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Wildcat
Wildcat
Lake Compounce
Location	Lake Compounce
Coordinates	41°38′27″N 72°55′23.3″W / 41.64083°N 72.923139°W
Status	Operating
Opening date	1927
Replaced	Green Dragon
General statistics
Type	Wood – Twister
Manufacturer	Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Designer	Herbert Paul Schmeck and Dinn Corporation
Lift/launch system	Chain Lift Hill
Height	85 ft (26 m)
Drop	78 ft (24 m)
Length	2,746 ft (837 m)
Speed	48 mph (77 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1:15
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	2 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 14 riders per train.
	Wildcat at RCDB

Wildcat is a wooden roller coaster located at Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut. It was built in 1927 and is the 14th oldest operating roller coaster in the world.^[1] It greatly resembles the now-defunct Wildcat roller coaster at Elitch Gardens Theme Park in Denver.^[2] Wildcat has received the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) Coaster Landmark Award for its historical significance.^[3]

History

Wildcat is a double out-and-back wooden coaster designed by Herbert Paul Schmeck and built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) in 1927. Before Wildcat was built, the Green Dragon coaster stood on the same land. In 1926, park owners Pierce and Norton contracted PTC for a new ride to replace the park's aging Green Dragon coaster. With the help of Schmeck, they created Wildcat. Wildcat features a twister-style layout including elements such as airtime and tunnels.^[4] Wildcat's original trains were built by PTC. The entire structure was rebuilt with new wood in 1985, and the last bunny hills were retracked in 2004. Wildcat underwent refurbishment beginning on September 17, 2006, and reopened for the 2007 operating season. During its refurbishment, the brake runs were completely removed and rebuilt with new magnetic brakes. The station also received air gates in the queue line and individual seat belts were added to each seat.^[5] In 2017, the ride received a full retracking by Martin & Vleminckx. The ride also received two new Millennium Flyer Trains made by Great Coasters International.^[6] Wildcat did not operate for the 2023 season, and will reopen in 2024 after undergoing a full retracking from The Gravity Group.^[7]^[8]

Timeline

1927: Opened to the public.
1985: Reconstructed with new wood.
1998: Fully retracked.
2004: Final bunny hill run retracked, seat dividers installed.
2007: Magnetic brakes installed to allow for two train operation, air gates added to station, individual seat belts installed, most of the track repainted, and blue train repainted purple.
2014: Lift motor maintenance.
2012–2018: Fully retracked, lift hill partially rebuilt, and two new Great Coasters International Millennium Flyer Trains added
2023–2024: Fully retracked

Ride experience

Wildcat sits in the center of Lake Compounce. Wildcat utilizes its design to twist around itself. Once the train leaves the station, the train turns slightly right, then left, before climbing the 85-foot lift hill and dropping 78 feet. The lift hill is adjacent to the park entrance. The initial drop is followed by a left-banked curve and into a few more smaller hills until then reaching a right-banked curved leading into several more small hills. The train then curves right onto a section of bunny hills where it continues until it reaches the tunnel which contains the brake run.^[9] The coaster is known for being a rough ride.^[10]

References

^ "Photos: 21 oldest roller coasters in the world". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2017-01-25. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
^ "Elitch Trip". Karen and Jay. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
^ "ACE Coaster Award". ACE. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
^ "Wildcat Facts". ultimaterollercoaster.com. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
^ "Lake Compounce packs thrills". wired. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
^ "Retracking". Martin & Vleminckx. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
^ Hawkins, Rachel (2023-03-03). "Lake Compounce to Restore Wildcat Wooden Coaster - Coaster101". Retrieved 2024-02-29.
^ "Wildcat". Lake Compounce. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
^ "Wildcat Review". upsanddown. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
^ "Connecticut Theme Park Is Loaded with Retro Charm". TripSavvy. Retrieved 11 July 2018.