Go Timberliners! The new trains from Gravitykraft, the sister company to The Gravity Group, LLC might be heading out to Holiday World once again only this time maybe permanently. The Gravity Group posted a new blog that talks about their upcoming IAAPA ad which features The Voyage on the left side of the ad with the right side said to contain “something very revealing”. Read the Gravity Cast post here.
Gravity Group also posted video footage in March 2009 of tests for the new train on The Raven at Holiday World. It’s still too early to say for sure if the Timberliner train will make its way on one of Holiday World’s coasters but regardless The Gravity Group has definitely created a lot of buzz for IAAPA.
Some of the more impressive features of the new Timberliner trains are: launch system capable; shock absorption and an innovative restraint system that will net higher throughput of people on the ride. Overall these new trains could really change our perception of older wooden coasters. They will make older coasters feel smoother and cause less wear and tear on the track along with maintaining more speed around the curves due to less friction, but should these new trains be installed on older classic coasters (i.e. Coney Island Cyclone)? Would these trains take away some of the nostalgia from a classic ride?
UPDATE – Today, Holiday World announced that the Timberliner trains will be used on The Voyage next year. Read the full story.
I guess you were all over this one Eric. You scooped this story by about 24 hours. While I haven’t ridden these new trains I would love to see them on some older roller coasters. Heck, I’d like to see them on a run-of-the-mill 20 or 30 year old coaster that’s past its prime to see how much difference it would make.
Thanks Joel, The only thing is I was reading on The Gravity Groups website that the ad featured above doesn’t coincide with The Voyage getting the new trains. So we’ll have to wait for IAAPA to find out what the “revealing” thing is.