New Wooden Coaster Track Announced

On

The Gravity Group, LLC has a passion for wooden roller coasters, whether breathing new life into existing, historic rides or developing the next generation of modern wooden coasters.

Most wooden roller coaster track is hand-cut onsite, sometimes at great heights and in difficult positions.  This traditional construction method can introduce small imperfections to the shape and requires highly skilled carpenters to implement the ride design information into the final product.

The Gravity Group has created an alternative track system that is both economical and more exact.  Best of all, the new track system from The Gravity Group is made of wood – preserving the integrity of a wooden roller coaster.  The new engineered precut track is by design up to thirty times stronger than the traditional wooden roller coaster track.  The track is precut at The Gravity Group facility by precision CNC equipment to the exact shape determined by the ride design. The additional strength and precise shape ensure that the track will deliver smooth rides and indefinitely be maintenance friendly. Additionally, this engineered precut track is economical and easy to install in prefabricated pieces with predictable, excellent results.

Six hundred feet of this track has been installed on Kings Island’s Racer in 2021.  The park’s staff and guests have been vocally exuberant about the new ride experience from the engineered precut track. This new track is now patent pending and will allow The Gravity Group to refurbish classic rides and produce new ones in a way that preserves the experience and integrity of the beloved wooden roller coaster. The Gravity Group is confident that this will be the new standard for wooden roller coaster track in the not-so-distant future.

Click here for more information here.

Racer at Kings Island [photo by The Gravity Group]

Coming in 2019: Kentucky Flyer

On

Louisville, Kentucky – The Gravity Group is proud to announce the addition of a sixth roller coaster to the lineup at Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, KY (USA): Kentucky Flyer. Sporting Timberliner trains that can accommodate riders starting at 40 inches [1.0 m] in height, Kentucky Flyer will be a perfect family coaster for thrill-seekers of all ages.

Read more about the project in Kentucky Kingdom’s press release HERE.

Kentucky Flyer Press Kit HERE.

Images from The Gravity Group:

 

ZDT’s Amusement Park Announces Switchback – an all new style of roller coaster

On

Seguin, Texas – Over a hundred and thirty years have passed since LaMarcus Thompson changed the landscape of America’s amusement parks with the introduction of his Switchback Railway at Coney Island. Inspired by Thompson’s innovation, roller coasters have evolved over the past thirteen decades to do all sorts of crazy things in an attempt to capture the thrill that riders felt on the first Switchback Railway.

To celebrate the June 1884 birth of the wooden roller coaster, ZDT’s Amusement Park has teamed up with The Gravity Group to capture the magic of the original wooden roller coaster with Switchback – the first modern wooden shuttle coaster!

What begins as a typical wooden coaster experience, complete with the traditional climb up the lift hill, quickly becomes a modern thrill machine! Guests are propelled through overbanked turns and hills packed with monumental amounts of airtime, as they approach….”The Grand Spire” – only to repeat the entire experience again backwards! Get ready for Switchback, coming this summer to ZDT’s Amusement Park.

ZDT’s Amusement park is a family-owned business that opened in 2007 in Seguin, Texas, with five attractions. Since then, with the addition of water slides, a shot tower, and a multi-level indoor/outdoor go-kart track and more, ZDT’s has grown from a local attraction to a regional sensation. Now, with the addition of Switchback, this innovative park is poised to elevate to the next level, becoming the area’s premier family adventure thrill park.

The Gravity Group, LLC combines modern technologies with the classic art of wooden coaster design to create award-winning rides. With work on over 50 different rides around the world, this team of engineers has more experience than any other wooden roller coaster design team. Equipped with state-of-the-art Timberliner trains, Gravity Group rides debut with high rankings and stay smooth.

Ride Statistics

  • Lift Hill Height: 63.5 ft [19.4m]
  • Track Length: 1175 ft [358m]
  • Ride Length: 1980 ft [604m]
  • Spire Height: 64.5 ft [19.7m]
  • Max Banking: 104°
  • Airtime: 8 moments (5 forward, 3 backward)
  • Trains: Two 8-passenger Timberliner trains

Press Release Files

Postcard Press Release – Front

Postcard Press Release – Back

Images

switchback3 switchback2 switchback1 switchback0

Get Ready to Roar!

On

A dinosaur is going to roar into Story Land in Glen, New Hampshire in the spring of 2014.  Dubbed Roar-O-Saurus, this smaller wooden coaster twists and turns at a frenetic pace over its 1242ft (379m) long track. Dropping 38.5 ft (12m) passengers will experience 12 unique airtime moments in the ride’s state-of-the-art Timberliner trains as well as fly through a curving tunnel.

Story_Land_Art

Fly around the ride: