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[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

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Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

JB1985 said:
yes just looked at the photo, and yeh, 8 weeks away from opening,

There's actually 11 weeks left till opening :)
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Whilst Ill agree that it looks bleak, I don't think we can place all of our opinions on whether it will be ready on previous constructions. We don't really know the details of the timescales Alton has for various stage of the construction, and any thoughts of them being off-schedule are still in many ways pure speculation. Yes it doesn't look to be progressing as rapidly as most people would like, but until there is official word from AT about a different opening date, Id remain optimistic.
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

The Psychoaster said:
They should make more use of the servant's tunnel as well - whenever I'm there no one ever sees or uses it. If X-Sector were fenced off like that then they should highlight it a bit more.

Only going to alton once a year, I need to ask. Where is the servant's tunnel.
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Landscaping to be finished
Footers to finish
Slab to laid on the rest of the site floor
Wall supports to be laid at the toilet end
Supports to be concreted in
Track to be constructed
Track to be wired up
Track to have pneumatics fitted
Station to be finished
Maintenance shed and the area underneath constructed
Shop to be constructed
Buildings to be wired and decorated
Floor to be laid between track and landscaped
Queue line to be built
Theming to be put into place
Ride testing (200hours I'm sure somebody quoted)
Operator training

And I'm sure there's possibly more that I've missed, even Nick Knowles and his team of reprobates couldn't get this done in time.
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

delta79 said:
The Psychoaster said:
They should make more use of the servant's tunnel as well - whenever I'm there no one ever sees or uses it. If X-Sector were fenced off like that then they should highlight it a bit more.

Only going to alton once a year, I need to ask. Where is the servant's tunnel.

It's a tight brick-laden tunnel leading from behind Fried Chicken Co. directly to the Towers.
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

delta79 said:
The Psychoaster said:
They should make more use of the servant's tunnel as well - whenever I'm there no one ever sees or uses it. If X-Sector were fenced off like that then they should highlight it a bit more.

Only going to alton once a year, I need to ask. Where is the servant's tunnel.

Can't find a great picture of it but this is it:

527180.jpg
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Thanks for the photo The Psychoaster, will have to look for it the next time i go.
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Be careful though if you dare enter the servants tunnel.... Its usually got some undesirables in it ;)
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

interesting comment by someone on tpblogs facebook

Gerstlauer are trying there hardest to get the track sorted. The reason nothing has happened over the past 2 weeks is because of New Year & Christmas. Siegfried has even said he thinks track will be done by start of February. I email Siegfried & Coen about my future ideas and stuff, and they pretty much said the TRACK will be done in time. Remember, 2 teams are working on this ride, Gerstlauer & Merlin. While Gerstlauer are doing the track & supports, Merlin are doing the station & theming, so I reckon it will be done on time. Until Towers say over wise, the ride WILL BE opening on time as planned.
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I thought contract builders put the rides up, its never Merlins staff and I've only heard of ride company's supervising.

Though if they do have 2 teams effectively working on it with gerstlauer support to ensure nothing cocks up. It may be open in time... If we are lucky... Very lucky...
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

If only the coaster had to be complete they could easily get it done by the 16th. I imagine the ride will be functional by mid-Feb. It's just this isn't a car-park coaster and there is theming, queue-line and station building to finish as well as the plaza.

There will be a functioning coaster by Feb but there will unlikely be a launchable product by the 16th
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I have been saying for a while now that they will have two teams. One working on the station and the other working on the track area.

From Building projects at work, i have seen building management is a wonder to see. I have seen a building having a refit inside and a new section added at the same time, using two 'teams' working together but apart with there work choreographed in a way that mean the length of time the total job took was shorter then doing the new bit then the refit.

SW7 could be treated in the same way.
The station, electrics, internal fitting, internal theming, ride computer and control desk could be treated as one zone.
Track erection, external theming, landscaping and queue lines as an other zone.

The only time these two zone would mix is during wiring of the external track and the testing phase, and if choreographed correctly could be done together.
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

The trouble with roller-coasters though is at some-point you have to test them (and they have to run for something like 100hrs). A lot of areas become no-go once you start running for testing which stops work.
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

100 hrs is 4x24 hr days (to keep it simple)... But how long are they going to be able to run the test for each day? We are looking at maybe just under 3 weeks of testing? Worrying!
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Is the servant's tunnel the same as the exit from ToTT and The Sanctuary this Scarefest? And if the ride does open on time, there will have barely been time for testing and training. Unless the ride suddenly pops up and builds itself within the next few days. :p
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

iain said:
100 hrs is 4x24 hr days (to keep it simple)... But how long are they going to be able to run the test for each day? We are looking at maybe just under 3 weeks of testing? Worrying!

Well as you may have seen on TS Facebook the other day, when we visited the park they were testing Nemesis. They were just constantly dispatching the train for a good 2 hours (And they may have been doing it for some time before we arrived too). I'd imagine they might run tests from say 6am to 6pm or something. Given how close the ride is to locals I'd imagine they might get a bit upset if they started too early :p

Remember as well though, the ride needs to be tested but the staff need to all be trained to operate the ride too, which again usually consists of a set number of hours of training I believe. That can't be done until it's all finished, and Gerstlauer have signed off the ride, I imagine.
 
Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Judging by other coasters in the park I would assume that the operators would need 24 hours worth of training to operate the ride. Hosts would likely only need a couple of days.
 
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