Heide Park 2019 - Colossos Refurb

[Paradox]

According to this post, it seems that the park underestimated how much the repairs on Colossos would cost and are considering just getting rid of the coaster and building something new in its spot. If I remember correctly the ride had a big problem with woodworm.

No way, seriously? That's so sad to hear. I've also heard about woodworm, but this comes a bit unexpected to me. If they really decide to demolish it, T-Express and Wildfire are the new recordholders for height (according to RCDB). R.I.P. Colossos

I wanted to ride this beast last year but I was waiting till it opened, now I wil maybe never get to ride it

Could this explain why no more Intamin wooden coasters have been built in the US beyond El Toro?

[Paradox]

Here's a translated article from Parkerlebnis discussing the reason Colossos might be closed since the woodworm rumor is not true.

According to rumors, Colossos, the wooden railway in the Heidepark, is to be demolished. The reason: woodworm infestation. Ulf Cordes, Managing Director of Holzbau Cordes in Waffensen, accompanied the construction of the roller coaster 15 years ago. He now reveals the rumors of the closure of Colossos.

In 2001, Colossos was opened as the fastest wooden railway in Europe at the Heidepark Soltau. If you believe rumors, Colossos will be demolished after the next season - because it is said to be attacked by woodworms. However, "these are rumors that" nothing is at all fortunate ", Ulf Cordes reveals in conversation with the Kreiszeitung. Cordes is Managing Director of Holzbau Cordes and was involved in the construction of the Holzachterbahn in Heidepark.

Where the rumors about the demolition of Colossos come from, there is also a thesis: According to Cordes, the holes and intersections of timber paths are not treated in America. Damages would then occur from these sites. "This leads to this, and in America, the railways have been so damaged that they have to be dismantled after a period of 15 years." Self-titled roller coaster experts may have caught up and reported on closures in America Colossos, she is celebrating her 15th jubilee in 2016 and is thus entering a critical age.

The woodcutter Cordes, however, can soothe and explain: "With wood it is so: When it is treated properly, it has a very high durability. A very effective impregnation has been applied here: the wood has only been impregnated with drill holes after cutting and accidentally, as opposed to American concepts, where the drill holes and cut surfaces are not treated. "

Colossos has a 50-year service life. At the moment there are no indications that this is not being met. Thus, the closure and demolition of the Heidepark Holzachterbahn would not be pending until 2051 - was it perhaps only just a payer?

I hear this woodworm story almost every year

There is a good reason to be skeptical about the reopening of Colossos.
Especially when I look at the Heide Park today and compare it with the park around the late 90s and the beginning of the 21th century.

Many rides were closed in the last years because of high maintenance cost as the park said.
even a whole area of the park is not open anymore.

But colossos is the ride that made the Heide Park popular and it still is the major ride at this park.

[mkingy]

It turns the park from an average park with a nice selection of rides into a park with a signature draw. Hopefully they find the money to do something worthwhile with it.

[Paradox]

From what I've heard this is entirely Merlin's fault. They did not want to spend the money maintaining the ride like all the other parks with Intamin woodens do and when it was deemed unsafe last year they told everyone they would take a year to decide what to do which meant letting the ride rot to rack up the repair cost and have a valid reason for dismantling it.

I hate Merlin so much, imagine how much better UK themeparks would be if Merlin didn't exist.
This just further proves how greedy the company is.

[Paradox]

It's a miracle! Colossos will return in 2019!



Rough translation:

When will Colossos come back?
The whole thing is a long process due to delivery times and engineering capacities, yet we already prepared a few steps although the decision wasn???t made yet, so we can finally ride Colossos in 2019 again
How will Colossos come back?
We thought about this a lot, we considered the question if it should come back as a wooden or a hybrid coaster. After a lot of marketing research, we decided that we will build a wooden coaster again, as fans and marketing research came to the same conclusion, wanting the original back. We will build a coaster with a wooden track, that???s all I can say right now about that, also there will be a lot of innovations. There is exciting news that we will reveal in the future.
What will thrill seeker expect 2019?

Took them long enough, let's hope Merlin gives a higher maintenance budget after it opens

[Coasterkidmwm]

I wonder if they'll have re-engineered the track to withstand the elements better the second time around.

[herman116]

Finally! I was getting worried that it never opened again.

[Dirk_Ermen]

Looks like I might pay another visit in 2019 when it finally opens. Before they closed they ride it was already aging horribly by just providing headaches of the trackpiece transitions.

Work has begun on Colossos:





















Source: https://www.coasterfriends.de/forum/143 ... ark-4.html

[Coasterkidmwm]

It's so bad they're repouring footers?

[Metazoanhaddock]

looks more like they're pouring around them....the original footers all look to still be intact

[mkingy]

The additional footers suggest layout changes

mkingy wrote:

The additional footers suggest layout changes

I think it's for lateral bracing.

[mkingy]

Yep, Lateral bracing at what is currently a low turn and on the opposite side to where you would expect lateral bracing to be for that turn - to me that implies a significant height difference.

[Coasterkidmwm]

I have a feeling the wood rot rumor is more of an enthusiast idea than what was actually wrong with the ride.

[Metazoanhaddock]

.......

Layout change, huh?

............

>RMC Colossos









DISCLAIMER: I'm just screwing around, don't kill me >.<

^ Would you expect to see the last turn turned into a nice cutback like Twisted Timbers? Momentum to do it!

Rails starting to come off now:



Also worth noting that this scaffold has been erected in front of where the foundation was laid awhile ago:









...and from the looks of things, it might actually be for a new themed structure:



Source: https://www.coasterfriends.de/forum/143 ... ark-8.html

[Dirk_Ermen]

The video is quite interesting. The return of Colossos. I didn't expect they actually had to cut all the track manually. I guess those track connectors are completely rusted.