[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

[GaryH]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Looking at the photos I still dont think there is anything hidden underneath those blue boxes, I think its to create interest.

One thing that does stand out for me with those photos - a complete lack of any footers once you head up towards the toilet blocks!

 

[Meat Pie]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Just seen this on TT

"The boxes DO obscure elements of the ride, that towers have specifically requested we do NOT share with the GP, as they are "sensitive to the secrecy of the ride".

Well they would say that, wouldn't they.

 

[Moley]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Well that "Staffordshire knot" is certainly what you'd consider iconic.

 

[CupCakeMonster]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I have a question, in a few of the photos, there looks to be a place for a support in the middle of the knot. What is it? Could it be a place for a support-which makes no sense to me, or is it something else?

 

[Alex23]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

There is little to no concrete in the barrel roll bit but in the blanked out bit there was lots of concrete there so it would seen something more major was going there

 

[BigDave]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

The 90 degree angle as it goes into the blocked off area suggests its a barrel roll and although there is a fair bit of room between that element and the lift, I cannot see any more than two inversions at the most there as barrel rolls are fairly long and cannot easily be put on corners.

 

[Rupert]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I've just been looking a bit more at the second photo of TT's update (the one immediately after the 'To see more sign up' image), and to me it looks like there is a frame going up in the pit where the semi-circle part of the station is planned to be. Certainly possible at any rate, although it doesn't look to extend far from the main station building at this stage.

 

[rightbackgranty]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

If you look at the last two pictures, just beyond the "blue box" there appears to be concrete making a larger square than the rest of the pre lift building. Could mean nothing, but it just looks like a square something would go in. Personally, I'm not for the washing machine element but if it were to go anywhere it could be there!

Though there is still plenty of work to be done, the whole area looks a lot better than it did this time last week. What a difference a few pieces of (insane) track makes!

Just a pity that the snow has started. Further groundwork may be difficult, though they could work on polishing up the already completed areas!

 

[Tom]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

They're blocking out a run of barrel rolls, I predict there will be three before each of the lift hills.

 

[rightbackgranty]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Someone mentioned a set of kicker wheels to pull the train through a series of slow barrel rolls. I must admit, this thought did go through my mind when I saw the length of the pre lift run.

Must admit though, if this ride is "just" (and they are big inverted commas) a 9 inverting self duelling coaster with good themeing I will be over the moon. Anything extra, such as breaking the inversion record, or having a pre show element, will just be a bonus in my eyes.

 

[Coolbeans14]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Looking at those pictures, they have put an awful lot of the concrete walls at the other end of the site as well, so do they still need to dig down in this section, because if they do then that is extremely worrying.

 

[adsyrah]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I'm with Fredward and others on the two vertical lifts idea.

*If* the inversion count was being sought after, then maybe the plans were a red herring after all. The ride would be far more impressive to watch if there were two synchronised vertical lifts to take people above the toilet block.

If that were the case there could be a series of barrel rolls before the first life for sure.

EDIT:

Also, if you look at the 4th picture down after the teaser... *Just* above the middle of the blue box there appear to be a couple of sneaky footers there...

 

[rightbackgranty]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I was wondering whether or not the whole site has to be covered in concrete to lay down footers. I am by no means an expert in construction, and to be honest I would go as far as saying to allow me to construct something larger than a bookcase would be negligent, but could footers foundations not just be piled into the ground with a piledriver?

I've seen walls constructed in similar ways, with foundation poles hammered metres into the ground. Would a similar system work for footers? That would save an awful amount of time with regards to vertical construction

 

[BigAl]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Someone mentioned a set of kicker wheels to pull the train through a series of slow barrel rolls. I must admit, this thought did go through my mind when I saw the length of the pre lift run.

This was my suggestion earlier, however (thinking about it again), would it be possible to set up a load of friction wheels along curving track and would it be cheap to run and maintain? I'm sure I saw an old Schwarzkopf looper with friction wheels on a curved/banked section of track, but I'm not 100% certain.

 

[rightbackgranty]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

Someone mentioned a set of kicker wheels to pull the train through a series of slow barrel rolls. I must admit, this thought did go through my mind when I saw the length of the pre lift run.

This was my suggestion earlier, however (thinking about it again), would it be possible to set up a load of friction wheels along curving track and would it be cheap to run and maintain? I'm sure I saw an old Schwarzkopf looper with friction wheels on a curved/banked section of track, but I'm not 100% certain.

I don't see why not, especially if the electrics ran along a central support or the 3rd section of tri-track. It is obviously far easier and therefore more convenient to be on a straight section but unless there is something that would hinder their operation I don't see why kicker wheels on a spiral section would not work.

Way I am looking at it - the track emerges from the underground section at the start of the fairly long straight portion of the station building. Assuming there isn't a Bosch Super-Eco Clothes Dryer sponsored secret element then why emerge so early in a covered section - its a decent length of straight that they have to play with there, at least half the length of the site. Now, there could be a Blue Fire / Rock n Roller coaster pre launch into a lift hill, or there could be a couple of slow inversions before the lift hill.

Either sounds good to me. I just really don't want to see another Air Tunnel!

 

[Dave]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

One argument against the false plans idea is that Towers wouldn't go to such extremes to fool geeks but what if it was to fool other parks.

It doesn't take much to beat the inversion count with very little planning if you don't have a height restriction like Towers. Indeed Towers if they are going for the inversion count are going to annoy a park in Japan that is building a 12 inversion coaster to open this year. They might have faked the layout so others don't steal their thunder.

Just a thought

 

[Blizzard]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I have an Idea of how the indoor/secret element section will turn out;

Supposing the washing machine element or some variant of it is true this is my idea.

The reason I think the turn out of the station will go into an inversion, is because of the high roll of the track towards the exit of the pit, it also shows no signs of straightening out.

I hope you can make sense of the drawing, just ask if you don't!

 

[rightbackgranty]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I like the idea and its execution. The high banking from the underground track could turn into a left turn.

However, would the train not come out of the Washing Machine backwards, meaning the entire ride was reverse. I may have misinterpreted the plans though!

Or is this after the ride section, and just before the train returns to the station?

 

[Rob]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I have an Idea of how the indoor/secret element section will turn out;

Supposing the washing machine element or some variant of it is true this is my idea.

The reason I think the turn out of the station will go into an inversion, is because of the high roll of the track towards the exit of the pit, it also shows no signs of straightening out.

I hope you can make sense of the drawing, just ask if you don't!

I don't think anything quite like that is going to happen, but say it was too, how would what you've drawn work without the train either entering or leaving the "washing machine" element backwards?

EDIT: Ooops I somehow completely missed rightbackgranty's post before posting this!

 

[Wilsy]

Re: Secret Weapon 7 Discussion Continued

I very much doubt there will be anything like the "washing machine"

Especially considering all mention of it has disappeared from the site which initially reported it. Funny that.