I really hope more parks start contracting GG for woodie refurbs. It keeps these rides smooth for substantially longer, while still feeling like wood. Gravity Group is the future of the wooden roller coaster.

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

This is a great ad for precut track.

Another Huge Gravity Group W here. I'm definitely a believer

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

It showed just how good the track is.

I love that the gravity group was able to fix wildcat. I bet there are going to be a few parks with rough wooden coasters watching to see how wildcat does this season

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

I agree. It's night and day the old versus new track.

This is so great to hear! Wildcat currently ranks #754 out of 754 roller coasters for me 😂when I got off in June 2021, I said that I would never ride this thing ever again until it got major work done on the track and people started enjoying it. I guess we're here now!

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

It is so much better now.

LOLOL, yes I remember thinking that when I visited Lake Compounce for the first time a couple years ago: that the road leading into the park was an airtime-filled ride in itself, haha!

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

It does have some airtime. Those humps are legit.

I remember being a kid and riding Wild Cat. After getting off you felt like you got in a violent car crash. Not to mention the carts had little to no cushioning so you were bouncing off of the hard wooden walls of the cart

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

I'm glad it's mostly comfortable now.

You forgot the massive overhaul of Loch Ness Monster Busch Gardens is undertaking when discussing ride refurbs happening this year

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

That's another big one.

wish they would of retracked the whole coaster but maybe next year or the following they will

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

I believe the plan is to do the finale this offseason.

@MrHappy-hx3go

2 ай бұрын

Nah man, kitty gotta have its claws

@HugeRMCFanBoY-bx3od

2 ай бұрын

@MrHappy-hx3go bone crushing claws

Rode it on Saturday, It was absolutely amazing!! W Gravity Group honestly should be the primary retrackers for Lake Compounce.

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

They did a great job revitalizing this ride.

I love hearing this. I would've skipped it if it were still the same as before, but now, I will have to give it at least one ride on my visit in August. I might splurge on speedy pass if things look as busy as my first visit, when Wildcat was 90+ minutes all day, on a Wednesday, and Boulder Dash was an hour. That ending sounds similar to KD's Grizzly now, switching over to the old track towards the end, suddenly becoming quite bumpy, but not unbearable.

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

Speedy Pass was surprisingly affordable last year even on busy days. And it saved a ton of time.

Another stellar review!🤙

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Amazing timing. Just minutes ago I heard that this coaster had reopened and so I just squeezed Compounce into my summer itinerary.

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

Boulder Dash is still the crown jewel, but this is now fun too.

@StamfordBridge

2 ай бұрын

@@CanobieCoaster I was spited this credit the last time I visited. But I look forward to a reworked Boulder Dash, too!

Shockwave at Drayton Manor has also been converted into a sit down coaster called The Wave. Sadly there are no more Intamin stand ups left, I quite enjoyed it in its previous incarnation.

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

I wish I rode it as a stand-up to try that zero-G while standing.

@katashworth41

2 ай бұрын

@@CanobieCoaster it was weird, but the best part of the ride.

I never went on the original Wildcat so this is exciting!

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

I'm happy they did it.

I remember when Wildcat at Hershey gad switched from PTC trains to Millenium Flyers. The Millenium Flyers are way heavier than the old PTC trains and though it was rough before, it was a new type of rough with the new trains. It also seemed to run slower with the millenium flyers if I remember right

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

Yeah Hershey's Wildcat got noticeably slower. It had more airtime with the PTCs.

GG precut track with GCI MFs sounds like a dream tbh

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

It runs good now (in the addressed parts).

I’m glad they were finally able to fix this up. Dinn really messed this ride up when they rebuilt it. In fact this ride is basically a Dinn coaster because they didn’t even use any of the original blueprints, they just replicated the Schmeck design as best they could, and clearly they messed up the foundation somehow, because if they didn’t the ride would be smooth from all the track work it has gotten. Though it no longer resembles a wooden coaster from the 1920s, these modifications were much needed, the ride was so messed up that they wouldn’t have been able to keep it the way it was, and now the intended audience (families) can enjoy it.

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

That's a fair point it is more of a Dinn at this point.

Between Gravity Group precut track and GCI Titan track, I really hope the precut track becomes the more popular option for parks in general. Titan track feels like it just serves to slowly phase out wood without necessarily improving the ride beyond maintenance and smoothness. RMC justifies its conversions because of what they create with their new rides. So far, Titan track hasn't been used that way and I don't see that happening anytime soon. Gravity Group has found a way to keep wood alive but still smooth. And it's still likely going to last longer than traditional retracking. I would just hate to see every woody that becomes rough become a Borg type amalgam of rough wood track and steel Titan track that just slowly becomes more steel with every passing season.

