The Swarm: Brave it Backwards

[Secret Weapon]

Apologies for creating an entirely new thread just for this, but I'm not sure where else to post it (besides the general Thorpe Park thread?).

I never got to ride The Swarm when it featured backward-facing rows, so I had a few questions that I was hoping that the forum members might be able to help me with:-

1) How did the queueing system work for 'Brave it Backwards'? Did riders join the same initial queue as the front-facing queue and then split at some point, or was there an entirely different entrance? Looking at some of the POV videos on YouTube, it seems that there might be people queuing in what is now the exit area (e.g. youtube.com/watch?v=cYU8BTQ4-o4), so was this used as the entrance for the backwards rows? I am struggling to visualise how this worked, because The Swarm is unusual due to having separate queues for the left and right sides, so how were riders funnelled to both sides of the track? It also doesn't help that the exit section is at the front of the train rather than the rear...

I can see another photograph online in which the staircase on the far (left) side seems to be split into backwards and forwards sections (themeparkguide.co.uk/sites/default/files/styles/tpg_copyright_photos/public/2019-02/dscn0307.jpg), but I am unsure how people would have entered into the backwards section to begin with?

2) How did the on-screen photography work for the backwards rows? Was there a second camera (facing the opposite direction) which took the photographs for these rows? Or were photographs unavailable for these rows? Or did the regular front-facing camera simply take photographs of the backs of people's heads (similar to riders of Enso at Blackpool Pleasure Beach)?

3) Does anybody know why the backwards-facing rows were turned forwards again in 2016? I have heard some people say that it was due to low demand and/or the logistical difficulty of featuring multiple queues (hence why some single-rider queues were removed around the same time?), but other people said that the 'real' reason was due to concerns following the Smiler crash in 2015 that riders' legs at the rear would be completely exposed and vulnerable if there was ever another collision?

4) Was it a fun experience, and were people disappointed when it was removed? Some people said that the backwards rows were worse because of the inability to see the 'near-miss' elements approaching, but - personally - these don't have much of an effect on me anyway (especially after having ridden it once) because I never sense that they pose any real danger.

Apologies for the long questions, and many thanks in advance for any help that anybody can provide!

(P.S. Not a question, but just a comment: according to "Making Thorpe Park", the reason why the backwards rows were introduced in the first place was because Merlin was disappointed that The Swarm had failed to attract enough new visitors in 2012, and so - according to John Wardley - Merlin made the 'desperate' decision to introduce backwards-facing rows in 2013)

 

[Katy]

I think the queue near the exit you see is the dreaded extended part of the main queue. From what I can remember, and I may be remembering things incorrectly, you entered at the main entrance. I think one of the queue lines (probably the current RAP one) was designated for backwards, which got you to the merge point where you were handed a ticket (see the "ticket holders only" signs), then you went in the main queue within the station, sticking to the left (or right) hand side of the path to access the backwards rows (as per the photo of the stairs you linked)

I don't particularly remember the tickets, I think they dropped using them at some point and you just went in the main queue and picked your row. Or maybe this was just on quiet days, and peak days kept the separate queue and ticket thing. Again very fuzzy memory of this.

I did like the backwards rows as it provided a different experience, however the ride is designed around near-miss set pieces, which don't really work that well when you are not facing forwards.

 

[owenstreet7]

From what I remembered, we queued in the main queue and then opted for the back row to ride backwards.

I don't think there was a separate queue or paid ticket for it - similar to Mandrill Mayhem nowadays.

 

[John]

When it first opened there was a separate queue for the backwards rows, I'm pretty sure this predated RAP in its current form and the ride had only opened with main and fastrack entrances with wheelchair users using the exit to get to baggage. They had to butcher the main queue to make room for the backwards queue, permanently closing part of the section of queue in front of the station along with the dedicated front row queue prior to merge. If you used the queue for brave it backwards you'd be given a ticket at merge which you'd then hand to the batching host inside the station. In theory this made for a very slow moving queue but in reality no-one really cared about it and it was often shorter than main queue, essentially making it free fastrack.

The ticket system wasn't a new concept on the ride, the old front row queue worked the same way. Both systems seemed to work on the assumption that there wasn't enough space in the station to let people choose immediately prior to boarding but they eventually realised the system they'd created was needlessly complicated. By scrapping it, they could remove the need for 2 batching staff so the separate "brave it backwards" entrance closed and you could just choose your row (and direction of travel) once in the station.

There is still a "brave it backwards" sign above the door into the ride workshop. It's not normally in guest view but I think it can be seen from the path to Survival Games

 

[Secret Weapon]

Thanks for the replies. I think I was getting a bit confused by some of the videos on YouTube, as Theme Park Worldwide's video seems to show an entirely separate entrance (youtu.be/87RNxZOOHNc?t=15 at the 15-second mark, and a notice-board at the 20-second mark), and another video has a photograph of the old queue board (youtu.be/C4OjcCzw6fg?t=300 at the 5-minute mark), which shows separate queue times for the front and back sections - although this doesn't necessarily indicate two separate entrances.

I'd imagine that the queue for the backwards section on the right-side of the track might have been quite cramped if it had been split into two!

I haven't been able to find any images of the on-ride photography for the back rows, although Theme Park Worldwide's video seems to show two flashes (youtu.be/87RNxZOOHNc?t=70 around the 1:10 mark), so maybe one was for the front rows, and the other was for the back rows? I think that I can only see one camera, though, so maybe it was simply for different sections of the train (I'm not sure)

 

[pluk]

- as said, it was a separate queue until merge/baggage point at where a ticket was issued to ride those seats once in the station.

- I can't recall what they did with the photos, as I don't remeber them there's a chance they didn't take any?

- I don't know that the reason for turning them back was ever given by the park, but it 100% had nothing to do with any concerns about a collision. The ride is completely designed not to collide, not for damage limitation if it does! In any case, seats facing front or back the ride would contact at the train body at the tracks not the seats.
IIRC it was always going to be a limited time change amd was promoted as such on opening. I guess the ticketing faff fed into that decision. I think there was also an issue of noone wanting the second to back row after waiting extra time so it was hitting capacity overall when those seats went empty. As always with these things I don't think there was 'a' reason, it was just the best thing to do taking everything into consideration.

- as for the ride experience, as always it's subjective. For me the backwards seats felt inexplicably forceless. The physics don't make sense to me as to why that would be the case, but there you go, it's what I felt. Forwards I find the back seats really quite intense, especially the station flyover, possibly the most intense (although unsustained) coaster moment in the country, backwards it was a nothing.
Overall I'm glad to have tried it, but I'm more glad that back seat is back to its best again.