Wildcat is the name of a wooden roller coaster located at Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut. It was built in 1927 and is the park's centerpiece. It is one of the world's oldest operating roller coasters (in operation at the same location). With a first drop of only 73 feet, it's not too intense making it popular with younger guests. The entire structure was rebuilt with new wood in 1985, and the last bunny hills were retracked in 2004. The Wildcat went down for refurbishment 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. The ride was retracked by Martin & Vleminckx. The Wildcat's original trains were built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. Before the Wildcat was built, the Green Dragon Coaster used to stand in its place. It bears a striking resemblance to the now-defunct Wildcat roller coaster that used to reside at Elitch Gardens in Denver. In 2017, the ride got a full retracking by Martin & Vleminckx. The ride also got two new Millennium Flyer Trains made by Great Coasters International.
Wildcat 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 for ability of two train operation, Air gates added to queue, Individual seat belts installed, Most of the track was repainted, blue train repainted Purple, leaving the Wild Cat with one Red train and one Purple.
- 2012â€"present: Ongoing structural refurbishment and retracking
- 2014(Pre-Season): Lift Motor Maintenance
- 2017: Full retracking, lift hill partially rebuilt, two new Great Coasters International Millennium Flyer Trains
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