Should we get rid of 3 Bench PTC trains?

[CanobieFan]

Hey everyone.

 

I know a lot of people don't really like PTC trains. They're very heavy and wear down the track.

 

Although if you visit parks like Cedar Point and Dorney, they still have those brutally heavy 3 Bench PTC cars from a long time ago. Corporate parks are different then Canobie Lake Park or Knoebels. I don't think they perform their wooden coasters as well as family parks. Yankee Cannonball is butter smooth with 3 bench PTCs. Thunderhawk at Dorney was the most painful wooden coaster I've been on to date. Yankee Cannonball has the 3 Bench PTC's with Buzzbars and runs GREAT. Thunderhawk has the same thing, and it HURTS!

 

IMO, 3 Bench PTC's do NOT flex well. Anything with tight banked turns (Riverside Cyclone opening year or Thunderhawk...) should NOT have 3 bench PTCs. The turn on Thunderhawk going into the final airtime humps is so painful I was heavily bruised on my chest in the FRONT AND BACK.

 

Not to mention Lake Compounce has bought new trains for Wildcat apparently because the PTCs wear down the track. Rumor has it they settled on Millenium Flyers.

 

So what's your take? Goodbye or Keep em?

[ScreaminNewEngland]

I agree, Yankee Cannonball is very smooth. Mainly because Canobie has an awesome maintainence team.

 

Wildcat has gotten much smoother witht the new track, the buzz bars are really awesome on both these rides.

 

Thunderhawk was painful. I could really see this one getting MF trains.

 

 

I think that the trains are really good on some coasters, overall, all PTC trains suck IMO. I really don't like any of the PTC trains in NE. Especially Boulder Dash's.

[cfc]

Should "we" get rid of three-bench PTC trains? Do any of us have such a train that we're trying to unload?

 

I guess it would depend on the nature of the ride. I guess the old-school trains are probably OK for a ride like Rebel Yell at Kings Dominion that's mostly hills and not a lot of crazy curves.

[SFOGdude25]

3-bench PTCs are so classy though on older woodies like Racer, Blue Streak, Great American Scream Machine, Phoenix etc. However, I don't think they should run on woodies like Viper at SFGAm (even though that coaster is actually pretty smooth). They run best on traditional out-&-back layouts that are mostly hills and not many turns. Should they go away completely? I don't think so. There's still a place for them so long as these classic woodies keep running.

[CaliforniaPinto]

Considering that the only rideable seat on those wooden coasters is the center (non wheel) seat in each train. No.

[gerstlaueringvar]

Different coaster trains work well on different layouts. PTC works well on those without crazy twists, Millennium Flyer and Timerliners work great on twisty ones, Intamin and RMC trains work well on their own designs etc. For truly horrible coasters, replacing 3 bench PTC won't help unless you retrack, modify the rough spots or even redesign the structure... It isn't the fault of three bench PTC, it's the track work and train selection. SoB would still be rough with the best engineered train in the world.

[_koppen]

Technically: Yes!

 

Emotionally: Hell no!

[patrick_rc_fan]

The Mighty Canadian Minebuster at Canada's Wonderland has the three-bench trains. The ride itself is fine, but the trains struggle to round the helix. I really hope they switch to two-benchers, but I doubt it unless they do RMC Iron Horse or Topper Track on the ride.

[coasterbill]

Not to mention Lake Compounce has bought new trains for Wildcat apparently because the PTCs wear down the track. Rumor has it they settled on Millenium Flyers.

 

That's great news. I've always hated this ride with a passion but whenever I go to Lake Compounce (I've only been there 3 times in the last 15 years) I always take it for a spin. When we went there in October we waited for the very front and were treated to a great ride. If they put a train on Wildcat that helps preserve some of the re-tracking work they did I'll be thrilled because it's running really well.

[MrSum1_55]

If Phoenix got rid of its 3-bench buzz at PTC trains, I would cry.