Behind The Scenes of Winter Maintenance on Wildcat’s Revenge at Hersheypark

Hersheypark opens for its 118th season later this month, so the countdown is on for our maintenance team to finish preparing the more than 70 attractions throughout the largest amusement park in Pennsylvania for another season of riding. 

In February, we took readers behind the scenes to the Maintenance shop on the Hersheypark Entertainment Complex to see the work currently being done on family favorites like the 105-year-old Carrousel, as well as coasters like Trailblazer, which turns 50 this summer, and Wild Mouse, celebrating 25 years this year.

We also got the chance to stop by the Wildcat’s Revenge maintenance bay to get an in-depth look at the overhaul process of the award-winning 15th coaster at Hersheypark during its first off-season. The first wood and steel hybrid opened to the public on June 2, 2023, and operated through Hersheypark Christmas Candylane on Jan. 1, 2024. 

Inside the Wildcat's Revenge Maintenance Bay

Wildcat’s Revenge is one of six coasters with a maintenance bay at the coaster station. A four-person maintenance team with nearly 70 years of combined experience at Hersheypark kicked off the overhaul process in November, right after Hersheypark Halloween. They transferred one of the three coaster trains from the track and hooked up each of the cars individually to a chain to lower them through the ceiling and down four levels to the bottom section of the maintenance bay. Routine maintenance on the second and third trains started in January after Christmas Candylane. 

Fun fact: The Wildcat’s Revenge maintenance bay is built of wood and steel, just like the actual coaster. The Hersheypark engineering team had some design control of the space. They wanted to mimic it off of Laff Trakk, where the trains sit at eye level, making it easier to physically inspect them without needing to regularly crawl underneath.

Each train is on a rotating two-year overhaul plan. The first year consists of disassembling the coaches and assemblies to inspect the parts; removing and inspecting the brake fin; fully disassembling and inspecting the bogies, wheels and bearings; removing and cleaning the covers on the lap bars; and so much more. The second year of overhaul encompasses all of the general maintenance from year one, plus advanced NDT and lap bar assembly, among other things.

Fun fact: Each train has 28 wheels and 14 sets of bogies.

Wildcat's Revenge Coaster Craning and Testing

Since the maintenance bay is on-site, the coaster trains are craned back onto the tracks as soon as the maintenance work is completed. Testing of the trains begins in mid-March, so anyone driving on Hersheypark Drive may see them running soon. The maintenance team will run the trains throughout the day for about a week before the Park’s spring opening. 

Fun fact: Each train has six cars. Five cars weigh slightly over 2,000 pounds each, and the lead car with the cat on the front weighs closer to 3,000 pounds. The total weight of each train is around 15,000 pounds.

Although the off-season is considered the busiest for the maintenance team, their work on Wildcat’s Revenge and other rides doesn’t stop when Hersheypark opens for the season. In fact, a two-person maintenance team and carpenters complete a daily inspection of Wildcat’s Revenge, which takes about 3-4 hours each day before the Park opens to the public. 

Ride Wildcat's Revenge at Hersheypark in 2024

If you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the ride maintenance process, check out our previous maintenance stories spotlighting Coal Cracker, Skyrush, Candymonium and Great Bear. Want to see another ride? Reach out to us on our Hersheypark social media channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok) with your suggestions. 

Don’t forget to purchase your 2024 Hersheypark tickets online before March 17 to save more than 40 percent off during the Best Price Of The Year sale. Then circle March 29 on your calendar to join us for a ride on Wildcat’s Revenge during its first spring and the other coasters as part of an iconic collection. 

We look forward to seeing you soon for another year of Hersheypark Happy!