June 26, 201213 yr comment_138509 I'm surprised the whole femme fatale business with naming a ride after a female never took off. Imagine it - SW7: GWENDOLIN.
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139377 Rita's launch cable has snapped this morning! No one was hurt though.
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139381 Strange to think I was only riding it three days ago and this happened's! Thank god no one was on-board like Xcelerator but Rita has lovely timing doesn't she? "I know I'm going to break beyond a week repair just as the summer season starts!" Well the affect on Thirteen queues will be just lovely with no other ride to soak up the queues within a 5 minute walking distance!
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139383 Apparently Alton Towers reckon this could be open pretty quickly. Let's see...!
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139388 I dont see why it would take too long, I guess will just be a standard cable replacement but the old one being slightly easier to get off!
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139390 AT usually change the cable overnight - which is very quick. It used to take them 3 days in the rides early years.
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139391 Strange to think I was only riding it three days ago and this happened's! It could have been you?!
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139395 I'm pretty sure the launch's are designed so that if it does snap it wouldnt harm anyone on the ride, not sure how the cables ended up over there though I thought it would just wrap its self around the drum!
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139397 I'm pretty sure the launch's are designed so that if it does snap it wouldnt harm anyone on the ride, not sure how the cables ended up over there though I thought it would just wrap its self around the drum! TTD and Xcelerator incidents would say otherwise... If the cable has snapped then one end will go to the drum as per normal, but the other will end up elsewhere due to the lack of momentum it'll encounter after the split... It's hard to explain by word but it's basically ends up being two parts going in opposite directions, hence why one end will be left out in the open... It's yet another black mark on Intamin's record... Maybe they should move onto mass producing LSM launches now? More iSpeeds less snapping cables...
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139399 Thing is, the last Hydraulic launch was built 3 years ago... Maybe Intamin just realised that the system is potentially flawed with nearly 50% of the total 14 currently in operation have had some form of incident... Electromagnetics for the win!
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139402 Thing is, the last Hydraulic launch was built 3 years ago... Maybe Intamin just realised that the system is potentially flawed with nearly 50% of the total 14 currently in operation have had some form of incident... Electromagnetics for the win! I was thinking that. Intamin probably cried itself to sleep when Maurer, Gerstlauer and Mack came up with far superior launches that didn't try to kill and maim,
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139406 I do wonder if this is as bad as it looks? If new cables on site already there's a good chance it will reopen tomorrow, if that cable did fling over there at speed would merlin open it, keep stealth and it's other rockets going knowing full well it could be very dangerous around that area if a cable snapped? I'm not so sure
July 24, 201213 yr comment_139407 I'm sure they would keep them working, but if it was a danger to the public I think we can expect to see more of the metal covers under the launch track.
July 25, 201213 yr comment_139408 As somebody rightly pointed out on Coasterforce, there is always the possibility that somebody is standing underneath the launch track when the cable snaps. I'm sure it could be fatal if a thick, heavy, metal cable swung and hit somebody at a high speed...
July 25, 201213 yr comment_139433 As I hear all to often "You must escape, you must escape...... Rita is experiencing technical difficulties..."
July 31, 201213 yr comment_139562 Rita is now running escaping properly again but as a precaution Towers have stuck a lovely fence under the launch so you can't go under it. Isn't it lovely. The blue fits in so well with the Dark Forest Also, on the left hand side of this photo you can see a sign promoting SW7. Credit to Adam on TowersTimes
September 3, 201212 yr comment_140727 I was at Alton Towers today, and apparently Rita's SRQ will remain closed for the rest of the season. Just thought it was worth mentioning.
March 11, 201312 yr comment_152807 For those in the park lately, has the fence under Rita's launch gone?
March 12, 201312 yr comment_152834 Dunno, as that part of the park was closed off over feb half term. What they were supposed to do is create a permenant structure underneath the launch - so it won't be a tunnel anymore. We'll find out on saturday though I spose.
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