originally posted on 10/27/2023
All Photos courtesy of Waldameer. View full-sized image.
Guests (and even some enthusiasts) visiting Waldameer (Erie, Pennsylvania) might take the presence of Ravine Flyer II for granted, but it did not come easily for the small amusement park on the shore of Lake Erie. The coaster was the dream of recently deceased owner Paul Nelson, who endured a years-long battle to build the coaster that likely would have spelled doom for the project at most other amusement parks.
Nelson’s perseverance paid off. The 2008 steel-structured terrain coaster was designed and constructed by The Gravity Group, LLC and based on the nonexistent plans of a John Miller ride that occupied roughly the same real estate from 1922 to 1938. It has received numerous accolades throughout the years as being one of the best wood coasters in the world. Arguably, it has also enabled Waldameer to expand in recent years, growing in both size and the number of rides offered within its limited physical boundaries. Because of this, the park takes maintaining its flagship ride very seriously.
According to Vice President of Operations Brian Gorman (and son of park owner Steve Gorman), the coaster’s offseason maintenance program is based on being reactive and proactive.
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“Criteria for replacement [have] changed since we first installed the ride,” said Brian Gorman (hereafter all other “Gorman” references will be to Brian). “In the first few years of operation, replacement was retroactive, but as the ride progressed in age, we began having discussions about replacing sections of track that may not show deterioration but were aged enough that replacement proactively would be beneficial.”
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A budget for annual work does not exist, but because Waldameer’s standards have remained consistent throughout the years, park management has an idea of what the work will cost each season depending on the length of track being replaced. According to Gorman, the park’s mechanics are very much in tune with Ravine Flyer II and can feel “potholes” and “speed bumps” when riding, highlighting areas that will require retracking. In addition to improving the quality of the ride experience, this reduces and eliminates issues during operation.
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Another change in approach made by the park is the volume of what is replaced when work is performed.
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“We’ve begun [replacing] the full track stack [of eight layers] instead of the top two layers,” explained Gorman about this approach, which requires less labor. “The contractors can use chainsaws to cut through the entire track and lift off the track sections with a crane rather than peel back each of the eight layers.”
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During this process, other structural components such as ties, bents, catwalks and handrails are also replaced, although the track steel is reused unless cracks or other deformities are discovered.
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“It is better to replace more than might be needed to be safe,” added Gorman. “I believe this year, we will have replaced all the original track wood on Ravine Flyer II, and in the future we will continue replacing the full stack in sections on a rotating basis so that the track is ‘new’ every five years or so.”
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“We purchased a steel bender when we installed Ravine Flyer II, and we have even lent it to other parks to use it when they ask,” said Gorman. However, Waldameer’s maintenance team does have its limitations owing to many different factors and does not possess the special learned skill to bend steel track correctly.
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According to Gorman: “It takes a very experienced and trained eye to be able to remove the track and put it back in the correct spot to make the ride as smooth as possible. Being able to read survey data and accelerometer data is also important and our maintenance team does not have those abilities, and it has other responsibilities outside of just coaster maintenance. We own the steel bending machine for our coaster crew to use when they visit the park.”
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That crew is Texas Skilled Carpentry in Fort Worth. It is a second-generation family-owned business known throughout the industry for its work on many highly regarded wood coasters, including Boardwalk Bullet at Kemah Boardwalk (Kemah, Texas), Excalibur at Funtown Splashtown USA (Saco, Maine) and the three wood coasters at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari (Santa Claus, Indiana). This time every year, they are tasked with performing the work deemed necessary by Waldameer.
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Gorman explained the expense of work of this scope: “We make every effort to have our signature attraction operational every day of our season. It may not cost less, but having the coaster down during our season is worse than paying repair costs to ensure that does not happen.”
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The process is a quick one, as Gorman anticipates running Ravine Flyer II to check the repairs before the weather is too cold. Crane work began on September 21, as sections of track to be replaced were removed and new lumber was brought to the site. Less than two weeks later on October 5, the crew was already working on the seventh layer of the wood stacks after adjusting and replacing many of the ledgers because it was discovered they were constructed with two 2 × 12” boards sandwiched together instead of the preferred three 2 × 12” boards. This work is expected to make the coaster’s structure sounder.
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Work will continue through the end of October. “We hope to get good weather at that time to operate the coaster one last time before putting it away,” said Gorman.
Part two of this article will be featured in a future issue of ACE News.
— Rob Ascough, ACE News Editor
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