alton woodie, nearly a reality

as stated on towers times.co.uk

Alton Towers have announced that they have what are described as 'serious plans' for a long-awaited 'Megafobia style' wooden rollercoaster to be built at the park ready for the 2008 season.

In a post on the Crazy Gangs Rollercoasters & Rollercoaster Club of Great Britain (RCCGB) forum, Andy Hine MBE, Chairman of RCCGB, posted the following:

"In a world exclusive to the RCCGB, Alton Towers announced serious plans for a Megafobia style woodie to coincide with the Clubs [sic] 20th Anniversay [sic] in 2008.
The park will be need [sic] our help with the planning application so watch this space for details."

Persistent rumours have been circulating for some time about this possible coaster. The potential location of the coaster is not known at present, though Ug Land has been suggested.

Unconfirmed information, posted on the much-respected rideas forum, suggests that there will be more than one new ride for 2008 and that Alton Towers are determined to retain their UK's no. 1 theme park status.

"Apparently the park has realised that to be a good park they don't need to chase after world records or claims to fame. Instead they need to install good rides. They are in the very early stages of the woodie project, prior to the announcement only a handful of management knew about it. John Wardley will be involved but no manufacturer has yet been chosen. No location was mentioned and the only real fact stated was it would be on the scale of Megafobia. To go with the woodie they are also looking to install a Shoot the Chutes for the same season. Alton management have realised Thorpe Park is about to take the reigning title from them unless they do something about it. So the woodie project and others will hopefully return the magic to the park and return it to it's glory days of the 90's.
Alton are asking that people write to the council stating the benefits this project will have to the park and the local community i.e. Drawing more families who will spend more money etc."

Further details are likely to be available shortly.

does this mean alton towers is getting a woodie. i really hope so and i hope that it will be a GCI.

whats Megafobia size? sorry if this is a stupid question but u no, u have 2 lern somewhere.

ok they width of a vekoma slc and 3 times as long, roughly. i think its about 100 ft by 300 ft, dont quote me on that.

[coolbeans326]

So if all goes well, then yet another wonderful CCI will head over to the UK, eh? Oh wait, I forgot, it won't be a wonder CCI, it will be an even better GG[:)]
Hopefully all goes well with Alton's plans.

Someone needs to remove this, it was posted 1st but oh well...

http://www.coastercrazy.com/forum/topic.a ... C_ID=13493

[coolbeans326]

^ far to early to put it in the construction. Especially seeing as how construction is no where ready.

Too bad they didn't get to build that woodie they where trying to a few years ago. I'm realy hoping for an intamin or a gci this time.

Hopefully Alton will prove that they can produce quailty rides again with this thing. IMO they haven't installed a good coaster that used it potential since nemesis and Oblivion. Those two rides used their potential to creat great coasters, While AIR is just diseapointing. Ok it wasn't ment as a thrill ride, but that doesn't mean that you can't give it a cool theme, or atleast avoid having boring concrete tunnels. Spinnball Whizzer I'm sure is a fun spinner, but is totally overshadowed by Dragon's Fury. And Rita could have been so much more if it had been thought through and not just placed wherever they could fit it. As far as I heard it was a designed they took over from another park. If they had just taken time to design a custom coaster, with some very low to the ground elements, some trenches and tunnels and made it a bit longer, it would have been a world class ride like nemesis. But in stead, I believe because they got a new management in that period, they choosed to rush it so they could have the first rocket coaster in europe. Seems to be Alton has been making a lot of bad choices the last years, so hopefully this will be a move in the right direction.[/rant]

Originally posted by Nosferatu



Hopefully Alton will prove that they can produce quailty rides again with this thing. IMO they haven't installed a good coaster that used it potential since nemesis and Oblivion. Those two rides used their potential to creat great coasters, While AIR is just diseapointing. Ok it wasn't ment as a thrill ride, but that doesn't mean that you can't give it a cool theme, or atleast avoid having boring concrete tunnels. Spinnball Whizzer I'm sure is a fun spinner, but is totally overshadowed by Dragon's Fury. And Rita could have been so much more if it had been thought through and not just placed wherever they could fit it. As far as I heard it was a designed they took over from another park. If they had just taken time to design a custom coaster, with some very low to the ground elements, some trenches and tunnels and made it a bit longer, it would have been a world class ride like nemesis. But in stead, I believe because they got a new management in that period, they choosed to rush it so they could have the first rocket coaster in europe. Seems to be Alton has been making a lot of bad choices the last years, so hopefully this will be a move in the right direction.[/rant]

youve made some good points here. rita was taken from another park but was offered to alton towers as a cut price coaster cuz the other park couldent afford to progress. i personally think rita is a great ride as all other launch coasters are tall and massive where rita is low and fast with some real good G's. air is the most out of place coaster ive ever seen and i think it will be demolished for somthing else before nemesis or oblivion.

this woodie will have to be a real party piece. i do hope its going to use the terrain and the limited tree removel will really add somthing special

A Voyage style ride down the valley would be a great experience.

http://www.towerstimes.co.uk/history/plans/index.htm

Heres the old plans for the coaster.

