With Towers current reliability problems I would hope they'd keep Duel running until the end of the season, otherwise they are going to have major problems at fireworks and scarefest.
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Thameslink Rail
TS Member
I'm now feeling nostalgic for DVDs and the DVD player screensaver (and a time when Duel's effects worked).
Trooper Looper
TS Member
First Emily, now the Fireplace...
I'm now feeling nostalgic for DVDs and the DVD player screensaver (and a time when Duel's effects worked).
Lets hope it's only the weather being the cause of this, as I remember seeing the Dolls house have an error screen displayed once at a hot day, then returned later that ssame ay, when it was a little cooler, and Emily was back working again.
Matt.GC
TS Member
If Duel is to get the same "treatment" as Tomb Blaster then we should lower our already low expectations of what we'll end up with on the other side.
tech
TS Member
Paid a visit to Duel today and during my 10 minute queue (10 minutes!! First time I've set foot in that extended queue line in years!) I can confirm that the fireplace is still showing a bouncing DVD logo.
~T
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Not surprised when the weather's this hot today. Hope they fix it soon.
tech
TS Member
Me too. It’s the sort of thing that would stick out like a sore thumb on pre-opening checks - even if it can’t be fixed at least switch it off!
tech
TS Member
Well we got laser guns in the last revamp, could laserdiscs be next on the horizon?
Trooper Looper
TS Member
You never know. Anything is possible, especially when John Wardley was riding it with some Documents and sheets a month ago.
Though, don't get you hope on Laserdiscs ever being a thing again!
Just so you know, this is definitely a load of cobblers.
Trooper Looper
TS Member
Why? I've not been the only one told this by AT Staff. A lot people online have been saying the same thing kne way or another. The staff at the park have been right before.
Do I fully believe it 100%? No, but it's still a possibility nevertheless. If he's Working on the Nemesis retrack, I can see him supervising Duels supposed future work to be done.
Ignoring the implausibility of fan/staff reported 'someone senior doing a thing' reports, John Wardley in particular, ask yourself - if you were redesigning a ride, why would you do such a thing?
Lets go with the suggestion that John Wardley is working with Merlin (which we have no concrete evidence of, he's long retired and his more recent contributions have been in an advisory/spokesperson capacity) and he is working on a refresh of Duel (which again is very far from being anything other than a rumour). Why would he be 'riding it with documents and sheets'? He could, presumably, have access to the whole thing if he's working on such a project. He could have the house lights turned on and off to be able to visualise a scene. He could walk the track and if he really needed to he could arrange to have the ride in an emergency stop state, and then take a car, ride a section, call for another emergency stop, walk back and reride over and over.
Or he could just take a ride to refresh himself of the feel of the attraction - which wouldn't need any 'documents' nor 'sheets'.
Doesn't pass the sniff test.
Plastic Person
TS Member
I refuse to accept the idea of John Wardley riding Duel with sheets and documents until I see a verified on-ride photo of the incident, including his final score.
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Trooper Looper
TS Member
My best guest of the sheets that it's just some quick sketches he's done of potential Ideas, or just him writing on whats broken and what isn't. How can he have full access of the ride anyhow with the Backstage lighting on during an open day at the park? Even I think Merlin wouldn't allow him to have all those hours just inspecting it when they can easily do that before the park even opens or after the park closes. I can though see him utilising the E-Stop system to reride it continuously, either on a specific sector of the ride, or the entire thing. But that'd have to happen when Guests aren't present though.
I can only image him for riding it on normal operating hours is because he wants to see how the ride currently executes from a guests perspective and not just from Behind the scenes.
Again, I don't fully believe the rumour either, but I'm invested if it is.
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No doubt, but did you see him on a ride and if so was he also doing some admin simultaneously?
Lol I ain’t stalking him but I know in the past he’s been interested in Duel. He posted a comment on here but so long ago about it so I would think it reasonable for him to have a vested interest in anything being done for the future.
John Wardley has been retired for a long time. He only really came back for Wicker Man because they thought it would be nice to get his input because he'd been pushing for a woodie at towers practically the whole time he'd been involved with towers. I imagine it's likely they've consulted him about the nemesis retrack. But I very much doubt he's heavily involved in anything to do with duel. He may well have been asked 'John what do you think of this mate?' but I doubt he's actually been working on the plans. I still think it's unlikely any major work happens to duel anytime soon, MMM were probably just fixing up the effects.
tech
TS Member
This is what happened - I was there. When John shook his head disapprovingly the MMM rep said "tough! you can't stop us!" then they threw a smoke bomb at the ground and ran off.