What are they (HW/SS) up to now? (Timberliners on Voyage)

Can't wait to ride Voyage with all the recent track work. And I also really look forward to Mammoth! Super excited for Holiwood Nights.

I can't wait to check out the new 4th of July area too! With the moved carousel and Sparkler that area will really be different!

I might be at the Jasper Inn as that is now my full time job. BTW, we now (as of today) have an enthusiast rate at the Jasper Inn that is not only good for HWN, but for the entire season. Current card-carrying enthusiasts only, same clubs as HWN. $75.95 non-poolside.

Awesome!

As promised, our Timberliner update:

Although we have made progress testing the new Timberliner trains designed for Voyage, they were not delivered to us in time to complete testing. We intend to resume Timberliner testing following our daily season. We thank everyone for your patience, and promise to post updates when testing resumes in late August. Meanwhile, we plan to run PTC trains on Voyage during our daily season this year.

Thanks, Paula

Wow..exactly one year and one day after the last post!! Thanks for the update, Paula.

Mike Gallagher said: Wow..exactly one year and one day after the last post!! Thanks for the update, Paula.

You're welcome - yes, it took a while to find the old thread. :)

We're getting closer, just not there yet.

^Good things come to those who wait (like Flying Turns, for example). Thanks, Paula, I look forward to the Timberliners. Until then, I get another year to enjoy the PTCs :)

Looks like no Timberliners after all: http://www.holidayworld.com/holiblog/voyage-train-update

For four years, we have worked in partnership with Gravitykraft Corp. to test a new style of roller coaster train for The Voyage, our award-winning wooden roller coaster.
We very much appreciate Gravitykraft’s efforts in this process, however ultimately we have decided to continue running the existing trains on our three wooden coasters.

Wow.

Huh, I thought it was just a timing problem this year.

Just as we'll for me. I've yet to try timber liners, but if they maintain Voyage, PTCs are fine to me.

I guess the Turns may win after all.

So HW is permanently staying with the PTCs? I am reading that right, correct?

I am surprised by this.

Yes! That $50 I put on Flying Turns is finally paying off!

Without going into great details that I'd rather not discuss - wondering how the ownership issues might have played into this decision.

That crossed my mind as well, but I also wonder if putting Timberliners on Hades 360 taught Gravitykraft something that led to giving up sooner. I don't know what that could be, but just a thought, especially with what I've heard about Hades still being really rough except for the 360 part. (Although the language of the blog post seems to say it was HW's decision rather than Gk's.)

On the other hand, now that this project is officially done with, all the more reason to focus on keeping Voyage in tip-top shape! I hope we never have a 2011 again... it was just brutal 2 years ago.

birdhombre said:

That crossed my mind as well, but I also wonder if putting Timberliners on Hades 360 taught Gravitykraft something that led to giving up sooner. I don't know what that could be, but just a thought, especially with what I've heard about Hades still being really rough except for the 360 part.

It could also be that some folks from HW made it up to the Dells and decided to give up based on their riding experience, or that they got some data from Mount Olympus that suggested the hoped for savings in track maintenance were not panning out. There's no reason to move forward if the trains were not going to deliver an improved rider experience and reduced maintenance costs. I don't know whether they would or not, but perhaps HW got some intel suggesting 'not.'

That's a whole lot of unqualified speculation.

Clearly the park found something unsatisfactory with at least one aspect of the trains, whether it was via the testing on Voyage or through some other means.

My guess is divine intervention.

Most likely a bizarre image on a piece of toast.