Thanks Gazag, Shame these are the old plans because it looks awsome
V

no mate, there thae plans which were rejected. this is a new atempt with new plans not yet seen

I don't quite understand; say it plain 'n simple, Is it happenin or not?

its more towards happeing than not, but they are having a woodie and are determined to have one but what as yet isnt decided. i know its comfusing but go with it

Yeah, i read this. With an extreme concern that its another rumor.
GCI's are far from quiet lets not forget, and the [r] villiage of Alton are always a bitch about noise, and i dont know why. All them free tickets they get!!!
But really. After the Gloomy Wood/Vekoma Motocoaster plans, i lost all hope and began to think "will Alton Towers ever get a new coaster"?
Maybe some day. When Alton burns in a firey pit of death maybe.
And then we can start building some nice altitude coasters.
Untill then, and this somewhat firey pit of death.
Going to be a lot more re-riding i tell thee.

Anyone have pics of the area this is planned or where it could go because it looks as they are running out of room?

Probably going to snake around the edges of the valley or maybe actually go down into it ruining all those lovely plants. My mum will be annoyed. hehe

Yes they are running out of room which is a good thing because it pressures them into creating more inovative ideas [:)].

Itll be an Intamin if anything. They are super quiet, easy to maintain and run insane. Look at Balder and el Toro. How could you not want that?

Heck, Ill be the first in line with gallons of gasoline and a match if they ever decide to raze Mean Streak. Ill also be the first with multiple options of an Intamin woodie for its place.



Its really the only logical answer. TGG and GCI are too traditional and too loud. Intamins have the cable lift (no noise) and the way its made and using the poly wheels, its more quiet than most steel rides.

The only place where a coaster like Balder wouldn't raise above the trees and be visable from outside the park is in the Gardens.
And im sure they are under national trust or something so that wont be possible.
A coaster like El Toro, be realistic man.
Its hard for a theme park 'without' height restrictions to install a coaster of Toro's size (excuse the sarcasm)
im thinking a GCI twister in UgLand if anything.

Are you that thick ecg? Just because I mention Balder and El Toro doesnt mean I mean it needs to be as high. Im very aware of the restrictions, come on now.

I was speaking purely on their quiteness and awesomeness. GCI's are way too loud and FYI - GCI's are normally around 90 to 110ft tall. Balder is 117. Not much difference.

[hyyyper]

^you can fill the supports with sand to make the coaster more quiet, lol

I personally think they'll go for a gci, perhaps with other wheels or track to get the sound down

Originally posted by hyyyper

^you can fill the supports with sand to make the coaster more quiet, lol

I personally think they'll go for a gci, perhaps with other wheels or track to get the sound down

Wont happen. The systems are far too different. Intamins track not only is prefabbed but doesnt use the same kind of steel rails. Its some kind of alloy or something. Then on top of that it uses poly wheels because there is no play because of the prefab construction. GCI's and TGG's are traditionally setup and thus they shimmy and shake because they arent glued to the track like the Intamins.


A GCI is possible, but because of Intamins quietness I really think its heavy in their favor.


And dont say GCI is more twisted - they arent. Intamin has proved that.

Why GCI? I just dont get it. Intamins can be FAR more twisted than GCI.

I have to agree with Real Intamins are the only option especially if it's going to be placed in UG Land,This is extreemley close to Alton Village so the ride needs to be quiet.

I think they may go for Intamin because of all those reasons real, but then i can imagine John Wardley argueing AGAINST Intamin, because he has a real vision of what he wants, and i dont think Intamin will pull it off like he would want. I can imagine John Wardley wanting a pretty traditional woody, airtime, laterals, out of control feeling, shaking etc. IMO i think John Wardley would be in favour of Gravity Group, or GCI, while the rest would probably go for Intamin.

Real sorry, but Intamin really only shows up and down on there coasters really. GCI seems more of a family ride, and I can see a GCI around there. All they have to do is make some adjustments for noise, really no big deal. also Eltoro has alot of down time, cause of the cable lift. I say GCI will do will, and there coasters are reliable.

Intamins only go up and down? Balder has alot of turns...

Plus, they design what the park wants. You guys all forget that the Intamin woodies are designed and built JUST like steel coasters. They even behave much like steel rides. They are heartlined like steel as well but also feature nice laterals as I have heard from El Toro having some fairly strong lats.

But Im quite sure Intamin would do anything Wardly would be up for. I dont think they are against being unique. Heck...they have invented quite a few styles of rides (some complete firsts) and have some of the top rides in the world.


But where Intamins will beat out conventional woodies is the transitions can be faster, smoother and tighter. Because they are designed and built just like steel rides they can handle very fast transitions and do them with grace and power that no true wooden coaster could do.


If B&M was willing to do what John had in his head, so is Intamin. Just look at CP.