[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

[Quetzal]

I can imagine they'd want to use the next few days to get track onto the site, before Half Term. That's a week where it'll be pretty hard for them to move major ride parts from the Car Park to the site. So I'd hazard a guess that they'll be stopping the Groundwork for now, and will try to get at least the Toilet Block track up.

There's a lot of footers in place on the lower end of site, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't put up the track in this area, so they can move vehicles safely around the site. Would be nice if it did go up though!

Have the Lift Hills still not been delivered?

 

[Alastair]

Have the Lift Hills still not been delivered?

Nope.

 

[TheMan]

I can imagine they'd want to use the next few days to get track onto the site, before Half Term. That's a week where it'll be pretty hard for them to move major ride parts from the Car Park to the site. So I'd hazard a guess that they'll be stopping the Groundwork for now, and will try to get at least the Toilet Block track up.

That is a great point, they certainly wont want too much stuff hanging around in car parks when the general site is open again.

Also, glad to hear they have fenced off the (most likely) brake run!! No expert but can certainly imagine that is a sensitive piece of equipment, and rather important...

 

[Alastair]

Another TT update tonight, another classic. They've installed a few footers and that's it. No change to the station, no supports up, no track up. It makes you wonder how many people are actually working on site - it can't be more than about 5 or 6.

 

[Bear]

The progress being made on this thing is truly pathetic!

 

[LiamC]

Submission gondolas are back on. I'm not sure if they were there last time though. A hell of a lot of footers down! It's going be one twisted up ride

 

[rightbackgranty]

Going to have to disagree slightly there. A fair amount of groundwork has gone on in the last week when I put the pictures side by side. A lot of concrete has been put down where there was none before, and a lot more footers look like they have been filled in properly.

Its fairly obvious that the big part of the construction of the ride is the groundwork - an episode of short sightedness from the planners, because it has gone on way too long. I get the feeling that once the base work is done that the ride will fly up.

Not a bad weeks work really in comparison to the previous 5 months construction! (but yes, still months behind).

P.S - Looking at the sheer number of footers around the toilet block, why on earth didn't they just demolish it and build new toilets elsewhere?

P.P.S - Why are there no footers in the section following the barrel roll/secret element? surely if there was a straight section to a lift hill the supports would be directly underneath the track like the station. The only evidence of a possible support I can see are slightly off centre - probably more consistent with further barrel rolls?

 

[Alastair]

I get the feeling that once the base work is done that the ride will fly up.

The problem is that this has been said countless times since November, and groundwork doesn't seem close to finishing even now.

 

[Maelstrom]

They have made a fair amount of progress in the last week, with a lot of ground work done and work across the site. A lot of the footers are now done with not many more to finish off. I would expect to start seeing supports and track being erected next week. The ride track and supports should be finished in 3 or so weeks.

 

[Josh]

A lot of groundwork has been done, its just a shame that the groundwork never seems to end! Although the fact that Gerst are now back on site is a hint that track will be going up soon, otherwise they wouldn't need to be there. There are a lot of footers in those newly concreted bits, so once they dry then supports should start going up. It also helps that I saw them lifting some supports onto the back of a trailer today

Also, there's not much rebar left in the car park now, only a few piles, and only a few precast footers left aswell

 

[Rob]

I get the feeling that once the base work is done that the ride will fly up.

The problem is that this has been said countless times since November, and groundwork doesn't seem close to finishing even now.

To be fair, I think there is a lot more groundwork being done than any of us imagined. I certainly wasn't expecting so much concrete to be poured and so many "walls" to be built. I am starting to think that the condition of the ground has forced them to carry out more substantial and solid groundwork and hence the delay.

It is starting to look like groundwork may be nearing a completion. I reckon it will be finished within the next 2 weeks, and then they can get a move on with erecting the coaster. Gerstlauer appear to be back on site now which is a nice positive.

Also, it appears that they have begun some internal work on the station building.

 

[rightbackgranty]

I get the feeling that once the base work is done that the ride will fly up.

The problem is that this has been said countless times since November, and groundwork doesn't seem close to finishing even now.

To be fair, I think there is a lot more groundwork being done than any of us imagined. I certainly wasn't expecting so much concrete to be poured and so many "walls" to be built. I am starting to think that the condition of the ground has forced them to carry out more substantial and solid groundwork and hence the delay.

It is starting to look like groundwork may be nearing a completion. I reckon it will be finished within the next 2 weeks, and then they can get a move on with erecting the coaster. Gerstlauer appear to be back on site now which is a nice positive.

Also, it appears that they have begun some internal work on the station building.

Completely agree. If we look back at the NoLimits model and the original plans there is a negligible amount of excavation - the only noticeable amount was for the vertical lift hill. In comparison, what we actually have is a frankly massive hole (? comparable to nemesis and oblivion in some ways), far more walls, far more concrete etc. Admittedly, the time for this work to happen should have been allowed for but the rushed nature of the ride has meant they've had to work with what time they've had.

Just to add on to what I was saying with regards to the "secret element / pre lift hill building" and the supports being at the side of the walls rather than the centre. The supports positions could tally with this (http://cache.rcdb.com/k5gkudcasi8g88003aq9lj.jpg) image from the Saw:The Ride. I'm probably looking into it far too much but hey, you never know!

 

[Fredward]

I'd say that latest TT update shows a massive update since last time. good to finally see some flat land and lots of footers.

Seeing vertical construction doesn't really mean much. Foundations are the tricky part.

 

[Maelstrom]

i might be wrong but it looks like large parts of the floor in the Pit have been covered with some type of tiles.

 

[Quetzal]

Wow! Finally some major progress!

There's obviously still a lot more work to happen, and they're still behind, but it finally seems like they're getting somewhere.

There's some work going on inside the station building, and the sheer amount of groundwork is actually fairly surprising. It seems like they're readying for some major track erection around the toilet block, and bottom end of the site. The lack of Lift Hills is still a bit concerning, seems like they haven't finished all of the major excavation for the vertical lift.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

It looks like they've filled the roll out of the station? Would link to an annotated image but i'm pretty sure it would be removed.

It's the bit where it banks out the station and to the level out area where supposedly the Roll/Secret Element would be. That looks underground now.

 

[Earthwürm]

That's a lot of scaffolding around Oblivions station. Maybe they'll finally fix a few leaks. I'd really like to see the interior get some attention as its looking very old and rotten with rubbish stuffed down the gaps all around the edge.

 

[JB1985]

That's a lot of scaffolding around Oblivions station. Maybe they'll finally fix a few leaks. I'd really like to see the interior get some attention as its looking very old and rotten with rubbish stuffed down the gaps all around the edge.

its a real shame that they let it get into this condition. Still, pleased to see its getting some attention

 

[adsyrah]

It looks like they've filled the roll out of the station? Would link to an annotated image but i'm pretty sure it would be removed.

It's the bit where it banks out the station and to the level out area where supposedly the Roll/Secret Element would be. That looks underground now.

Which picture are you looking at?

The 4th one down looks weird to me - I reckon they've used some kind of photoshop tool to smear and obscure the extra inversion coming out of the station.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

It looks like they've filled the roll out of the station? Would link to an annotated image but i'm pretty sure it would be removed.

It's the bit where it banks out the station and to the level out area where supposedly the Roll/Secret Element would be. That looks underground now.

Which picture are you looking at?

The 4th one down looks weird to me - I reckon they've used some kind of photoshop tool to smear and obscure the extra inversion coming out of the station.

3rd and 4th one down are the ones that look like the inversion has been covered.