[The Smiler] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

[TheMan]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Well if it ages badly like a few others, at least go all-out to make it the most painful ride in existence! No point in being second worst!


(For anyone that thinks I'm serious about that, I actually enjoy Saw.)

Hahahaha!!

As far as I am concerned Merlin will only be taking their own record though mate!!

Colossal-ache!

(Still love the ride though, before the stupid pasta impression!)

 

[pluk]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

A note on throughput, and unfortunately the ride will be nowhere near 1800pph in terms of capacity.

Based on the marketing material, the ride-time is approximately 165 seconds. So if there are only 4 trains, there can only be a maximum of 64 riders (4 x 16) dispatched every 165 seconds.

Why would there be only four trains? I'd imagine there'd be four 'active' trains at any one time, but at least two more would be in the station at that time reloading. You'd want a train between in each block and some in the station, I'd guess at 6 trains on track.

One of the original press releases stated the ride had a capacity of 64 riders. Which accounts for 4 trains of 16 riders each. Read the news article here: http://www.towersstreet.com/news/2012/sw7-ride-information-goes-national/

Actually it says:

...64 people per ride.

so this could still mean 4 active cars & 2 loading? I think the track is too long to have only 4 trains - 6 would be about right.

I agree with your throughput calculations however.

Yes, I'm sure the defining factor in throughput will be the actual capacity of the ride and not limited by how many trains they've bought, that would be madness.

If, and it's a big if, the recreations turn out to be bang on with maximum section time between break runs being 30 seconds then that is the defining factor. So the 32 people can leave the station every minute, once the block in front has cleared, giving a theoretic throughput of 1920. Of course in reality one train entering a section the exact moment the one in front clears the breaks ain't ever gonna happen consistently, although if the duelling aspect is happening it should be fairly tightly timed.

 

[gforce-ste]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Do we know.if the recent weather has affected consruction?

 

[BigAl]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

I assume it has slowed things down a little, but I expect the snow on Friday to have the biggest impact on the project so far. BBC weather said as much as 25cm in high areas and it's for most of the UK as well. :/

 

[James]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Friday forecast for Alton Towers:

...and the Saturday:

It's not looking good.

There's been no word of how they are coping on site currently. I would assume that in terms of track construction very little is happening but they are working on the station building. Or they could be working on track, however with the way Th13teen went I somehow doubt they are doing much on site with this weather.

 

[Wilsy]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

They looked like they were at least attempting to work on Monday, even when it was snowing. So I'd imagine they will be doing whatever they can over the next few days.

 

[Alastair]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Ah well, it had to happen sometime.

‘No specific opening date’ for SW7 rollercoaster

Alton Towers is now advising guests that it has “no specific opening date” for its new rollercoaster, currently dubbed SW7.

The ride’s opening was initially advertised as 16 March, but delays with construction recently led the park to remove a countdown timer and references to the date from its website.

Last week Alton Towers said that it was still working towards opening the ride for the start of the season.

However, today the park’s guest services manager June Berrisford said: “At present we don’t have a specific ride opening date, but we are working towards the early part of the season.”

The ride’s final name has not yet been released, although its trademark smiling face logo has begun to appear on advertising posters in several cities around the country.

Alton Towers continues to advise that updates with regards to the project will be posted on its website.

http://riderater.co.uk/2013/no-specific-opening-date-for-sw7-rollercoaster/

 

[Trixico]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Ah well, it had to happen sometime.

‘No specific opening date’ for SW7 rollercoaster

Alton Towers is now advising guests that it has “no specific opening date” for its new rollercoaster, currently dubbed SW7.

The ride’s opening was initially advertised as 16 March, but delays with construction recently led the park to remove a countdown timer and references to the date from its website.

Last week Alton Towers said that it was still working towards opening the ride for the start of the season.

However, today the park’s guest services manager June Berrisford said: “At present we don’t have a specific ride opening date, but we are working towards the early part of the season.”

The ride’s final name has not yet been released, although its trademark smiling face logo has begun to appear on advertising posters in several cities around the country.

Alton Towers continues to advise that updates with regards to the project will be posted on its website.

http://riderater.co.uk/2013/no-specific-opening-date-for-sw7-rollercoaster/

I'm suprised it took so long for them to announce the delays. Maybe the forcast for this weekend forced their hand? They'll likely struggle to make up any lost time now...

 

[Wilsy]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

It's not really an announcement of a delay though, any delay announcement would come from marketing.

This just seems to be exactly the same as all the other comments from Alton Towers employees for the last few weeks, which is basically they don't know when it's going to open. It's just been said in a different way.

 

[TheMan]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

I'm suprised it took so long for them to announce the delays. Maybe the forcast for this weekend forced their hand? They'll likely struggle to make up any lost time now...

Yeah agree, seems they may have been right on the precipice of having enough time left, but this forecast and maybe the weather this week, has slowed it down enough for them to now know it wont be open.

Annoying as it is, mid January is decent enough time to be informed in fairness. Rather know now than a week before.

I just hope they don't start backing off the intensity now they have taken the pressure off with an open timed date!

I think however it is poor form to not let people know some details as to why though, you could add easily to that - the weather has created unexpected problems, there have been slight unexpected delays in construction.

Just leaving it as such an open ended answer, I cannot really agree with that from our flagship park sorry, and no one will change my opinions on that.

Come AT, you are better than this, really.

EDIT:

It's not really an announcement of a delay though, any delay announcement would come from marketing.

This just seems to be exactly the same as all the other comments from Alton Towers employees for the last few weeks, which is basically they don't know when it's going to open. It's just been said in a different way.

Though I respect the teams knowledge and information here, no question, this is delay announcement.

