Company Profile
www.parkworld-online.com
A roaring success T
his February saw a first for Vietnam with the opening of the country’s only wooden roller coaster, Roaring Timbers (Mộc Xà Thịnh Nộ). Thrill- seekers can find this impressive coaster - which reaches heights of 106.4
ft and speeds of 80km/h, generating more than 3.5 vertical g-force over its exhilarating 2,920 ft course - at Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park on the island of Hon Thom in the Gulf of Thailand. There is no denying the living, breathing beauty of a wooden roller
coaster - the rumbling of the train on the timber, the smell of the wood and the expansion and contraction of the track throughout the day. So the name Roaring Timbers could not be more fitting - and nor could its location, nestled amid the greenery of tropical terrain.
A work of art The roller coaster blends seamlessly with its hillside surroundings - and, if anything, it only adds to the beauty of the setting. Brad Loxley, Sun World Group Chief Operating Officer, says: “Roaring Timbers features 14 hills and 14 exciting crossovers that pass over or under another section of track, making this one of the most twisted wooden pieces of art in the world.” And it’s true that Roaring Timbers is as much a work of art as it is an exhilarating coaster. This is an exquisite-looking ride which commences with a 95-foot lift hill, bringing passengers equally exquisite views of the stunning coastline and hillside vistas. After leaving the station - consisting of a wooden boarding and
disembarking platform that’s raised and suitable for the gravity positioning of the train, and flush with the vehicle running boards to providing easy access to seats - the coaster’s starting lift sets its riders off on a 2 minute 10 second adventure that’s fast and full of carefully-crafted twists and turns that make for an intense experience from start to finish.
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Park World takes a look at Roaring Timbers, Vietnam’s very first wooden roller coaster
25 years of expertise Behind the design and build of this ride are the experts at Great Coasters International - a Pennsylvania-based company with more than 25 years’ experience in the manufacture of high-quality wooden roller coasters all across the world. Built using 1,000 cubic metres of timber - all wood is .40 CCA pressure-
treated southern yellow pine, or EU-sourced white pine C24 rated - the wooden track comprises eight layers of 2x (1.5” thick) wood of various widths. During the layering process, Great Coasters used compressed air nails to secure the layers. For the steel track, in areas where the up stop wheels travel on the underside
of the track, a 3/8” or 5/8” thick upstop steel is fitted to the underside of the track edge. All types of track steel used are fixed to the eight layer section with 3/8” track bolts and are double-nutted. Should any part of the steel become loose, this serves to turn it away upon contact with a coaster train. Bridges are implemented in the ride, which contains a standard lift chain
driven by an AC motor, and a failsafe compressed-air brake system that brakes even if no more compressed air is available, with the addition of spring support. Magnetic brakes are fitted to the track in order to provide brake power with
little to no wear on the fins. These are used in the first slowing zone prior to the switchback; in the main brake zone as the primary speed reduction system; and in the station area as seed regulators. Brake pads are implemented for friction brakes that have been constructed in order to make replacement simple. Taking passengers along the twists and turns of Roaring Timbers’ tracks are
two of Great Coasters International’s Millennium Flyer trains. Each car carries two passengers, with the lead car followed by a further 11 cars to carry 24 riders per train in total.
SUMMER PART 3 2022
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