The future is here ladies and gentlemen! Well, almost. In May 2011, Holiday World (Santa Claus, IN) will re-open The Voyage with new Gravity Group-designed trains known as Timberliners. On that day, the public will bear witness to game-changing new trains that could revolutionize the wooden roller coaster world. Or, at least make a few rides a bit smoother. There’s no way to know exactly what will happen. But in case you can’t tell, I’m very excited. Recently, the first human riders experienced this potentially ground-breaking invention.
Check out this video of the First Timberliner Ride on the Voyage:
Basically, these new trains can steer through turns while the rickety old woodie at your local park bounces left and right jolting you around as it tries to navigate through turns. I just hope that the 
Timberliners are somewhat affordable so that Six Flags and Cedar Fair eventually start buying them for their woodies. Especially the most punishing woodies.
For a full explanation of why we should all be excited, read this post I wrote back in February: Gravity Group’s Timberliner Trains Could Be A Game Changer. Also, see my review of Holiday World’s The Voyage. It’s already a 10 out of 10, and one of the best wooden coasters around. The fact that it could get better may vault it to the top of my Top 10 and cause me to move my family to Indiana.
More at the HoliBlog
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of the new Timberliner trains? Leave a comment below.
November 8, 2010 at 02:26
Cool! But that squeaking noise doesn't sound good.
November 8, 2010 at 02:55
Probably because the trains are somewhat new and have hardly been used before, hopefully not otherwise.
November 8, 2010 at 07:26
No, it doesn't, but if it doesn't hamper performance, it won't bother me. I wear earplugs on coasters all the time
November 8, 2010 at 05:33
I'm one of the skeptics, I still feel the track will steer the cars more than the the cars steering through the track. I hope you're right though! Can't wait to find out for myself!
November 8, 2010 at 07:27
True, but I think having 2 wheels on the side in stead of one, will certainly level off the hardest bumps, I expect, so I expect it to improve the experience on all woodies. The question is how much it improves!
November 8, 2010 at 15:20
I hope they work out the squeaking noise. Also, with GCI's millenium flyers, Gerstlauer's trains, I wonder if Intamin and S&S will come up with a trademark train. As I have stated before, Hades at Mt. Olympus in Wisconsin needs timberliners. Being that it is Gravity Group's first coaster (and Mt. Olympus's lack of quality), Gravity Group should give them a discount.
November 8, 2010 at 23:47
Intamin already has their own woodie cars, no? For their prefab woodies?
November 9, 2010 at 02:40
They do. But maybe they'd adopt similar steering technology if the Timberliners prove successful. Although, prefabs are already so smooth I'm not sure they'd need to.
November 8, 2010 at 19:53
Man does mean streak need theese cars..
November 9, 2010 at 02:48
SOB could too.
November 9, 2010 at 14:33
I really hope to ride this next year, because HW is my 2nd closest park. It better not squeak!!!
November 9, 2010 at 16:45
Sincerely, I don't think the price of those trains is gonna be an issue. The thing is, what is the difference between paying for a roller coaster and paying for a train? The ratio must be of 50:1 or something! It's a third of the price for a flat ride paid for trains that will make the whole 15 million dollar ride better all the way through… why the heck not?
November 12, 2010 at 08:00
those things are neat i wonder if they would make el toros ride at great adventure even smoother?
November 24, 2010 at 03:00
If so, We'd have to find another word for smooth.
November 12, 2010 at 17:25
My only worry is that this will take away from the wooden coaster experience. Sure, the GP will LOVe these trains because they take what can be regarded as a "rough" ride and make it smooth as silk, but what makes wooden coasters great is the fear of jumping off the track and part of that includes this "rough" sensation.
The Beast at KI is a great example of this. That coaster is over 30 years old and still running PTCs, and I wouldn't change it for the world. It is designed not to have airtime, but to scare you beyond belief. Anyone who has ridden the ride at night can tell you that if the ride was smoothed or Timberliners were put on the ride, it would lose the luster that has made it an amazing coaster, and one that all enthusiats should ride.
So even though these trains are a technological marvel and they're something that everyone is excited about, I'm not sold on them. Don't get me wrong, I think that smooth rides are great, but like I said before, part of the thrill of a woodie is that feeling of being out of control (not like SOB, but like Blue Streak). Perhaps its just nostalgia, perhaps its the fact that I'm resistant to change, but whatever the reason, I'm not sure that these will make the #1 woodie any better, and perhaps they may make it worse.
December 17, 2010 at 02:59
You make a point, Vince, but I doubt these things will take ALL of the roughness out of the ride.
February 5, 2011 at 12:31
Vince, I see where you are coming from, but many wooden roller coasters are way too rough and cause severe discomfort, which really detracts from the experience.
As Quil said, these won't completely remove roughness. That would be impossible. But they would make the ride more comfortable and enjoyable by reducing roughness to a comfortable level.
August 14, 2011 at 19:35
Please make this ride smoother!!! Some rides are meant to be rough, so, not so much. The Beast is one that is meant to rough, The Voyage is meant to be rough, but it would be so much better if it wasnt. If El Toro was rough we would all die.