News Lake Compounce Project 2024: Wildcat feat. Gravity Group Precut Track
- Thread starter warfelg
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This was the worst coaster I have ever ridden before and after the GCI trains. This should have been done in the off-season, but at least it’s getting done.
Yeah, unironically one of the worst coasters I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing. So, so glad to see the park continue to trying to make it ridable... Especially after how screwed they were by their last attempt.
This was my first coaster ever and I would chain myself to it to keep it alive.
Can’t wait to see how this turns out. It was weird having a SBNO extremely prominent wooden coaster in the middle of LC 2 weeks ago. Wonder if they keep the MFs?
There were literally *gaps* between sections of track when I last rode it. There’s no way it could get worse.
“Character”.
Sadly it’s the best kept old thing in Bristol. I was up there 2 months ago to show my fiancé where I was born and grew up and sadly half the town is gone.
Spared from it this year. Funny thing is my top choice college is 30 minutes away from it so if i go there I’ll be back lol
This is pretty exciting. I have been considering a (first) trip there next season (along with SFNE) and with how well Grizzly's (first 2/3) turned out, this should be great.
A few weeks ago, Lake Compounce posted a few pictures of Wildcat's renovation that includes Gravity Group precut, vertically stacked track:
Direct Link to Embedded Media Source
On the Facebook post, there was a (non-park) comment saying that Gravity Group is still working on making their engineered precut, vertically stacked track handle turns. That's the first I've heard of that. Anyone know if it is true? Of the photos Lake Compounce posted, it looked to mainly be the straight sections of track that were being replaced.
Direct Link to Embedded Media Source
On the Facebook post, there was a (non-park) comment saying that Gravity Group is still working on making their engineered precut, vertically stacked track handle turns. That's the first I've heard of that. Anyone know if it is true? Of the photos Lake Compounce posted, it looked to mainly be the straight sections of track that were being replaced.
With normal horizontal track, the curves are cut into the wood but curving up and down is by flexing the boards. Weight helps push them together. With vertical, trying to bend them to make a curve and keep the boards together is obviously more difficult. The vertical also would be most effective during high +G moments. If the laterals are strong enough, horizontal track might handle them better; if the forces are low it doesn't really matter. Only in the case of a high banked turn would vertical make a lot of sense for a curve.
Yes Gravity Group is doing this work. Additionally BD is getting more Titan this year.
Gravity Group actually produces both vertical and horizontal precut track. The vertical track is used in straighter sections of track (especially with higher positive or negative G force) and also allows for more space between bents since the track is stiffer. The vertical track can only be curved in the yaw axis a small amount; therefore, the horizontal precut track is used for highly curved sections like the turnarounds. The horizontal precut track is still the traditional "stack" but having the track precut speeds up the installation and improves the accuracy of the design. So in less words, Gravity Group can make all of the track precut, but some will be vertical and some will be horizontal. Note that even with vertical track, the top two layers which create a lip to support the upstop wheels are laid horizontally. One of the differences between this track style and Intamin prefabricated wood track is that at joint locations the different layers of wood can overlap each other in an interlocking pattern for better strength, whereas Intamin track is "butted" together with large brackets.
Source: Factory tour of GG
Also you can check our their pending patent which goes into a lot more detail: Link
This is an awesome explanation of precut track. Thanks for sharing it!
First time poster But feel people need to know that they need to go Ride Wildcat as it is now the best ride at Lake Compounce (and I love Boulder Dash and all its somtimes violentness). The final work they did was phenomenal and the park should get a lot of praise for trying and putting so much effort into this classic.
Thank goodness it’s (allegedly) fun now. In its previous form it was quite possibly the worst coaster I’ve ever been on