Wes Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 When you can't fill pages upon pages with washing machine speculation, the thread dries up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 ^ Hmm, come to think of it, maybe that's why they didn't install one? It must be very expensive to wash clothes in the UK. Screw Africa and its need for clean water sources in impoverished countries. It's time to refocus our efforts, people. The UK needs affordable washing machines and more LSM launches! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPDave Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 These parks thrive off of that kind of hype though. It's not nice but you shouldn't be surprised! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejenkins1 Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 So I do have a question. Why all the prehype about the building? All it has is a simple roll over (jo jo roll). And was all the story of the room where you would be turned upside down just more hype ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anything Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 The rotating track piece was pure fabrication that a website reported and ended up with egg on its face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayTheGForceBeWithYou Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 ^^The "washing machine" was theorized by a website since the initial plans approved appeared to have 8 inversions instead of the advertised 14. Someone came up with the element to try and see if Alton Towers would use that to boost the loops to 14. When the altered plans were shown to actually contain the 14 loops, the "washing machine" was largely dismissed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear92 Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 Overhyped, gimmicky, "two Eurofighters bolted together" or otherwise, this is an absolutely fantastic coaster that Alton has needed for many years. Feel free to dislike it for your own reasons, but I simply cannot get enough of it and all the other new coasters I've ridden since (including Blue Fire, Expedition GeForce, and Black Mamba) have been way underwhelming in comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejenkins1 Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 So the hype with the station and hiding it in pictures was standard Alton Towers marketing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loefet Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 In a section talking about Vekoma's new Hydraulic launch system on Toverlands Booster Bike and why they developed it, they talk about the difference in costs between running the two different launches. Two megawatts of electricity, we are talking hundreds of thousands of pounds a year in the UK. "After the magnetic LIM and LSM launches the future will definately belong to the hydraulic power units: "There are no costly power supply lines or transverters needed for this system, and the handling is quite easy", Nijsen points out. "While our LSM coaster at Six Flags Holland reaches a peak demand of more than two megawatts, the pump system of the Booster Bike only needs 140KW, which is less than a tenth." http://www.coastersandmore.de/rides/boosterbike/boosterbike_e.shtml Well the launch technology have advanced a lot since then, that article were written almost 10 years ago. Most (if not all) LSM/LIM launches today use some kind of energy storage system, whether it's a flywheel, hydraulic system, super-capacitor or other doesn't matter, the thing is that an LSM coaster can load the electric grid in the same fashion as a pure hydraulic system does. So power usage isn't an issue for magnetic launches any more, even in Ye Olde England. And the best thing by using LSM units is that it's now even possible to regain the power from brakes, which can be used for the next launch. Freishütz in Bayern Park were the first coaster that have energy recovery for any coaster, which will lower the power requirement by 30% roughly compared to a similar launch coaster without the system. These things give the LSM technology an edge compared to hydraulic launched coasters in my opinion. So I don't really see why there haven't been any magnetic launched coasters in the UK, since there is potential to get a more energy efficient launcher that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalCoasters Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 So the hype with the station and hiding it in pictures was standard Alton Towers marketing? Merlin has one of the cleverest marketing departments in any amusement company. When they saw the rumor about the rotating track piece and how much hype it was generating without their involvement, a simple picture of the ride with the area in question omitted was like a spark to a keg of dynamite. It was a brilliant move that gave them a lot of free advertising and public awareness than they would have otherwise had. They let that hype run its course and then die down far before the opening. Stunts like the sheep and posters were soon talked about instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jray21 Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 ^^The "washing machine" was theorized by a website since the initial plans approved appeared to have 8 inversions instead of the advertised 14. Someone came up with the element to try and see if Alton Towers would use that to boost the loops to 14. When the altered plans were shown to actually contain the 14 loops, the "washing machine" was largely dismissed. That's pretty funny. Some random person/group says there will be a washing machine feature, and every buys it and talks about it like it's a fact. Gotta love the theme park fans! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDG Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 (edited) Ouch. People are tweeting that "a bolt flew out of the track" this morning and now the track isn't connected anymore. Adam Jones @Adamjnes 14mQueuing for the smiler then a bolt sheared off the cart and smashed the metal above everyone #finaldestination Anthony @ant_mellor 32mBit scared after seeing this as the reason #TheSmiler has stopped! @altontowers pic.twitter.com/R6A891QLzI jamie davies @rock_the_fair 38mOMFG some piece of metal just came off #thesmiler @Altontowers !!!!! Don't make them like they used to!! :-/ Charandeep Singh @CharandeepS1ngh 41mWaiting for the Smiler ride and just heard a metal pole clunk off the tracks at @altontowers! #unexpected #SikhYourSummer Edited July 21, 2013 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TyRush Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Oh wow! Thats crazy, but didnt they force a piece into position? Hopefully it gets fixed and up and running soon Worst weekend for amusement park history? Or close? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMMYD778 Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Strangely enough, this bolt flying off has occurred on a join of track which is the entry to the first dive loop. This area fit perfectly together as far as we know and the troublesome join areas are still fine. Very strange indeed and yes, a very bad weekend for the parks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
australianalex Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Jeez, July 2013 is the Themeparkpocalypse it seems. Not to mention that this is the second blow to Gerstlauer's reputation in 2 days, although unlike with the Texas Giant incident this is definitely a fault in engineering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 ^There really is no way for you to tell you if it is an engineering problem. It may have been an installation issue or even a material issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anything Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Out of operation indefinitely. Possibly re-tracking surely. They've bodged this constantly from the start and its about time they bit the dust and reprofiled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacoaster09 Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 COME ON GERSTLAUER!!!!!....Seriously Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Guys, bolts pop on steel rides from time to time, it happens. If more than one pops, they replace all of them on the flange, if its just one, they replace it, check the others, good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorkscrewFoley Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 ^A voice of reason, thank you Chad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernierocker Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Out of operation indefinitely. Possibly re-tracking surely. They've bodged this constantly from the start and its about time they bit the dust and reprofiled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Guys, bolts pop on steel rides from time to time, it happens. If more than one pops, they replace all of them on the flange, if its just one, they replace it, check the others, good to go. Yes, a similar accident happened on Volcano at Kings Dominion a few years ago. But they fixed the problem and operated the ride for the rest of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailisun98 Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 3 amusement park incidents in a weekend. Wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 3 amusement park incidents in a weekend. Wow! As I mentioned in another thread, this isn't really a 'wow', this is a super busy weekend for the amusement industry, more people riding = more chances for incidents! It's like when people freak out that Disney has the most deaths of any park...that's cause they're open the most and have the highest attendance!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoopScreweD Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I think the "young man" may have returned to sabotage amusement parks again 37 years after his first spree... For those who have no Idea what I'm blathering about watch the movie rollercoaster (1976) on YouTube it's free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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