Blackhole_Sun
TS Member
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What rumours? I highly doubt they will close their most popular ride at the park without a possible refurb/re-track.
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Jb85
TS Member
Re track rumours....
Trooper Looper
TS Member
If they're thinking of a retrack, they might as well and go the extra step and make the station feel gothic again. It wouldn't harm them to TRY and get those chandeliers back up.
Blackhole_Sun
TS Member
Hope so, would be terrible to lose that completely from Chessington.
Thanks for this photo I’ve been looking for one of the station and the chandeliers in place. If the ride was receiving a re-track then I would be in no doubt the station would receive a full refurb as well.If they're thinking of a retrack, they might as well and go the extra step and make the station feel gothic again. It wouldn't harm them to TRY and get those chandeliers back up.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Same, the lighting needs reworking as a whole as it feels like a disco in there sometimes. They did fully restore the Organ Player and the scenery around him for 2020, so hopefully that could stay. The station just needs major relighting, a more gothic feel, and those chandeliers back. The physical props are fine, but the scenic art doesn't show as well as it used to in there nowadays. The could slip in the original soundtrack back remastered if they can rather than the current rap version we have now.
From: https://youtu.be/ABE3QJMheCA?si=7dZS-mLNU7q1rFOd
pluk
TS Member
Would also love to see the return of weightier trains that swing as the profiling intend too. I imagine they contribute to greater stress and wear on the track so doubt it'll happen, but it would really be the only way to get it flowing properly again.
As for the station, a big improvement they could start with would be putting a tunnel over the lift hill, make it dark, stop light entering the station that way, an opportunity for some audio or little effects, and could contain some of the lift hill noise that annoys the locals so much.
As for the station, a big improvement they could start with would be putting a tunnel over the lift hill, make it dark, stop light entering the station that way, an opportunity for some audio or little effects, and could contain some of the lift hill noise that annoys the locals so much.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Good call there, but a lot of other Arrow Suspended coasters with much higher speeds and intensity still run with their original trains. I'd rather see them scrap Vekomas Trains and go with S&S to supply new Arrow Trains and track for them. They do own the rights to Arrow Dynamics parts and models, and they did recently revive the steeplechase model. Though merlin being merlin, they'll probably pick whatever is cheaper.
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QTXAdsy
TS Member
Mattgwise
TS Member
Haven't B&M just announced a swinging suspended family coaster for Busch Tampa?
QTXAdsy
TS Member
I just have a feeling if a retrack is happening they'll go with Vekoma or might even try Taziker. I know the latter will not go down well with several enthusiasts given what's happened with PMBO but from a building and delivery point of view, Taziker's retrack has been, by all accounts, technically a success even if you can argue about their quality and that would have not gone unnoticed by Merlin who I wouldn't be surprised if they have thought about doing the same with Vampire being it's another Arrow coaster though Colossus has been tested with already showing that they are willing to work with them even if that bit of track was delayed in getting in.
I know this is a Merlin that is willing to splash out more money that previous but I can't see them spending money on going to official ride manufacturers to get new track as the export costs to transport track sections over would be hellish so having manufacturing track parts at home does make things more tempting for more retracking. Plus if Vampire is to get a Nemesis job, I'd like to see a new colour (as long as it isn't black) as I've never liked the brown colour as it makes it look rather dull.
I know this is a Merlin that is willing to splash out more money that previous but I can't see them spending money on going to official ride manufacturers to get new track as the export costs to transport track sections over would be hellish so having manufacturing track parts at home does make things more tempting for more retracking. Plus if Vampire is to get a Nemesis job, I'd like to see a new colour (as long as it isn't black) as I've never liked the brown colour as it makes it look rather dull.
Blackhole_Sun
TS Member
I always considered the colour of the track a ploy to make it blend in a bit more. Now the coaster is entirely covered by trees they could probably go for something different in colour. I would consider it might be Purple with Black supports as they are the vampire colours now.
It’s not the track that makes it run like it does currently, it’s those god awful trains they have for it. They have dampers controlling the swing and it doesn’t work with the old track. If they do re track it I assume they will bank the curves and use the normal inverted trains they have available.
That being said without going over old ground I am not sure it needs a re track. Most other remaining coasters of this model haven’t had that treatment and they run the older heavier trains. It may need bits and pieces sorting.
Reb
TS Member
Which rumours are these?
I think that regardless of its state, the park would be shooting itself in the foot if they got rid of it. They'll probably just redo vampire like they did with nemesis. Unfortunately for Chessington, it's still their main attraction, regardless of how much they push for mandrill.
Reb
TS Member
One of the chandeliers is actually visible from a hole in the engineering door by the RAP queue.If they're thinking of a retrack, they might as well and go the extra step and make the station feel gothic again. It wouldn't harm them to TRY and get those chandeliers back up.
I don't want to get anyone's hopes up, but I did see a staff member measuring the distance between the floor and the holes in the ceiling left by the chandeliers the other day.
Additionally (though it's probably just because Howloween is coming up), they've added four candelabras by marcel, another of the big candles by the onload position, the candles have all been repainted, new lighting has been added to the ramp, and the smaller versions of the big candles that used to be used in the cave section are currently laying on top of the stairs, just outside the door on your right as you leave the station. They've also been repainted by the looks of things.
I'd love for this to mean something is happening with vampire, but it's probably just to get everything looking nice for the end of season.
Matt N
TS Member
If Vampire is retracked, I could see them going for the Vekoma SFC-style hardware, personally.
It’s very well proven hardware, with numerous successful installations worldwide, and Vekoma have worked on Vampire before.
Compared to the other options, Vekoma seem to me like the most compelling option.
While S&S are technically the successor to Arrow, their only family suspended coaster, Merlin’s Mayhem at Dutch Wonderland, was pretty problematic, and the company has little experience with that style of coaster aside from Merlin’s Mayhem.
While Taziker have worked on Arrow coasters before, I’d wager that the recent issues with the Colossus retrack at Thorpe Park may have put Merlin off doing work with them again, and in the event of a “big bang” retrack, Taziker also wouldn’t provide the sort of technical overhaul that the ride would hopefully receive alongside the new track.
It’s very well proven hardware, with numerous successful installations worldwide, and Vekoma have worked on Vampire before.
Compared to the other options, Vekoma seem to me like the most compelling option.
While S&S are technically the successor to Arrow, their only family suspended coaster, Merlin’s Mayhem at Dutch Wonderland, was pretty problematic, and the company has little experience with that style of coaster aside from Merlin’s Mayhem.
While Taziker have worked on Arrow coasters before, I’d wager that the recent issues with the Colossus retrack at Thorpe Park may have put Merlin off doing work with them again, and in the event of a “big bang” retrack, Taziker also wouldn’t provide the sort of technical overhaul that the ride would hopefully receive alongside the new track.
Blackhole_Sun
TS Member
Has there actually though? Or are we putting two and two together because the ride is one of the older steel coasters in the UK? Together with the fact Merlin have now set a precedent with Nemesis.
Would like to see this preserved. I have no idea how they would cope without it being open however.
I just like saying it.
In the social media age, rumours flare, so...
Two sources, must be true.
Jb85
TS Member
@Blackhole_Sun yes there have been many rumours on numerous sites by numerous people.
I'm cautiously optimistic a re track will happen. Similar to Nemesis, its to key to the park not to be kept, in some form or another.
I'm cautiously optimistic a re track will happen. Similar to Nemesis, its to key to the park not to be kept, in some form or another.