Hersheypark (HP) Discussion Thread

[Ccron10]

The footers are all in! They also added the roof to the photo booth and Whack-A-Mole (which is red), added curbing to Comet Hollow, bricks to the photo booth, stair framework for the queue and exit, and some decorative bricks near the future queue.

http://keystonethrills.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/hersheypark-offseasonskyrush-construction-update-97-31612/

Done!

Remember this from last May?

[eddie200330]

^My guess is that it's not on the list of rides for Spring Time in the Park because they're waiting for the new trains.

 

 

Springtime in the Park is less than two weeks away, it's not gonna be up and running even if the trains aren't on the track by now.

 

Don't forget it is also getting a new paint job that looks really sharp by the way. So even if there were trains on site, they wouldn't be able to cycle them for testing.

[Synshine]

^My guess is that it's not on the list of rides for Spring Time in the Park because they're waiting for the new trains.

 

 

Springtime in the Park is less than two weeks away, it's not gonna be up and running even if the trains aren't on the track by now.

 

Don't forget it is also getting a new paint job that looks really sharp by the way. So even if there were trains on site, they wouldn't be able to cycle them for testing.

 

Right!

 

And Comet Hollow is not gonna be buttoned up in time either.

[TXman308]

Are they ever going to paint those two yellow supports on the lift hill? Or have they just not gotten to it yet?

[Ccron10]

Photo taken by Kim from the Project 2012 group:

_____

New Update! The station is starting to look awesome!

http://keystonethrills.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/hersheypark-skyrush-construction-update-98-31912/

[A.J.]

This photo - "I'm having the strangest feeling that we're being watched and photographed."

[nagro5]

Gah, I'm ready for the track to be completed so they can start testing this thing!

[mikehaggar]

i think this thing looks great and i can't wait to ride it! on a side note, is it just me or does the new path that will let you walk along the creek seem kind of narrow? i'm judging based on the gravel that has already been laid. any chance it's going to be wider than that?

[Oryp]

I was thinking the same thing. However, since it will simply be another way into and out of Comet Hollow, I don't think there will be too much traffic on it (except this year because of Skyrush).

 

Oryp

[OCJ48]

How long is that last edge going to take? It's been somewhere around 3 weeks since the rest of the track was finished...

[swiver]

Concrete takes 28 days to cure. So if three weeks have passed, one week left!

[mikehaggar]

I was thinking the same thing. However, since it will simply be another way into and out of Comet Hollow, I don't think there will be too much traffic on it (except this year because of Skyrush).

 

Oryp

 

seems like a major oversight to me. i think that path is going to be a clusterf**k this year. everyone is going to want to check that out. on the other hand, they don't have the room to put shops and food stands along there, so perhaps the plan is to encourage people to continue walking up the existing path past all of the shops and food stands...

[Moose]

Concrete takes 28 days to cure. So if three weeks have passed, one week left!

 

Not quite true. Most concrete design is based on a "28 day strength" but the actual time it takes it to reach that strength can be much less. Oftentimes they will break sample pieces poured at the same time to check the strength. I usually see concrete with a formal cure period of between 3 and 14 days.

[Ccron10]

Concrete takes 28 days to cure. So if three weeks have passed, one week left!

 

Not quite true. Most concrete design is based on a "28 day strength" but the actual time it takes it to reach that strength can be much less. Oftentimes they will break sample pieces poured at the same time to check the strength. I usually see concrete with a formal cure period of between 3 and 14 days.

There's a crane across from the construction entrance and some of the track and supports are now on flatbeds, so it might be soon.

____

 

The station railings for the stairs have been added, some decorative rockwork to the path, and Comet's station is starting to look even more unique.

http://keystonethrills.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/hersheypark-skyrush-construction-update-99-3-21-12/

[UrbanLegend]

Everything is coming together quite nicely! Is it just me, or is entering and exiting on the same side rather uncommon? I'm guessing they'd let guests unload and file through the exit, then airgates would open to let the next guests in. Might that cut into capacity a little bit? Also, what are the far right stairs going to be used for?

[B&MIntaminGCI]

In the second picture, does the turn go over the path, or does the path start before that, it just looks like with a train there and people walking it wouldn't have enough clearance...

 

but maybe it's bigger than it looks, there's nothing to put it into perspective.

[A.J.]

Three queues - one for entry, one for exit, and one for what? Will we be seeing a single-rider queue when this ride opens or something else?

 

Also, I hope that the pathway is open when the ride opens. That way, I won't have to sprint all the way around Music Box Way and Comet Hollow when I go and wait for the ride to open to the public on opening day!

[warfelg]

My guess on the three que lines would be (in the order from left to right as seen on picture):

Front Row / All Other Rows / Exit

 

In the second picture, does the turn go over the path, or does the path start before that, it just looks like with a train there and people walking it wouldn't have enough clearance...

 

but maybe it's bigger than it looks, there's nothing to put it into perspective.

 

There is plenty of space there. The track, supports, and footers are HUGE so everything looks big without any perspective. I would say there is about 15-20ft between the path and the track. And don't forget from looking at the pictures of the train, the rides feet won't dip below the track. These trains still sit 'above' the track, unlike B&M wing riders where the train is set up that the riders are sitting level with the box section.

 

I would also say that the path is likely 10 ft wide. Not over whelmingly huge, but big enough. Would have been shortsighted for HP to make it really big for this one year because of crowds, then having waisted space in the future. Can't wait to see all the plantings in those areas.

 

On a side note: Looks like they are making a path on the close side of the creek too. Wonder if that would ever be public access of just maintenance only...

[mikehaggar]

i really want to get inside the park so i can get a better idea of how big the path is. i keep thinking it's too narrow, but then i also consider that it's hard to tell the exact size of it from outside the part. i also never go over to the site when the construction guys are there, so i never see anyone on the actual path for reference.

 

i'm thinking the path on the other side of the creek is going to be maintenance only. it also seems much wider than the public path (but maybe that's a matter of perspective) which is very strange to me. i think it would have been fairly easy for them to bring the creek wall in (towards the center of the creek) another 10 feet and have the path be much wider, but i'm not an engineer so...

 

lastly, just want to say thanks to Ccron10 for all of the photo updates. i live in town in hershey and go down to the site on a regular basis, but still enjoy seeing your pics. if i ever see a guy with a camera while i'm at the site, i'll be sure to chat him up and find out if it's you

[Ccron10]

Turns out that they are currently installing the second to last track piece. I'll stop over on my way home to do a brief update!

Taken by Walt on the Project 2012 group.

[chickenbowl]

Yes! This is awesome. Congrats to everyone involved in building this huge coaster.

[Gigalyte]

Look like the very last piece will be installed tomorrow can't wait to see the first test run on this gorgeous Intamin Hyper

[sammmmmy]

Love that support!

[Tanks4me05]

Hmmmm... the entrance and exit on the same side will probably cause an increase in traffic under normal circumstances and station configurations, however, I can't see the station in itself, so hopefully they didn't have to compromise with the ability to move in the station thanks to a lack of space on the other side of the station.

 

^^I think seeing the last piece of track being put into place will be a very nice birthday present for me if it does actually get put in tomorrow.

[Ccron10]

One piece of track to go!

Panorama! I'll try to squeeze in an update for tomorrow. We might see the track completed!