Wood Working: Timber Wolf & Prowler
Chris Foshee
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There’s nothing like a ride on a wooden roller coaster, and Worlds of Fun is lucky enough to have two of the best in the world: Timber Wolf and Prowler. In order to keep these two scream machines running their best, occasional track work is needed throughout the lifespan. This off-season, we’ve continued our commitment to re-tracking Timber Wolf, and we’ve made some enhancements to the first drop on Prowler.
Fresh Timber...Wolf
Working alongside acclaimed roller coaster manufacturer Great Coasters International, around 70-percent of Timber Wolf’s track been re-tracked and re-engineered. A large portion of the work was completed last season with the installation of our new 70-degree banked turn, and you can revisit some of that work in our previous Words of Fun blog post, Timber Wolf Reborn. This year, we’re continuing this effort by reprofiling that section of the ride to fit last year’s new element.
Modifications are being made through curve 10. Riders will experience a smoother transition as they are sent back under the lift hill for the final stretch of the ride. Our team expects renovations to continue until the entire track has been re-tracked, which should be 2021. Due to the extensive track work during the 2019 off-season, Timber Wolf is expected to open during the second week of the season.
The Timber Wolf trains also received a fresh paint job for the 2019 season at Worlds of Fun.
On the Prowl
The first drop of Prowler is also being re-tracked. The wood on the outside section of the drop hill is being replaced with IPE wood, which is the highest quality timber available and eight times harder than California Redwood. In addition to the wood’s added durability, it will also add some softness to the turn and reduces the stress on the track.
Prowler will also receive a new chain for its lift hill.
Other Ride Enhancements for 2019
In addition to the work being completed on our two beloved woodies, the following projects have also been completed on our rides:
- New wheels installed on Mamba
- New steam boiler installed on The Worlds of Fun Railroad (Eli will not return to the tracks during Opening Weekend).
- New lift hill chain on Patriot
- New restraint system on Detonator
- New trains/buckets on Scandi Scrambler and new lighting elements
The 2019 season kicks off Saturday, April 13. Get unlimited rides on all your favorite attractions and roller coasters with unlimited visits all year with a 2019 Gold Season Pass!
