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X-Sector Developments (Including Oblivion)

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Adore the work done to resolve it and make it look like it's original standard.

However, what I hate is how they've used more durable paint on the track.. I far prefer the original idea, so that it needs to be painted every 2 seasons or so. Bloody lazy and useless imo, bloody merlin ;).

No, it looks amazing. It'll all last way longer than the original, there is absolutely nothing to moan about whatsoever on this front.
 
TheMan... Mention the one thing you won't mention which you haven't experienced before! I wanna know what it is now :p


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Oblivion looks good on the photos i have seen. ok they may of used plastic to repair the station, but I wonder if this was done to keep the station looking good for longer.

I believe that a small trade of will be beneficial in the long run, as the park has a tight maintenance budget. and by making building more durable will mean in the long run a better looking park for the same maintenance costs.
 
Well Blivvy as a ride looks nothing short of stunning :D

Bar one, the shuttles look really clean and tidy, and the track looks brilliant. There's one shuttle in particular that when you see going around it makes the whole ride look like it's brand new. The transformation is unbelievable :D

Some of the queueline buildings could do with the exterior cleaning up a bit (Namely the bunker, where ply is still showing around the edges), but due to its location it's one of those things you never really notice much, as you only really see the inside. But all in all the main feature, the ride, looks simply amazing.

Combined with the refurbed and cleaned Submission and Ents (Even if it didn't seem to want to play!) What we could see of X-Sector all looked fantastic. The rides all look clean and well presented, the paving is all neat and clean, and the new area they've created around the toilets is a much welcomed improvement. They've managed to open it up a lot more, and sort out those hidden entrances. They've even gone and planted new trees around Smiler's footers and supports :)

X-Sector has easily gone from the parks worst area to one of my favourites now. I'm blown away by how much it's changed. There are still one or two little bits I'd like to see them tackle (Namely the drop zone fencing. Jet wash the electrodes at the top, polish the supports up a bit, and either emery cloth, or just replace the save time, the steel cables), but given that the things which take center stage in the area all look so good you don't really notice. Just goes to show that 15 years on Oblivion still has the power to impact upon a whole area!

A massive well done to Towers and their teams :D

Of course though all this has a down side. Nemesis' station now looks nothing short of an eyesore. The comparison between the two headline attractions really opens your eyes to how bad they've let it get. It's become rotting. moss ridden, patchwork of rendering. I sincerely hope Towers and Merlin both spot this contrast and have the sense to give it the same treatment next closed season :(
 
I'm still surprised they got X-Sector open for the start of the season, hats off to everybody involved in this. The logistics of Smiler's construction around the dive loops and spider looked like it was going to take up the whole area for the cranes and the construction team.

And looking at aerial pictures taken just days before the season I can't begin to imagine how many hours must have been worked in the final few days to get the area not just open, but looking good too.

Great job to everybody involved. :)
 
Can someone confirm or deny if Alton have changed the lift chain on Oblivion? Yesterday it sounded so much more quiet and didn't not feel clunky at all! As for the rest? Fantastic!

The Smiler really doesn't get in the way of Oblivion imposing look, and with it being black now, twice as imposing!
(Also a big thanks for Towers for re-painting the little Oblivion logos on the supports again, the little things do make a big difference!) :)
 
I *think* that the clunking sound was always caused by the shuttles, rather than the lift itself. It's the sound of the anti-rollback dog falling into the teeth on the track. Oblivion is definitely quieter than before though. I imagine though it's the shuttles which have seen work as oppose to the lift itself.

One thing I can say though is the ride is much smoother than before. I found it to really glide around the track yesterday without any vibrations whatsoever. If you stand by the drop as well you'll notice that the shuttles and track don't bang and clang anymore when the come back into contact with the rails after the drop.

