Specific Type: Family Gravity Coaster
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2016 marked the end of Sideshow Spin, Dollywood’s smallest coaster designed for the youngest and tiniest of thrillseekers. The end of Sideshow Spin ultimately left a void in Dollywood’s coaster collection. While having a variety of unique coasters for all ages, the park now lacked a ride exclusively for smaller thrillseekers in training to get their first experience. Dollywood realized this and found a solution to this problem very quickly in Whistle Punk Chaser.
Announced along with Drop Line, the park’s drop tower, in late 2016, Whistle Punk Chaser comes from Italian manufacturer Zamperla. It is located in Timber Canyon in the former location of play area Li’l Loggers’ Landing. Whistle Punk Chaser is named after the job of a “whistle punk.” In a lumber camp, the whistle punk is the operator of the steam whistle that is attached to a donkey engine. The whistle punk was tasked to communicate with the yarder operator controlling the movement of logs in a lumber camp using the steam whistle. The ride features theming such as a replica steam engine in the ride’s infield, and a working steam whistle at the ride’s entrance that park guests can blow and attempt to replicate various signals. Once the loggers in training and other guests board their carriage, the chain lift pulls riders up the lift hill. Once they reach the top, they swing downwards with a sharp 180-degree turn to the right. At the bottom, the train swings upwards and to the right, throwing riders into the left side of their cars. The train speeds through a 360-degree helix downwards before straightening out at the bottom. The train takes one more right turn, careening past the replica steam engine before running right back into the station. As the train runs through the station, it does not stop in the station and it continues back onto the lift hill through one more circuit. Once the second circuit is complete, riders may even get the treat of a third cycle through the treacherous and frightfully fun track of Whistle Punk Chaser. After the third cycle, riders unload and the thrillseekers in training can walk off with a sense of accomplishment, and knowing that they can conquer some of Dollywood’s larger thrills. |
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