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[2024] Nemesis Reborn: Construction and Speculation

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Nemesis was welded several times for stress cracking. I've been there whilst they were doing it. Supports have been replaced too.

As @Dave said, footers are clearly on the move (you can see where the track has been modified with bolts removed to account for it) and I'm not sure that was helped by waterfalls running over one of them.

I cannot fathom a reason why you'd retrack a coaster without cause, I highly doubt they just fancy doing it. That can be like PMBO where it is falling to bits, Python where it was riding horribly or from wear and tear. Even EP retracked Poseidon to try and get it to ride properly (if only they could do it for the horrid bobsled)
 
RyanUK said:
Unless you are using a steel paperclip, that is the most stupidest comparison I have ever seen. For a start, paperclips are made of a much weaker metal. And if you were to bend Nemesis, it would, as you say, take years and years - a lot more than the last 30. You've really contradicted yourself there.
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The paper clip analogy was fine, the OP states that this is different metal and the effects are far quicker than would be the case for track.

You only have to recall how often nemesis would go down for a few days and a crane would appear to do repairs, it was averaging twice a year in open season by the end.

I suspect they just couldn’t complete the repairs they needed to do without deconstructing the ride and once they did that they may as well do a full retrack.

As Rob says Merlin is a business and it has no desire to spend millions of pounds without reason, the only logical conclusion is they had to move with some hefty repairs and are justifying the cost with a re jig of the theme to increase marketing potential and a return on investment.
 
Just when you think these threads can’t get any stranger.

The idea that Merlin tight arse Entertainments would retrack an entire B&M ride if they didn’t need to is absurd.

Clearly they needed to ask that well known arm chair expert Ryan UK what to do. Could have saved them 10 million quid.
 
Civil Engineer chiming in - I've worked a bit with steel bridges and from my experience their life is determined as the number of load cycles they will experience, not a number of years.

The paperclip analogy is spot on. That track flexes almost identically day in, day out, it will experience work hardening.

The factors of safety required in rollercoaster design are going to be huge also due to safety. I'm not surprised at all that after 30 years of operation it has been decided that it's more cost beneficial to remove and replace rather than continue with maintenance that will prove more costly year on year.
 
Quetzal said:
Civil Engineer chiming in - I've worked a bit with steel bridges and from my experience their life is determined as the number of load cycles they will experience, not a number of years.

The paperclip analogy is spot on. That track flexes almost identically day in, day out, it will experience work hardening.

The factors of safety required in rollercoaster design are going to be huge also due to safety. I'm not surprised at all that after 30 years of operation it has been decided that it's more cost beneficial to remove and replace rather than continue with maintenance that will prove more costly year on year.
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Thanks for some valuable insight there @Quetzal, don’t think I had a chance of having this topic of discussion on the bingo card at the start of the year 😂.

I think we can probably leave the talk of steel grades now. It’s clear that some have their own view of things despite some very detailed posts explaining otherwise. Back to general Nemesis discussion me thinks!
 
Poisson said:
Nemesis was welded several times for stress cracking. I've been there whilst they were doing it. Supports have been replaced too.

As @Dave said, footers are clearly on the move (you can see where the track has been modified with bolts removed to account for it) and I'm not sure that was helped by waterfalls running over one of them.
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Nemesis had not had any supports (stanchions) replaced. Some had been reinforced a little - notably two on the helix & two on the stall turn The track, as you rightly say had some work done in places - again most notably on the helix where some cross-ties had been part cut away to reduce stress and a couple of sections of running rail replaced.

If you look at the plans for the track replacement on the SMDC website you can see where additional reinforcement work is to take place on the footer foundations. It will come as no surprise that the helix is to recieve a completely new additional footer & stanchion. Other ares are more surprising - notably that the turnaround es you exit the lift is to have strengthened foundations - this must be one of the least stressed parts of the ride due to the low speed.

Interestingly, C37-L (the footer to the left of the queueline just down the steps by the loop bridge (that used to have the blood river running over it) is not down for strengthening. This has been one of the most troublesome footers over the years. This includes the last day of season in 2001 when Technical Services were over-ruled by "someone more senior" that Nemesis would open despite this footer starting to go. You would see the track & stanchion move and the B&M roar sounded notably different as the train went over this section of track. I have a video of it on my old PC too.
 
It seems a miracle that they are actually going through with this (very costly) refurbishment/rebuild. I can understand grievances with the shift in theme.

Merlin spending millions to replace track that is in a perfect condition? Maybe in another universe, but not this one! If they could keep it going for another 30 years they would.
 
James said:
It seems a miracle that they are actually going through with this (very costly) refurbishment/rebuild. I can understand grievances with the shift in theme.

