[2024] Nemesis Reborn: Construction and Speculation

[Poisson]

Anyone that thinks that the trains on Nemesis are made up entirely of components dating from 1994 is living in a dream world.

Coaster trains are essentially a bunch of consumables bolted together.

Well naturally, but you get to a point even the core components (chassis etc) are so cream crackered it's worth replacing the lot in one go. Not that I'm sure it needs that, unless a techie decides to wander in here and say it's knackered, we won't ever know.

 

[Rick]

Well naturally, but you get to a point even the core components (chassis etc) are so cream crackered it's worth replacing the lot in one go. Not that I'm sure it needs that, unless a techie decides to wander in here and say it's knackered, we won't ever know.

But that's my point, 'the lot' isn't that old, as many items have been replaced over time. As I said, trains are largely made up of consumables and are marketed / available as such. If you need a new B&M restraint, you pick out the part code for your required colour and get it sent to you and pay them £2k or so, for the privilege.

Same with almost everything on the train, by the nature of roller coasters, things wear at different rates and fail/require replacement much quicker.

 

[ChristmasPud]

And unless anyone here has actual insight into Nemesis' (probably complex) maintenance programme, there's not much reason to speculate about the ride needing removing, or whether its still liked enough to warrant maintenance.

Supports having been replaced is a good thing rather than a bad sign, it at least shows such things get done. There are also new steps in the rock faces this year, making routine maintenance more accessible. I'm not saying it's a simple job but coasters need maintenance and Nemesis is a bit of a unique one for civil engineering!

The bigger issue is probably how well the work gets done each year, if the park take shortcuts (budget) then there will only be a bigger problems building up in the long run, but that's the same for anything that needs maintenance. And so far there's no reason to think that really.

 

[Skyscraper]

But that's my point, 'the lot' isn't that old, as many items have been replaced over time. As I said, trains are largely made up of consumables and are marketed / available as such. If you need a new B&M restraint, you pick out the part code for your required colour and get it sent to you and pay them £2k or so, for the privilege.

Same with almost everything on the train, by the nature of roller coasters, things wear at different rates and fail/require replacement much quicker.

And at least B&M are still around- spare a thought for parks that have rides who's manufacturers are defunct, making getting parts almost impossible.

 

[ChristmasPud]

And at least B&M are still around- spare a thought for parks that have rides who's manufacturers are defunct, making getting parts impossible.

Not impossible, most the time parts are bespoke made by other engineering companies. It just costs more, like trying to repair a vintage car, and sometimes the cost really does outweigh the future value of an aging coaster. But yes much much easier with B&M still around.

 

[Rick]

And at least B&M are still around- spare a thought for parks that have rides who's manufacturers are defunct, making getting parts impossible.

In most cases the parts business is so lucrative, other companies have bought the assets of an defunct organisation in order to supply parts to their customers. Gerstlauer to Schwarzkopf, S&S to Arrow, Huss to Weber etc.

There are a few exceptions, but not many.

 

[EngSteve]

Every year the trains are fully disassembled and undergo full a full NDT (non Destructive Testing) analysis. AT have much better facilities and expertise in house than most parks for this and many items don't need to be shipped back to manufacturers for this to happen. All testing is done in association with specialist third party companies. Any component that shows any signs of wear is replaced this includes chassis components.

The track and every component also undergoes full analysis and gets a full test of every circumstance before it can be used for a season. Eg. two of the main rides this year were only allowed to run on 2 trains on the pre-public days as they hadn't completed their block check and restraint system check for 3 trains by a third party. This testing also involves safety test and ride characterisation in compliance with manufacturer specifications as well as ASTM standards.

 

[DistortAMG]

I can vividly remeber sections of rail being replaced on Nemesis in the first helix around 2002 / 2003. Back when she was 8 or 9. Towers have always been ontop with their maintenance to be fair.

 

[Funcone]

Getting parts for rides when the manufacturer’s gone bankrupt can be a challenge, but in the case of B&M their rides are fairly common, so at least initially I expect someone else would start producing them. It can become more challenging once a ride’s rarer.