Something has certainly changed (for the better!) on the ride, but I'm pretty sure it's an effect of refurbishing all the shuttles :)
 
*massive yawn at moaners*
All the improvement work looks fabulous, and sorting out the back of the station in a way that is more sustainable is like...practical :)

Shame there's one shuttle which is clearly a bit poorly - was making a horrible noise :(
 
GAGrathea said:
*massive yawn at moaners*
All the improvement work looks fabulous, and sorting out the back of the station in a way that is more sustainable is like...practical :)

Shame there's one shuttle which is clearly a bit poorly - was making a horrible noise :(
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Probably the one with the manky restraints on it :(
 
TheMan said:
I also think The Smiler will be it's crazy, annoying, loud little brother - I have some gripes still over all, but it is nothing like I expected, and really brings some excitement back to the area. Even if I think there are mistakes with The Smiler, that can't be argued with and the positives far outweigh the negatives.
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Ah....I see.....

THE X SECTOR IS PREGNANT!!!

On a serious note, I really hope this has been done well as I am not going to see it until summer when The Smiler is finished. I want a shiny, loved new x sector so it can get the credit it deserves.
 
If it's smoother, I would imagine this is either an effect of the new paint or they have replaced all of the wheels on the shuttles, not just the ones that need replacing. :)
 
Noticed on Saturday that one of the piece of track leading off from the overbank turn and the bottom of the drop (can still be seen) hasn't been painted fully. Yeah, I am grateful that they have even bothered, but its such a shame - if you are going to do a job at least do it properly rather than half arsed. At least the station and some of the shuttles have had a proper sprucing up. Also, the misters were not working on Saturday. Maybe the water that goes to the misters isn't turned on yet as the line that goes to Oblivion will also be used on The Smiler?

Here is a picture of the drop track that is unpainted (haven't got one of the overbank turn section):

2e2e0ax.jpg
 
Rollercoasters4Life said:
Noticed on Saturday that one of the piece of track leading off from the overbank turn and the bottom of the drop (can still be seen) hasn't been painted fully. Yeah, I am grateful that they have even bothered, but its such a shame - if you are going to do a job at least do it properly rather than half arsed. At least the station and some of the shuttles have had a proper sprucing up. Also, the misters were not working on Saturday. Maybe the water that goes to the misters isn't turned on yet as the line that goes to Oblivion will also be used on The Smiler?

Here is a picture of the drop track that is unpainted (haven't got one of the overbank turn section):

2e2e0ax.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah I think that's an old picture, sure it was fully painted yesterday.
 
I'm sure it was... Me and Rob were looking down the hole, and I'm certain we'd have spotted something like that! :p
 
From TS News:

With the 2013 season now under way Alton Towers is once again a hive of activity, with hundreds of guests flocking to the park every day. However, as construction on the new roller coaster The Smiler continues, it appears that the park will need to compromise its ride opening times briefly to ensure construction can continue uninterrupted.

The £18 million project previously codenamed Secret Weapon 7 was initially intended to open in March, along with the rest of the park. This has since been pushed back to May to ensure there is enough time to complete the ride following delays in construction over Winter.

The Smiler is to be located on the area formerly home to the Black Hole tent in the X-Sector area of the park. So far guests who have visited the area will have been met by high fences to ensure the construction site remains safe and inaccessible to the pubic. However, both the Enterprise and Submission rides are in close proximity to the building work, and for this reason there shall be changes to these rides opening times.

A spokesperson for Alton Towers said:

“The health and safety of our guests, staff and contractors is of paramount importance to us. To ensure that we are not compromising it, we have taken the decision to delay the opening of Enterprise and Submission for the next few days to allow for the safe movement of vehicles and equipment on The Smiler site. Ride opening times will be reviewed on an on-going basis to minimise disruption, and Oblivion will remain unaffected.”

As of today (20th March 2013) both Submission and Enterprise will open at 12:00 noon, two hours after the rest of the park. This will allow the construction teams optimum access to the site and allow the assembly of The Smiler to continue at full speed. Whether these times will change over the coming weeks, and how long this new procedure shall be in place for remain unknown at this time, but we will keep you updated as and when we hear more.
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Just in-case anyone is planning a trip over the next few weeks :)
 
My heart bleeds.

Although it's deeply embarrassing that the park, not content with it being two months late at least, have made the decision after the season has already started, to keep rides closed to give them selves more time to not be even more late.
 
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