-
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.
TBC: SW9 Speculation
- Thread starter Matt N
- Start date
- Status
Oh ye the next secret weapon won't be until 22/23
ItsDavid
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Mako
Do you really think they would go for a mack mega though? The new 'thrill' ride they are competing against is Icon, and I imagine towers would end up with a very similar coaster. If they go with a new Intamin, they have so much technology they can put into the coaster to make it what rita isn't - Unique
Jb85
TS Member
That’s debatable - a lot of merlins cash reserves will be in euro - if anything it makes now a better time to invest in uk parks as they euro is worth more
Yes but we know nothing new is coming any time soon
Mack mega or intamin blitz I don't mind to be fair
Jb85
TS Member
Depends on what time span you mean soon. And how the order is paid. Now would be a good time to place a larger order and pay a larger chunk up front (potentially for a discount) - looking at Mack
Godscrasher
TS Member
This is going to be fantasy and based upon Johns idea of a cross valley wooden coaster, but just imagine if something like that had have happened. Standing on the bridge walkway looking over the gardens while you walk from Katanga Canyon to the Dark Forest, looking left you see the great coaster crossing the valley (depending on size), not one train but two. It would have to be totally minimal if possible but subtle enough to give that wow factor.
An intamin blitz or Mack would work with a double launch IMO. It would need to replace Rita and then 'something something about about forbidden valley with a spectacle at that end'.
Total pie in the sky but what a thrill it would be for the park. Looking at the coaster(s) crossing the valley would be the modern day equivalent of seeing the Corkscrew on the front cover of the Prodigys best song 'everybody in the place', looking at it in awe, lets go!
An intamin blitz or Mack would work with a double launch IMO. It would need to replace Rita and then 'something something about about forbidden valley with a spectacle at that end'.
Total pie in the sky but what a thrill it would be for the park. Looking at the coaster(s) crossing the valley would be the modern day equivalent of seeing the Corkscrew on the front cover of the Prodigys best song 'everybody in the place', looking at it in awe, lets go!
Jb85
TS Member
Isn’t Thirteen in the way now ?
No, loads of space in the woods on that side of the valley edge.
The old walkway and picnic tables at the top of that side of the valley are now locked behind a wide wooden gate, but it is an interesting stroll around the top of the valley on that side, another lovely bit of the gardens that used to be public, used to have great picnics down that shaded avenue.
Nice cross valley steel coaster with minimum footprint at the very bottom of the current gardens would be ace, but no chance of planning sadly.
The old walkway and picnic tables at the top of that side of the valley are now locked behind a wide wooden gate, but it is an interesting stroll around the top of the valley on that side, another lovely bit of the gardens that used to be public, used to have great picnics down that shaded avenue.
Nice cross valley steel coaster with minimum footprint at the very bottom of the current gardens would be ace, but no chance of planning sadly.
It won’t have had much effect. The park always goes quieter at this point in the school holidays so nothing any different to previous years and picks up again as the holidays progress, plus the more unsettled weather this week also doesn’t help.
Ye true, although the smiler has definitely been quieter.
Jb85
TS Member
Really? I didn’t realise - is there any areal pictures anywhere
It is the path to the left as you face the towers portcullis style gate, by the food kiosk and notice board, where hex is straight on, and x sector to your right.
It is now fenced off after about a hundred yards, they only put a padlock on in the last decade.
Staying on the level, it wanders right, following the contour, and you end up in the woods behind thirteen.
You used to be able to walk right round to the back of the towers courtyard, which is now cloud cuckoo land, but I can remember as the funfair!
It is now fenced off after about a hundred yards, they only put a padlock on in the last decade.
Staying on the level, it wanders right, following the contour, and you end up in the woods behind thirteen.
You used to be able to walk right round to the back of the towers courtyard, which is now cloud cuckoo land, but I can remember as the funfair!
Everyone, including AT staff, seem to talk about this fabled cross valley coaster and everyone seems to think its a great idea. Can I maybe ask a stupid question, but if its such a great idea and everyone wants it, why haven't they built it? There must be really big reasons or they'd have done it, no? It looks like its got a lot going for it - huge plot, wow factor, unique, nicely circumvents the height restrictions etc...
My thought as a fun spin on it, in-keeping with the world first thing, would be a dual tracked cross valley - regular train on top and an invested coaster on a track beneath, faux-dueling at points. Would get two rides in one too. Have them start from opposite sides of the valley.
My thought as a fun spin on it, in-keeping with the world first thing, would be a dual tracked cross valley - regular train on top and an invested coaster on a track beneath, faux-dueling at points. Would get two rides in one too. Have them start from opposite sides of the valley.
Danny
TS Contributor
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
Costs. Planning permission. Marketing feasibility. Merlin's lack of vision. The list goes on.
Steve74
TS Member
I suspect it would never get past the planners at Staffordshire Moorlands council. Aren't the gardens more protected than other areas of the park? Then there's what the locals would make of it.
BarryZola
TS Member
It wouldn't have technically been in the gardens, rather in the extended woodland further past the bottom of the more formal gardens. I suspect the problems would be possible sighting from outside the park at certain points and noise (and maybe removal of some trees). The woodland would cover the ride to a large extent and also prevent noise travelling but the problem is to what degree? I don't expect that it will be happening any time soon but I also don't think it's absolutely impossible that it could happen if the absolute will to do it was there.
I have added a few notes to an old plan for the ride. The red line (underneath the photobucket logo) is the bottom of the gardens. There's actually usually a locked gate just past the pool below the Pagoda Fountain. Everything to the left of the Pagoda is the actual gardens. The station and loop on one side of the valley would have been behind Air and on the other side of the valley it would be around about where the picnic area is now (near Thirteen) and a bit further along. The track of the the cross valley coaster would literally just drop through a load of woodland. Some people get the impression that it would be going past formal garden features and stuff but that's just not the major issue.
EDIT - The station on the Dark Forest side actually would have been another couple of hundred metres or so down from the picnic area so I've messed that bit up on the picture. In the picture the picnic area should be further up. You get the general idea though I hope
I have added a few notes to an old plan for the ride. The red line (underneath the photobucket logo) is the bottom of the gardens. There's actually usually a locked gate just past the pool below the Pagoda Fountain. Everything to the left of the Pagoda is the actual gardens. The station and loop on one side of the valley would have been behind Air and on the other side of the valley it would be around about where the picnic area is now (near Thirteen) and a bit further along. The track of the the cross valley coaster would literally just drop through a load of woodland. Some people get the impression that it would be going past formal garden features and stuff but that's just not the major issue.
EDIT - The station on the Dark Forest side actually would have been another couple of hundred metres or so down from the picnic area so I've messed that bit up on the picture. In the picture the picnic area should be further up. You get the general idea though I hope
Last edited:
ChristmasPud
TS Member
It's a great example of designing to what the park itself has to offer, not many parks can potentially build a coaster that drops through an incredible woodland valley. Even though it's basically two big drops I think it would have kicked bottom and been much better in the long run than anything else the park built in that period.
The main reason that was given as why it never got made (it didnt even go to planning permission as far as I know) was marketing. Basically a corporate reluctance to do something that would be hugely successful for the park in the long run, as opposed to an instant hit to please Pearson's/Charterhouse's shareholders in the short term
But had it got further than that, who knows it may have hit big planning problems anyway
The main reason that was given as why it never got made (it didnt even go to planning permission as far as I know) was marketing. Basically a corporate reluctance to do something that would be hugely successful for the park in the long run, as opposed to an instant hit to please Pearson's/Charterhouse's shareholders in the short term
But had it got further than that, who knows it may have hit big planning problems anyway
- Status