So... About this "Wood You?" Facebook Post...

[daboywunda]

So, for years and years, the rumour mill has been rife with these woddie shenanigans. Thorpe have now just whipped them all up again by posting a picture of a woodie on their Facebook page, asking if people would ride it... Just before planning applications are due for the 2015/2016 coaster and after they were apparently seen snooping around the CGI and intamin wooden coaster stands at the expo..

So, does this mean that wood is on the cards? Discuss

[Coaster]

I very much hope so!

[Whiteknuckle]

Me too. I think there is only so far you can go limit and ideawise on steel coasters.

[Sidders]

In terms of steel, they could only really add an airtime machine, as that's what the park's missing. That's what the UK's missing. If they were to build anything else with the current park offering the unprecedented array of thrills and world records, they would either be competing with themselves or with other parks, and by extension, themselves once again (no other UK non-Merlin owned park really threatens Thorpe).

So here's the deal with Thorpe's current coaster spread: They have a sit-down multi-looper, a modest inverter, Europe's fastest accelerating launched coaster, a badly-built jaunt through a few trees in a matchbox on wheels (or the world's first horror coaster and steepest free-fall, if you please), and the UK's first wing coaster. The even have a mildly thrilling dark coaster/rave.

Their current arsenal rules out most of the steel options available to them that will offer something different. For example, even an intense B&M flyer will draw comparisons in ride experience to The Swarm, and inevitably Air too. A Dive Machine will draw comparisons to Saw and obviously, Oblivion as well. Anything with a notable number of inversions will overshadow Colossus and The Smiler. So say they chose airtime, but go for a steel model like an Intamin Blitz or a Mack Launched Coaster. Then the comparisons with Stealth and Rita start. Not to mention Stealth in such close proximity, with this coaster possibly being two-thirds its height it'll diminish Stealth's imposing factor. All these designs also have their own logistical problems I.e. theres no underground envelope for a Dive Machine and there's seriously not enough space for a decent-length flyer or even the Intamin or Mack models.

I realise this is a very reductionist and fairly soulless method of deducing what coaster best fits Thorpe's needs but, theme aside, this is what marketing will be looking for - pocket-holes in Thorpe's sprawling coverage of statistics. The biggest one, staring them right in the face, is a woodie. It knocks two birds with one stone as it'll be packed with air-time and provide the UK with a new kind of thrill not seen for seventeen years.

[Matt 236]

In terms of roller coasters Thorpe could add that haven't been done so far,

Woodie (either an air time monster or looping one)

Woodie hybrid (like rattler)

Hyper coaster with lots of airtime (like shambhala or millennium force)

Flyer (but that's going to be similar to Swarm &Air)

Something completely new not done yet

Stand up coaster (possibly not impressive enough)

Not too many other options really.

[Sidders]

Hyper coaster with lots of airtime (like shambhala or millennium force)

I like your ideas Matt, and a lot of people seem to be hoping for a Hyper, but if there's not enough space for a flyer (though a recent NoLimits project on Island A, adhering to all current planning constraints, fitted beautifully), there where is a Hyper going to go? I've heard people suggest Monk's Walk, passing behind Inferno and onto the Abbey Lake peninsula at the other end of the park, but in my eyes Thorpe is far too small for a Hyper - those enormous parabolas arcing all the way along the back of the park would make all the other rides look minuscule - even Stealth. From the front entrance it would look impressive, but it would completely overshadow the necessity for all the other rides in such a small, cramped park. Not to mention there really isn't the space along Monk's Walk as that pathway isn't part of Thorpe's land and the envelope there can't be more than mere metres.

Plus, they're fairly impossible to theme to any degree that Merlin have been showing capabilities of in recent times (The Swarm, The Smiler). I for one would be strongly against a Hyper at Thorpe, unless they can find an alternative place for it after the much more desirable rumoured Woodie is built.

P.S. But even if a Woodie is built (and it will probably be an impressive height in itself) would that not render the Hyper coaster option surplus to demand? They'll have covered airtime, and Hyper's only really offer speed and height on top of that, which a carefully designed Woodie could also incorporate tactfully.

[coastercameron98]

In terms of roller coasters Thorpe could add that haven't been done so far,

Woodie (either an air time monster or looping one)

Woodie hybrid (like rattler)

Hyper coaster with lots of airtime (like shambhala or millennium force)

Flyer (but that's going to be similar to Swarm &Air)

Something completely new not done yet

Stand up coaster (possibly not impressive enough)

Not too many other options really.

