Anyway, sorry for the double post but here is a photo update from yesterday (09/07/2017)!
We start with some site overviews from the Skyride (apologies for the reflections in photos):
Next, let's move over to the exit of the Rapids and see how the landscape around here is changing:
Now a closer look at the site, I spy the top of the lift hill:
It looks like the sound tunnel is going to start as soon as you reach the top of the lift which is slightly different to what is shown on the plans:
The next lot of bents have been assembled ready for installation early this week:
A look at the concrete building beneath the lift hill, I believe that this will house various lift hill mechanisms. Wodan has such a building in a similar place under its lift:
Bents have been installed for part of the coaster's first drop:
Section of track leading from the block in the maintenance shed into the station, again it looks like this will be covered in a sound tunnel:
A breeze block building is being constructed at the rear of the mainteance building, this is labelled as "comms/data building" on the plans:
These footers are now complete and awaiting wood to be attached:
Here we can see just how tight the clearance is as the track passes through the theming object:
What look like catwalks are being installed on the lower sections of the lift hill:
A look towards the lift hill from the bottom of the site:
Finally, this photo it taken from the other side of the lawns towards CBeebies Land, quite a change on the view across:
Feel free to share these photos elsewhere but please do provide credit/source back to TowersStreet.
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I was really impressed with how well things are coming along; I think we are going to see quite a bit more wood go up this week as well. The lift hill looks somewhat bizarre with the incline angle change part way up but it is clear to see why it has been designed like this with how the elevations change across the site.
What I found most interesting however was hearing comments from people as they walked past the site. Some did people did not realise it was a rollercoasters, others joked that Alton Towers must be cutting costs and now building out of wood. A few gave those comments that Merlin have feared all along, "it's made of wood, looks like it will fall down soon" and so on. There were also those who seemed excited that Alton Towers were building what they called a traditional rollercoaster.
I also heard a few children say, in quite a sad manner, that they wish Alton Towers were building a new log flume. Management take note! In all seriousness, marketing could do far worse than spend an hour or so on the paths that go past the site to get a feel for what the public perception of SW8 is at this time. I really hope that they do this, it will provide invaluable feedback.
