• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

How much would a Ripsaw replacement cost? would it be worth it?

T

themeparkfan

TS Member
How much do you guys reckon a new Ripsaw or a newer generation suspended topspin would cost? I think it would be worthwhile to bring Forbidden valley back to glory. Especially as SW8 wont be going there and with RCR there too. Whats your thoughts guys?
 
Not that much for a park the size of Alton Towers. I don't know the exact cost of a themed Huss Top Spin, but you can get a large new flat ride for about £1.5. Maybe £2 million depending on what they do with the theming. That's substantially less than the reported cost of Sub Terra or transforming Toyland Tours into Charlie.

I suspect their reluctance to replace it has as much to do with the ongoing costs once it's open as it does with the capital investment. A ride like a Top Spin is quite power hungry including creating power surges. It's not like a roller coaster where the riders are lifted up the the highest point (usually) and the rest happens using gravity. A Top Spin is a heavy piece of machinery. Although there are big counter weights, it's still pulling a lot of electricity as it goes round.

Then there's the cost of the two ride ops/hosts. It's not just what they're paid each hour, but everything from the holiday pay they accrue, their uniform, the training they receive etc. By cutting the number of front line staff they may well have used it as an opportunity to cut the number of managers as well or to downsize other departments such as HR. Staff are expensive.

Then there's the cost of having the ride serviced each year and getting an ADIPS certificate for it. That's quite a costly process. The cost of the engineers who inspect it each morning. The morning checks on all the rides are a time consuming process and there's a limited window to do it in. By axing so many rides they've presumably been able to shed a few engineers, who are normally on decent salaries. There's also the cost of the technician who regularly tests the water quality and has to make sure it's all treated properly. Incidentally did the Flume use water from a lake (it's a few years since I made it to Towers)? If so that may be one of the reasons why it wasn't replaced by another water ride. If you built a new water ride I suspect the water would need to be a closed system, and with current regulations the process of maintaining the water quality is quite expensive. This may be part of the reason why we're not likely to get Loggers Leap back either and why the big parks have been reluctant to build a large new water ride (although Legoland built their rapids). If and when parts need replacing they can be expensive.

The cost of running a ride like Ripsaw for a season is quite high. I suspect this is partly why it hasn't been replaced yet.
 
Aside from costs, it would need to have a USP for Merlin to even consider the investment. Replacing Ripsaw with the same thing wouldn't have any benefit to them.
 
Get a floorless version and say something like "Ripsaw is back, and better than ever as (some stupid forced "world's first")"
 
Im sure there is a way we could have a modified/improved version, marketing could work their magic with name and theme. Was it just me but Ripsaw was one of those rides which was as much fun to watch as it was to ride. Queues where always there even when quiet. If only this would happen, it would make 2017 for me:) I guess Im just very sad:rolleyes:
 
The problem is Ripsaw didn't cut it, did it? And we won't get this:

ga_talocan_03-ebedfff0.jpg


Or slightly less grand, this:

NYC_Transformer.JPG


We'd get:

Top_Spin_Huss_di_gardaland.JPG
 
Merlin must have 2 or 3 million somewhere they could spend on a new Ripsaw. It's not like they are short of wonga.
And in the grand scheme of things it's only money at the end of the day. You can't take it with you.
It's not like we're are going to get a new coaster in FV any time soon. :(
 
The garish one is at Gardaland so Merlin will like it ;)

I don't want Towers to just replace Ripsaw, I want it immersive and a good cycle constantly. Towers should use Talocan as a base level of quality but I doubt we'd get anything even close.
 
Unfortunately Merlin probably won't ever replace Ripsaw with a topspin, given the current situations.

Unless it's a rollercoaster, hotel or themed to an IP that was popular five years ago, Merlin wouldn't touch any such investment with a barge pole.
 
Talocan cost approximately 4 million EUR. Not sure if that includes the removal of Condor, or not.
 
Just guess work but I feel like we could see forbidden sweep or nothing at all until SW9 comes along as was previously seen that sight is primed for something big. So I can see Forbidden Sweep lasting to at least 2022, At which point it will probably need TLC :p
 
James said:
Not even like they need to pay for any groundworks/landscaping either. There's this lovely little bit of land in Forbidden Valley that could be used....
Click to expand...
Not if you wanted something like Talocan, its site is vastly larger and I suspect you would need to do vast amounts of groundwork to facilitate the building of a structure that high.

talocan9g.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top