No two ways about it. Before word coming out was they were still aiming for opening DAY, not "early part of the season".

That can be weeks after.

 

[Alastair]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

I agree that it hasn't officially been delayed yet until they finally provide these much lauded "website updates." It hardly sounds promising though when they can only say "the early part of the season." That's about as vague as you can get.

 

[TheMan]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

I agree that it hasn't officially been delayed yet until they finally provide these much lauded "website updates." It hardly sounds promising though when they can only say "the early part of the season." That's about as vague as you can get.

This is why it is an open ended delay announcement.

If this is official it is silly. Makes them sound completely disorganised, and I actually doubt that is the source of the problems.

Sort it out Towers, stop dilly dallying around and firm this up.

EDIT:

I don't even care if they "spin" the reasons a bit, just don't leave it so they appear so half arsed about it! I really don't think this is the case, but there doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency, or recognition of issues - we all know they can happen.

 

[Wilsy]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

It's not really an announcement of a delay though, any delay announcement would come from marketing.

This just seems to be exactly the same as all the other comments from Alton Towers employees for the last few weeks, which is basically they don't know when it's going to open. It's just been said in a different way.

Though I respect the teams knowledge and information here, no question, this is delay announcement.

No two ways about it. Before word coming out was they were still aiming for opening DAY, not "early part of the season".

That can be weeks after.

I'm not denying that there isn't a delay, it seems clear to me that there is.

But this isn't the much awaited delay announcement, it's someone from Guest Services not comitting to anything and basically saying don't expect it to open in the first few weeks.

It's in Guest Services interests to air on the side of caution so less complaints are made at the start of the season when the ride isn't open.

 

[Poisson]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

The forecast is a convenient get out clause to the public........

 

[TheMan]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

It's not really an announcement of a delay though, any delay announcement would come from marketing.

This just seems to be exactly the same as all the other comments from Alton Towers employees for the last few weeks, which is basically they don't know when it's going to open. It's just been said in a different way.

Though I respect the teams knowledge and information here, no question, this is delay announcement.

No two ways about it. Before word coming out was they were still aiming for opening DAY, not "early part of the season".

That can be weeks after.

I'm not denying that there isn't a delay, it seems clear to me that there is.

But this isn't the much awaited delay announcement, it's someone from Guest Services not comitting to anything and basically saying don't expect it to open in the first few weeks.

It's in Guest Services interests to air on the side of caution so less complaints are made at the start of the season when the ride isn't open.

Yes I agree with that actually Wilsy, but it still is ludicrous. Again I doubt this is true, at least I hope it isn't, but there doesn't seem to be anyone grabbing this by the scruff of the neck and being definitive. Even if definitive is that they don't know due to unexpected occurrences.

I could give a better statement than that in 2 minutes without even knowing the facts like they most likely do.

This is not of the standard of a park that is supposed to set new standards and raise the bar.

 

[Trixico]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

The forecast is a convenient get out clause to the public........

Yeah, even though they were supposedly two weeks behind long before the bad weather started.... ???

 

[James]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Why are RideRater 'reporting' regurgitated information we knew ages ago? They have literally just repeated what most of the community has known for over a week. :

 

[Tom]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Why are RideRater 'reporting' regurgitated information we knew ages ago? They have literally just repeated what most of the community has known for over a week. :

There is a quote from the park which is in a different light to other official lines they have given over the past week or so. It is now the official line being given to guests inquiring about the new ride's opening date, and that line has only recently changed.

Even if this were know by people here for over a week, the objective of the website is not to provide news to this community and no one else.

 

[Nemesis94]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Actually it says:

...64 people per ride.

so this could still mean 4 active cars & 2 loading? I think the track is too long to have only 4 trains - 6 would be about right.

I agree with your throughput calculations however.

Yes, I'm sure the defining factor in throughput will be the actual capacity of the ride and not limited by how many trains they've bought, that would be madness.

If, and it's a big if, the recreations turn out to be bang on with maximum section time between break runs being 30 seconds then that is the defining factor. So the 32 people can leave the station every minute, once the block in front has cleared, giving a theoretic throughput of 1920. Of course in reality one train entering a section the exact moment the one in front clears the breaks ain't ever gonna happen consistently, although if the duelling aspect is happening it should be fairly tightly timed.

I actually think four trains sounds about right for SW7 (it is equivalent to eight Euro-fighter cars - the same number as Saw). One in the station, one pre first lift-hill, and two on the duelling sections. At a push I would say this could handle five (one waiting to enter the station), but any more would probably lead to the cars queuing up at each block section.

Plus four trains would have a combined capacity of 64, which is the same as Nemesis's two trains combined (64), and more than Rita's two combined (40) and more than Th13teen's three combined (60).

Air has three (84), but this is only due to the long load/unload times for flying-coaster trains. Oblivion is the oddball in that has the insane train count of seven shuttles with combined capacity of 112. This is far more than it needs (and only ever uses six (96)) and just leads to the aforementioned queuing of trains around the track. It would probably have as high a capacity with five shuttles, but six are used so that they can work in pairs and probably to make the control systems easier.

By the way. Revised calculation for six trains gives a through-put of approximately 1,650pph.
For five trains it is approximately 1,370pph.

Both account for 45 seconds to load/unload a train, and are reliant on the 165 second ride time being accurate.

 

[Wilsy]

Re: [SW7] Construction Updates and Ride Speculation

Oblivion needs 6 because of the time it takes for a shuttle to go from service brake to the station, with the ride only running 5 shuttles it sometimes means you are waiting for one of the shuttles to come around the corner into the station

Won't the trains be dispatching in pairs on SW7, so it maintains the potential dueling aspect?