting problems with SOB. And, the cost in revenue from law suits, bad press, and having it closed for a year. If HW wants to take precautions every year that would keep a great, smooth ride from becoming a rough, unpleasant and/or unsafe nightmare I applaude them. I wish more parks had that kind of dedication.

Yea trust me as coming from a park with only wood coasters when their smooth their a lot funner. Who whants to ride a coaster that kills your back and makes it unpleasent. So I think any park that keeps up their coasters should get a thumbs up.

The Voyage only cost like $6.5 million to build. For a ride of that size, $6.5 million seems like they got a good deal.

Yeah Cory, COnsidering it's almsot twice as long as something like Raptor and one third the cost :)

Chuck who thinks they can probably retrack that much for the next 100 years and still not hit the 20 million dollar mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Hqj6LPJWwU

Ok I have heard some much great stuff about Voyager and after watching the video above I am wondering why they are retracking the thing because it looked like a steel coaster. Other wooden POVs I have seen are like bouncing around. This thing looks like a Bollinger and Mallibard.

Voyager looks fine why retrack it? I am still not getting it.

You're not getting the name, either. :)

Paula

When I saw that post on Holiblog, I assumed they were redoing the secion on the return leg with the jolts... I seem to remember them doing some track work early in the season, but how much can you do during the week, between weekends? Of course what do I know... Is there anyone on this board that might be in the know? Paula, I'm looking in your direction!

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Mamoosh said:
Voyage has 6,442 feet of track, so the 1,120 feet recently worked on represents about 17% of the ride's total trackage. That doesn't seem excessive or alarming to me...sounds like routine maintenance on a wood coaster.

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That's true, but remember this is track that is just one year old. If that track really has worn that quickly surely it is logical to deduce that that same bit of track will need to be replaced next year (along, presumably, with some of the two year old portions which will have worn out by then)?

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Audioslaved said:
Voyager looks fine why retrack it? I am still not getting it.

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To make sure it STAYS fine. Unlike some big chains (and, for that matter, many health insurance companies), Holiday World understands preventative maintenance.