An example of where it can be a problem is with molded parts. Once you’ve got the mold, you can produce parts relatively cheaply, but making the mold in the first place is a lot more expensive. Once the molds have been lost, getting new parts can be problematic. I know one park recently was trying to get hold of a big part made from fiberglass, but the manufacturer had gone bankrupt and the molds had apparently been destroyed.

 

[Mikw]

Wasn't one of the Nemesis trains replaced a couple of years ago? I remember it opened the season on one train for a couple of weeks and pictures were shared of another train being rebuilt

 

[spinba11]

It was 2018.

 

[Alsty]

They take apart and rebuild every train every year. Maybe they just didn't finish rebuilding the second one in time? It doesn't mean it was a new train.

 

[Godscrasher]

I love Nemesis to bits, but i think some of it's problem is where it is.

I mean, you've got the two most popular rides (Wicker Man and The Smiler) on either side of the lake not far from the Park Entrance. Forbidden Vallet is quite a trek, on some visits to the park i've not even been to that bit of the park, even though i know where it is. Some newbies may never get past the central part of the park.

Yes, it's quite a trek but it's part of the whole Theme Park and exploring it, even to newbies and us that visti regularly.

I'm not quite sure what you're implying here? It's part of the adventure for newbies, discovering new areas and finding Forbidden Valley would be magical to them and upon their first visit, they'd want to cram as much as they can into it. If they don't get on everything on their first visit, they'll come back again and again, but they will visit the area or make plans for it.

It's not like it's in another universe, ideally, it's in another world, but a world that can be explored.

it's a unique setting and one of a kind in the world, they'll keep coming back as they get a taste for the exploration like we all have in the past and still do to this day. Nemesis ain't going nowhere.

 

[MellowPasta]

I never knew Nemesis had an on ride photo section right before the first inversion. (1997). Unless my eyes are deceiving me at 20 seconds into this video with the flashes. When exactly was it moved? anyone know?

PS Ripsaw at 1 min 50 makes me miss it

I didn’t think this warranted a new subject in Talbot Street, and quick questions seemed strange with it being 23 years ago so apologies if it’s in the wrong section.

 

[AT86]

Yes the original on ride photo was before the first inversion.It was moved in the early 2000s to its current location. No idea why, maybe it was easier for maintenance.

 

[Skyscraper]

Yes the original on ride photo was before the first inversion originally. It was moved in the early 2000s to its current location. No idea why, maybe it was easier for maintenance.

Maybe the flash was causing issues with it being so close to the paths, so they moved it into the pit?

 

[Mikw]

Yes, it's quite a trek but it's part of the whole Theme Park and exploring it, even to newbies and us that visti regularly.

I'm not quite sure what you're implying here? It's part of the adventure for newbies, discovering new areas and finding Forbidden Valley would be magical to them and upon their first visit, they'd want to cram as much as they can into it. If they don't get on everything on their first visit, they'll come back again and again, but they will visit the area or make plans for it.

It's not like it's in another universe, ideally, it's in another world, but a world that can be explored.

it's a unique setting and one of a kind in the world, they'll keep coming back as they get a taste for the exploration like we all have in the past and still do to this day. Nemesis ain't going nowhere.

I'm just implying that, due to it's location, I'm sure some visitors don't even get as far as Forbidden Valley.

Whereas you can't really miss Wickerman and Smiler

 

[Danscott22]

My last few rides on Nemesis have been really, really bad - some of you will know I'm not a fan of it, but I hope by this time tomorrow I will be writing that I've had a good ride on it - as I'd really like to like it!

 

[Mikw]

My last few rides on Nemesis have been really, really bad - some of you will know I'm not a fan of it, but I hope by this time tomorrow I will be writing that I've had a good ride on it - as I'd really like to like it!

Really?

I think last year i wrote i kept banging my head on it, but this year has been better.

 

[Danscott22]

Really?

I think last year i wrote i kept banging my head on it, but this year has been better.

Yes, I go on everytime thinking "please, please don't be rough/cause me headbanging" but it just seems to. Hopefully that won't be the case tomorrow.