Cerberus

That new pylon, is it between two of the taller ones? Because that'd mean it is going to support the bottom dip on that main drop... Har har, their stupid self-supporting, flexible track turned out to be as useless as it looked on paper. I bet the flexibility of the track just absorbed all the momentum of the carts, thus the valleying. Same reason you can't have a suspended coaster that swings back and forth. I too am disappointed this is staying

Don't the SaS air launchers do something completely ridiculous like 100mph in 1.5 seconds? I think those are the quickest. The human body could take a great deal more (5G launch), so long as the force isn't sustained (Which it wouldn't be. A launch that quick would reach any speed desired in a split second). But it certainly wouldn't feel comfortable and would no doubt cause endless, horrible problems for the mechanical system used. I seriously doubt Thorpe Park changed anything, to be honest. It's just a really clever marketing idea to get an extra year of "newness" from their installation... "Hey Fred, have you ridden Stealth?" "Yeah! I went last year" "But now its faster. It's like, so much better" "Oh..." Fred then feels like his achievement of riding Stealth has been beaten and returns to the park to reclaim the bragging rights

UV paint on the track would be pretty sweet! Especially if they left segments unpainted so it looked like the track has pieces missing The more I hear rumours about "No Way Out" getting a retheme, the more I start to imagine the worst. I can't help but doubt we'll get anything more than a few cheap lights and a more permanent audio track. Hopefully it'll be done in a good way, like Bobbejaanland's "Revolution" Bonus points if they use the on-board audio delivery system this time!

The type of polyurethane used on coasters is an elastic type. But it doesn't matter- plastic, rubber, polymer (if you want to be so specific) will all deform with their share of a coaster vehicles weight resting on the same four square inches. Many coaster trains are left sitting around for weeks, if not months. Most parks that run one-train operation (when the other trains aren't out of action for a legit maintenance reason) leave the second train on a transfer track. Other parks might have a spare train, again spending most of its time in one place. It would do considerably more harm than if it were running. The whole point I'm making is that it gets worn in a single place, causing an inconsistency in the wheel surface. Trains running normally will wear down their rubbers equally, because the whole surface of the wheel is being used to the same extent.

Yes there is: http://www.mouseplanet.com/kkrock/figure2-4.jpg And yes, leaving a train in place for months will cause the track-touching part of the wheel to distort slightly. Then running on those wheels would cause a tiny bump each time it rotated. Spin those wheels at high RPM when the coaster is travelling fast and those unnoticeable bumps will quickly become a Constant vibration. Whether or not this is what causes the problem the plagues some of the BaM sitdown coasters I don't know, but it does happen. Question about the magnetic brakes- Am I right in thinking they were first put to use on Intamin Ride Trade freefall rides?

The Incredible Hulk does this too, even worse than Scream. It makes the middle part of the ride horrible. I thought it was to do with the rubber of the wheels developing flat spots where the train had been parked for extended periods. Say if, only one train was being used for a few months during the empty season, the other would sit on it's load wheels and exert a constant pressure on one side of them. I'm fairly certain that would cause them to deform and then run with an annoying vibration later. As for magnetic brakes- those are pure genius. Hopefully they wont become a popular option for trim brakes though. A park unwilling to invest and maintain mechanical trim brakes might finally be convinced to install simple magnetic ones.

In terms of feeling secure, that'd be those newfangled Maurer X-Car lapbars. They feel like you've had everything below your waist encased in concrete and bolted down to the platform of the ride vehicle. But they are simply the worst restraints I've ever had the displeasure of having touched me. Having a giant wedge of heavy rubber creep ever further under your ribcage throughout the duration of an already uncomfortable ride is pretty miserable. It’s like getting a lapdance from a really fat chick who’s still eating and putting on weight as she sits there! So in the trade-off of security and comfort, SaS get my vote. Their new lapbars with two points of locking movement are wonderful. Flop it over your lap and make the fine adjustments by sliding it in and out. They need to tighten them up a tad though. They tend to have an inch or two of "give" which is kinda unnerving