Merlin spending millions to replace track that is in a perfect condition? Maybe in another universe, but not this one! If they could keep it going for another 30 years they would.
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I can fully understand why Merlin are going ahead with the [costly] re-track. They have a popular, unique ride built into a bespoke hole / site within the park. Only Nemesis will fit into that site without very costly modifications.

Even B&M coasters have a life expectancy. Look at Hulk at Islands of Adventure - it had been running way longer operating times (park close can be 11pm) daily for about 48 weeks a year since 1999. Come 2015 it was time for a re-tracking. Exact same reasons - a popular & iconic ride that the guests like.

Duelling Dragons (Dragon Challenge) was also in need of replacement - but the lure of being able to milk the Harry Potter franchise for even more money with Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure was too much for Universal to resist. Whilst Hagrids is a great ride, the loss of the only duelling B&M's out there is sad.
 
AT86 said:
Clearly they needed to ask that well known arm chair expert Ryan UK what to do. Could have saved them 10 million quid.
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Let's hear what you know then! So far your contributions to this have been negative.
Quetzal said:
Civil Engineer chiming in - I've worked a bit with steel bridges and from my experience their life is determined as the number of load cycles they will experience, not a number of years.

The paperclip analogy is spot on. That track flexes almost identically day in, day out, it will experience work hardening.
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Not basing it on a number of years would obviously be right, but how on earth you too can compare the paperclip reference is beyond me. It's a different metal so there is no comparison whatsoever.

My steel comments have gone down a storm here and people think I'm wrong. I know what I'm talking about and am correct. Happy to continue this elsewhere but not in this topic.

Oh, £10m for this project. Haha! It's a lot more than that, media reports have watered it down.
 
Lets continue it here in this topic...
Your steel comments have gone down a storm here because they are completely wrong.
I prefer to believe the civil engineer, care to cite your qualifications regarding the matter.
If everyone else is of the opinion you are incorrect, is is often the best policy to put your shovel down and stop digging your new foundations.
 
I don't have any qualifications in steel. It is easy to find online about steel, but as per usual people seem to be bringing their own conclusions to here without any research on it. Have you researched it? Thought not. Believe the civil engineer, I never said he's wrong! I know I am very much correct.

Your arrogance to take this away from this topic is not the right approach.
 
RyanUK said:
I don't have any qualifications in steel. It is easy to find online about steel, but as per usual people seem to be bringing their own conclusions to here without any research on it. Have you researched it?
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It’s easy to ‘find online’ about brain surgery but you won’t find me having a go at it on some poor unsuspecting sod.

There’s a difference between ‘research’ and study. I know who my moneys on here.
 
Jb85 said:
Merlin have a formula for there coasters. They all seem to have a major theming element which the coaster interacts with.

With this in mind, can we see this with nemesis, and if so what could we see?

Personally, I feel the station does this job, but I wouldn't be shocked if something was installed.
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I would like to have a few more tentacles spreading around FV, maybe showing that the nemesis creature has grown stronger.
 
Hazza said:
I would like to have a few more tentacles spreading around FV, maybe showing that the nemesis creature has grown stronger.
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Despite suggesting the idea of more themeing I actually don't think the ride needs it if all the original props were refurbished.
 
Kraken27 said:
Nemesis had not had any supports (stanchions) replaced. Some had been reinforced a little - notably two on the helix & two on the stall turn The track, as you rightly say had some work done in places - again most notably on the helix where some cross-ties had been part cut away to reduce stress and a couple of sections of running rail replaced.

If you look at the plans for the track replacement on the SMDC website you can see where additional reinforcement work is to take place on the footer foundations. It will come as no surprise that the helix is to recieve a completely new additional footer & stanchion. Other ares are more surprising - notably that the turnaround es you exit the lift is to have strengthened foundations - this must be one of the least stressed parts of the ride due to the low speed.

Interestingly, C37-L (the footer to the left of the queueline just down the steps by the loop bridge (that used to have the blood river running over it) is not down for strengthening. This has been one of the most troublesome footers over the years. This includes the last day of season in 2001 when Technical Services were over-ruled by "someone more senior" that Nemesis would open despite this footer starting to go. You would see the track & stanchion move and the B&M roar sounded notably different as the train went over this section of track. I have a video of it on my old PC too.
Click to expand...

For variety are you able to upload the video?
 
Kraken27 said:
Leave it with me - I'll fire up the boiler for the old steam driven Windows PC and get the video.
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Another reason Nemesis is having upgrades - coal prices for running whatever logic it has have increased massively.


I do think they'd do well tying in a permanent Ripsaw replacement for 2024 as part of the project, like how Ripsaw was well FV themed.
 
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