Great ideas and suggestions but there would be one worry and problem with a looping woodie....that it might turn out like the Son of Beast and cause injury and if Merlin are concerned about how safety of woodie's then a looping one could just be painful and confirm their viewpoint.

[Sidders]

Interesting point you raise there Cameron, though you have to remember that Son of Beast was built in 2000 by RCC. Newly-built Intamin coasters are prefabricated and cut with lasers in the fabrication plants. The separate parts of these coasters (I.e. El Toro, T Express, Colossos, Balder) can then fit together much better and offer a much smoother ride experience than doing all the work on the construction site. Prefabrication would allow for a much smoother inversion should Thorpe wish to add one (but to me it undermines the purpose of a woodie and the point of choosing wood over steel), and the result of this is that none of Son of Beast's problems would happen to Thorpe's woodie.

Half the problems with Son of Beast came from the weight of the trains putting too much stress on parts of the wood-supported track, but the weight was necessary to get through the loop. Even after removing a whole car from each train in the middle of the 2006 season didn't help and eventually the loop was removed. It operated for a few more years but the wood had taken substantial damage because of the trains and could not be treated, hence it's defunct state since 2012.

As I understand it, Outlaw Run uses modified versions of the Millennium Flyer trains to make them slightly lighter. But this probably doesn't correlate with the three inversions on its track as the entire thing is enforced with steel bents, meaning the trains could be as heavy as they liked. The reinforcement, however, has the unfortunate side-effect of making Outlaw Run look very ugly up-close. It does mean the ride needs less wooden structuring though, which could work in Thorpe's favour.

[EC!]

With Gravity Group and Rocky Mountain Construction have now got looping wooden coasters that have trains that are a lot lighter so they can solve the problem SoB had, thats if they want a looping woodie.

[mah boi]

For me, a coaster by GCI would fit well into Chessington and wouldn't be so hard to fit in, especially with the landscape and the way the park is. So maybe that is why Merlin were apparently (I think), looking at the booths because of a wooden coaster at Chessington. However, a hybrid coaster such as from RMC would be good for Thorpe. Though it would be a bit strange seeing it beside The Swarm, if it will be an extension to the current swarm island in theming. It should be interesting to see if Intamin create their own version of a woodie hybrid.

[Marc]

They've now posted a picture of Superman at Six Flags, not going to lie id much rather this than a woodie!

[EC!]

Now I'm not going to lie either but I'd prefer a woodie, more insane

[Marc]

As much as a woodie would be good, I can see a decent air time filled hyper coaster fitting in with the park much more so than a Wooden coaster, but maybe thats just me!

[EC!]

I think its just with woodies they take up alot of space and look very imposing, those blend into the background, I'd love both but my heart edges the woodie

[Mitchada04]

This is one of my completely random and probably not intentionally linked things but both this (now Bizzaro) and El Toro (which they posted a few days ago) are number 1 in their category (steel and wood) if you go by the Mitch Hawker TPR with a few other enthusiasts coaster poll. Maybe they're hinting that they are going to build the worlds best coaster. Also, both coasters they've posted are massive airtime machines so maybe they're doing a bit of market research to see how an airtime coaster (steel or woodie) would be received.

I'd love to think that my theory is correct but I highly doubt it Especially as they mistook Superman at Six Flags New England for being in Australia.

[JoshC.]

As much as a woodie would be good, I can see a decent air time filled hyper coaster fitting in with the park much more so than a Wooden coaster, but maybe thats just me!

Both would fill a gap in the park's current line up, and personally I think either would fit in with the park beautifully. At the same time, though, both have their downsides which the park would have to work around, so would be interesting to see what the park comes up with.

[James_C]

Why not just get both? - Please.

On another note, I would prefer a wooden coaster. I have had the privilege on going on El Toro and my god that seriously would work in TP. Height obviously would be an issue...but it would work. It would look imposing and scary in the parks skyline.

[Sidders]

I actually want a theme, so let's have a woodie please.

[Benin]

Millenium Force is one of the most boring coasters in existance...

So Mega-Lite or Wooden coaster please...

[Mark9]

Millenium Force is one of the most boring coasters in existance...

So Mega-Lite or Wooden coaster please...

Yup. Thats all we need. Failing that, a B&M equivalent of a mega lite.

[Deleted Users]

The fact that they posted a picture of a Mega that doesn't technically exist any more points towards how seriously we should be taking this. I hope they post a picture of a Zacspin or 4D just to really rally people up.