The best part about those slides is the acoustics. Long hollow tubes that empty out into a hangar-sized hollow room... EVERYONE hears what you have to say, and a lot of people curse in shock as they ride

This is clearly misuse of company equipment

Every year for about six years, people have been saying it'll get a retheme. And every year for the past four years, it has received weird home disco junk from Maplin. ...Possibly as a private investment from the ride team. ...Possibly as a sarcastic nod to how tacky the attraction is Frankly I'm past caring myself. I wouldn't even mind if the ride stayed as it is, since I never actually hated it. They can't make it worse and they can't make it better, so bring it on

Because purchasing cheaper ride hardware would leave a higher percentage of a budget for theming

Don't forget the full row articulation of the trains. Another Intamin rarity. Looks like fun. I assume there’s a second boost of speed after the first turn and before the loop?

Holy cow! Your photos are easily the most professional and exciting I've ever seen! Great job! Got any more? Or, even these ones in wallpaper size?

Wow, I didn't actually realise how much that place had to offer. Shows how much a generalised name can put me off doing my research I guess! Will have to visit some time now Oh, and does anybody know who makes that dodgy drop ride? Judging by the photos it appears to operate by lifting the cart via CHAIN lift and then tugging it out of the way by hydraulics to perform the drop. Hmmm.

You wouldn't think the coaster was that old by looking at it. The trains are pristine! They certainly know how to look after their rides there.

Oh god, a vertical launch with both gravity AND acceleration forcing the 300lb rubber slab of death under your rib cage?! Those restraints are by far the worst I've ever used, and what makes it worse it how they advertised them as the wonderful, revolutionary thing that makes this ride worth installing. There's no point in having "unobtrusive" lapbar restraints if they just feel like having your lower body encased in concrete. I'd much rather have the over-shoulder system and be allowed to move/breath. Horrible, horrible gimmick coaster. Please invest the launch research time into one of their decent products, like the spinning coaster!

If the release breaks, you lower them on the motor. If the motor breaks, you drop the vehicle. If everything breaks at the same time, you cut around the base of the tower and push it over into a pile of awaiting mattresses.

How did you get so close to it? I've never seen any other photos taken from practically right under the tophat. Awesome. Great shots. It's a really photogenic ride.

Hmmm. I dunno. It's disappointing to loose another coaster, but to be totally honest it really wasn't special in any way. It's kinda the weakest of the classic bunch. I usually enjoy the old classic woodies hugely, but the Cyclone just didn't offer much at all. Pity though. I'll be bummed about the wild mouse one though. Those skitty little woodies are very unique.

All the trip reports I've read say the exact same thing. Plus all the photos show pretty meagre crowds. Aren't the other parks in Spain also doing badly right now? With the exception of the Port Aventura. I'm sure I've heard Terra Miticca has a pretty lousy public response. And it seems to be in a perfect location too!

When people have a postcount as low as 15, It can generally be assumed that they don't have much to loose by being laughed off the forum for lies... If anyone is going bankrupt, it's got to be Premiere. They barely do anything and their forte (LIM launch) is old technology that's been surpassed by other companies!

I still think they should have gone to Mack for proven technology. Or heck, even Intamin- who they've gone to for a rescue -provide their very own tried and tested type of water coaster! Sorry, but if you're putting THAT much effort and THAT much money into producing a stunning attraction, you shouldn't cheap out and take risks with the key hardware I like the part in someone's post above where they said, "I was going to go this year but went to Phantasialand instead". That's a perfect example of how most people are going to react to this fudge up and exactly why the park are going to loose out big time on what should have otherwise been their big draw.

Maintains have massive visual impact. They are big, dominating things that look impressive. They also happen to be able contain hundreds of yards of ride steel really well too.

Simplified to highlight how you totally killed your own argument

It really bugs me that a quality company that builds structurally perfect, innovative and decent rides goes bankrupt and Fabbri are STILL going fine selling cheap rippoffs I personally hope they pair off with KMG. That would create quite possibly the most awesome flatride company in history.... KHUSSMG... hmmm...