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

I just want quality rides and all the solutions can improve a ride if used properly.

@carysage

2 ай бұрын

I used to feel that way, like Titan track would make it less pure somehow. I don't feel that way anymore. Wolverine Wildcat at my home park Michigan's Adventure got a Titan retrack on the first drop. I've been riding that coaster since the year it opened and now it's better than ever. That first drop is seriously one of my favorites anywhere now. At 88 feet and maybe 53 degrees, 😂. The positives in the valley are magic.

@zacg_

2 ай бұрын

@@carysage I understand where you are coming from. But I guess I'd argue that if you can fix areas that are rough with new better designed wooden track then you probably should. My reasoning? Because the tendency with Titan Track will only be to slowly replace the rest of the track with more steel track as time goes by. It's not like a park with a wooden coaster that adds Titan track to a rough patch is going to go back and redo future rough areas with wood. They'll just see that Titan track was cheaper over time and then it's just a matter of time before the old classic is a hybrid. And for what? Not for a new more thrilling ride experience like you get with RMC. Just as a way to decrease maintenance cost but keeping the coaster smooth. Which means they just phase out woodies. I'm sure many coasters with Titan track run smoother with the steel. But if I could choose between two forms of smoothness but one of then will gradually replace wood while they other keeps woodies alive as a concept then I'll take the option that keeps woodies alive.

@carysage

2 ай бұрын

@@zacg_ Actually that's exactly what they did, lol. In '22 it got a Titan 1st drop. In '23 everything between the 1st and 2nd turnaround was replaced with new wood and reprofiled. The last lap was still a little rough but I'm hoping to see new wood there too when they open in a couple weeks. And I would also argue if you completely replaced the wood track with Titan track on ANY wood coaster you will improve the ride experience. It does more just make it smoother. Smoother means less friction, less friction means more speed, more speed means more airtime and laterals. Unless of course they also add some trim brakes

@Mythyval

2 ай бұрын

I’ve never ridden a ride with Titan track, but what I like about woodies is that they are a little bit rough and give an out-of-control feeling. If Titan track makes them feel like steel coasters, then I don’t think that would improve the ride experience. Also, from videos, the sound Titan track makes is awful, and the sounds a coaster makes is part of the experience for me.

A lot of rides I can think of that would benefit from the same treatment including one I live near in Arkansas Twister

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

Reprofiling would really help that one.

I know that it probably wont be too soon but im so curious about your review for Voltron Nevera at Europa park. It looks top 15 worthy from povs

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

It looks like an amazing ride. I'm deliberately avoiding spoilers on the theming/show scenes.

I hope this precut track can be used to fix the stupid awful helix on Mighty Canadian Minebuster

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

It could help many rides.

Great to hear! Do you have any info on when Boulder Dash will reopen for the season? The website says "a few weeks" but I don't know if you have any other knowledge? Great review, and I am excited to make the trip back to Lake Compounce this year. I rode wildcat once before and I found it so bad it was funny, but if the ride is good that is fine by me. More excited for Boulder Dash however!

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

The train is still at PTC. I suspect it should be open towards the end of May.

@BoulderDashBoy

2 ай бұрын

It’s back up and running as of today! Great work by lake compounce getting it open as soon as possible

Usually ide be against reprofiling a old coaster like this but this one was an exception.

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

This needed work.

It just blows my mind that for a little bit of extra money for the end part they could have salvaged the entire coaster. It's crazy. I mean just do it once and for all! Why fix 85% of the coaster and leave a little bit? How much extra could it have been for another 50 metres of wood? It's not like the structure needs replacing, just some pre cut wood. What, another 10K maybe? 20k max? I mean it's like they are determined to leave a part of the ride to break their guests' backs - so far anyone I have spoken to told me the old sections are still rough as guts. I don't remember if it was open on my visit last year as I didn't even *look* or have any interest in it. I just rode phobia and boulderdash all day, well, half a day. Edit, it seems the pre cut track needs specialised supports? I had that wrong. That would be a lot more expensive than I thought. Oops. They should have just titan tracked the whole thing then from A-Z. Edit 2, OK, they could have at least fixed the end of the ride, as that's what everyone is complaining about. I''ll even advocate for titan track just for the very last section where the pre cut wood finishes. I still refuse to ride this as I am not going to give myself back pain for a silly coaster.

@CanobieCoaster

26 күн бұрын

According to the park, they are strongly considering addressing the finale this off-season. I'm guessing they waited for cost and/or scheduling purposes.

Woodies are cool. I would ride this.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

It's fun now.

They'll do this but god forbid make some Ghost Hunt merch

@CanobieCoaster

Ай бұрын

Maybe they will in the future.

What other wooden coasters out there do you think should get this vertically stacked track refurb by gravity group?

@CanobieCoaster

Ай бұрын

It's a good candidate for any that are rough.

I went to Lake Compounce in 2014 and 2015 and rode both this and Boulder Dash. I found this to be very rough, and Boulder Dash was a bit rough too, but it was tolerable and a very fun ride - definitely not as rough as this one. As someone who loves wooden roller coasters but doesn’t like ones that are very rough, do you recommend trying Wildcat again now? What about Boulder Dash, as I’ve heard it’s gotten rougher?

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

Boulder Dash has gotten some trackwork in recent years. It's aggressive, but I find it tolerable.

Anyone know whats going on with boulder dash? I heard its still closed and im thinking of going to the park for memorial Day weekend

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

The train is at PTC, so the ride doesn't have a train to run at this time. I suspect it should be open by Memorial Day weekend.

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

Update- The train arrived at the park today. So it should be ready soon.

@johncarmody1283

2 ай бұрын

@@CanobieCoaster awesome thanks for the update!

Its kind if funny how rough the pov gets at the end.

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

They should be fixing that after the 2024 season.

Maybe this will convince Lake Compounce to hire Gravity Group for Boulder Dash instead of more Titan Track!

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

The GCI bits rode well last year.

I don't know if you'll reply to this, but when will you post a review on the Updated Boulder dash experience? I'm just waiting so I can watch it. 😭 I am a Connecticut resident, so Lake Compounce is my home park.

@CanobieCoaster

Ай бұрын

I haven't ridden Boulder Dash yet in 2024. I plan to ride it in June. I'm not sure if I'll make a new review since I've heard the experience is similar to how it was last year from those who rode it.

@Yorkie_foreverbored

Ай бұрын

@@CanobieCoaster Thank you for the update, if you do make a video. You can bet that I will watch it.

Would you consider this a new credit, or not because it has pretty much the same layout?

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

1 credit, just improved.

@StamfordBridge

2 ай бұрын

It is a new credit if, like me, you visited this park before when Wildcat didn’t open all day!

That’s strange because I went on it yesterday and it was very bumpy and uncomfortable and it was forcing my neck down into weird positions and then jerking us up and it felt like you were about to break your neck and then fly into the stratosphere and the operator made it go extremely fast

@CanobieCoaster

Ай бұрын

The end is still bumpy, but the first 3/4 is good now.

Not too sure why the park went with millennium flyer trains instead of just 3 bench individual lap bar PTC trains, especially since the rides profiling was not designed with millennium flyers in mind. But knowing how better the ride has gotten and after just riding it today, I think it’s fine with millennium flyers

@CanobieCoaster

Ай бұрын

Gravity Group saved this ride.

Have you ridden grizzly with its retract yet?

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

Yes, I liked it before and after the retrack.

rode this last weekend, and it was still the roughest coaster ive ever been on. never again.

@CanobieCoaster

26 күн бұрын

Did you find it smooth until the end?

@horNNN_

26 күн бұрын

@@CanobieCoaster up until the back half I’d say. It was especially brutal at the end though haha

Not surprised that the Dinn Corporation wrecked this coaster

@CanobieCoaster

7 күн бұрын

At least Gravity Group fixed it.

Is wildcat still open now day?

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

Yes it opens when the park does

I hope this won’t become rough like Tonnerre 2 Zeus… it’s terrible now, and it’s been only 3 years since the end of the refurb

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

If I recall, only a few parts like the wave turn got precut track.

I think Thunderbolt at Six Flags New England is now the worst coaster in New England

@CanobieCoaster

2 ай бұрын

I disagree. Orient Express at Palace Playland is.

@bigc1280

2 ай бұрын

Oh that is bad too!

I had to turn the volume down because this guy was so... ANNOYING... 😩

@CanobieCoaster

15 күн бұрын

Sorry my voice annoyed you.