Colossus

[coasterverse]

 

I really don't think the 'shade' was intentional, but I get what they were trying to say. I think they're basically saying that Towers are doing an entire marketing campaign around the retrack to keep things interesting, whereas Thorpe just wanted the project to be undertaken and completed as quickly as possible to ensure people can keep riding it throughhout the year, therefore they have no interest in doing any special marketing projects to coincide it.

 

I feel like once they've got another coaster at the park to eat up some of the queues that having Colossus closed for a prolonged period of time would be the most beneficial time for a complete retrack - whether that happens or not is another question entirely.

[Benin]

8 minutes ago, coasterverse said:

 

I really don't think the 'shade' was intentional, but I get what they were trying to say. I think they're basically saying that Towers are doing an entire marketing campaign around the retrack to keep things interesting, whereas Thorpe just wanted the project to be undertaken and completed as quickly as possible to ensure people can keep riding it throughhout the year, therefore they have no interest in doing any special marketing projects to coincide it.

 

I feel like once they've got another coaster at the park to eat up some of the queues that having Colossus closed for a prolonged period of time would be the most beneficial time for a complete retrack - whether that happens or not is another question entirely.

 

That's gone well then.

[ML27]

I suppose it’s good to see Taziker trying to make track? I suppose? But I don’t think I have much confidence in them now. It should have just been done by Intamin rather than the wish version.

 

The mantra online is that we should be supporting a British company attempting to do something. However they kinda messed up on the big one retrack last year by having weird lats on it now. They seem to always always be delayed, the big one never opened for opening weekend until they moved it to March. Colossus is still closed in a park which depends on every single rollercoaster. It’s pretty unprofessional 

[Benin]

Blame the park for the decision, not the company who have taken the job.

 

We know Blackpool are cheap but they're kinda screwed with a retrack given Arrow's lack of real existence these days and that track being made in a time before full on CAD. Therefore a harder project.

 

Intamin from sounds of things were open but wanted to do all in one go (they're a busy manufacturer after all, and easier to put a full project through the workshop in one hit then annually in bits), but Thorpe have elected for the cheaper avenue.

 

As always, you pay what you get for. And the cheaper option doesn't always get you the product you were after.

[tactic]

I think the problem Thorpe had was they couldn't risk having Colossus closed for a whole season due to the hit it would have on capacity. With Intamin only offering to do it over a season they couldn't risk the park falling apart in the summer months when the park is packed due to them having one of their biggest coasters closed. I think in theory they chose the best all round option (even if I don't agree with this decision) so the park could continue to run as normally as possible in the busiest periods while still improving Colossus. If it ever reopens of course (the website says opening spring, but from what were seeing from ghost train too, spring probably means the 31st May in the parks mind).

 

About Taziker, I've expressed my concerns about them doing the Colossus retrack earlier, but there's not much we can do now the park have already made their decision. Just hopefully they get their act together and don't mess it up too much.

 

I think the park could have adresses the whole situation a bit better and here is my opinion on what they could have done (I know it's already started and they won't change a thing) regarding retracking Colossus (I am no expert on this topic so please feel free to totally slander my ideas if it is needed):

 

1) For the 2023 season get in new trains. If they were so desparate try and fix Colossus that they couldn't wait for all they construction/stress around exodus to calm down, why didn't they get new trains as a temporary fix.

2) When the 2023 season ends, begin the whole retrack of Colossus (this depends entirely on exodus opening at the start of the 2024 season). As the majority of the guests for the 2024 season will want to ride exodus and just the fact that the park have a new coaster, there will be less stress on the park, meaning they have the time to close Colossus entirely.

3) Get in Intamin to retrack the ride throughout the 2024 season, resulting in a good quality version of Colossus that can use the new trains they should have brought for the 2023, resulting in the ride feeling brand new.

4) If, as I've heard, Intamin would only do the retrack if the park would also build an Intamin coaster next, that would only bring positives. Intamin have stepped up their game recently and if they were already working with Thorpe for the retrack I'm sure relations between the two would be good, meaning the park could probably negotiate a good deal on a new coaster too. This would be good especially considering what the park are saying about how they want to develop in the future.

 

Sorry I've literally dumped all my thoughts into one post but I really am conserned/confused about the parks decisions on this one.

[TPGG]

When's Colossus set to re-open?

[MattyMoo]

1 hour ago, TPGG said:

When's Colossus set to re-open?

I would take a stab at "nowhere near as soon as Thorpe would like".

 

Would be surprised if it's not until mid April at the earliest.. probably longer...

 

Make no mistake, this is a monumental eff-up.

 

 

[ML27]

[MattyMoo]

58 minutes ago, ML27 said:

 

End of May opening confirmed.

[coasterverse]

Come on then lads, what's gonna come first? Colossus or Ghost Train?

Thorpe seem to love to give these ambiguous 'opening spring' estimations this season!

[Inferno]

All I can think is that this track was on its last legs and needed doing to keep it going for a few more years.

 

The last thing they need is a coaster down for maintenance next year when Exodus opens - new coaster years are super busy so maybe it was a bit of a forced decision.

 

I still think it sucks that these things don’t happen over winter like they used to though.

[coasterverse]

5 hours ago, Inferno said:

I still think it sucks that these things don’t happen over winter like they used to though.

 

The funny thing is, I'm pretty sure this retrack did start pretty close to the beginning of the winter season! I get that things take time but for it to take 5 months, have the track arrive on site, Thorpe attempt to install and find out it doesn't fit and have to send it back for a replacement... really doesn't look all that good on Taziker. By extension it doesn't necessarily look good on the park either, but I suppose at the end of the day it's totally down to Taziker to ensure the project gets delivered on time.

[ML27]

Still don’t think it looks good on taziker.

 

I’d like to assume they get approached by Thorpe saying that we need to replace track however it needs to be done in the closed season. Taiziker promise them they will commit by a date. 
 

In this instance, the track was delivered 5 days before opening. I don’t think that’s great. They had five months, unless they started to make the track in November? But again I’d say that’s poor again. It was same with big one last year, theoretically they have a whole season where they should be working on the next bit of track now at least for delivery over this winter. Preventing delays

[Project LC]

Taziker like most steel suppliers will work to the date that is agreed with the client. The date will be based on the clients programme and Tazikers supply chain. Construction will be arranged around that ageeed date. 

 

Typically the client and supplier will inspect the steel before delivery, if they picked up any issues like undercut welds then it will be rejected and repairs or replacements made. Its possible something like this lead to a small delivery delay.

 

Steel installation doesn't take that long so it doesn't surprise me if this was arranged close to the end of closed season. 

 

If the track doesn't fit then that will either be a fabrication issue or a survey/design issue. Its not possible to say if that is Tazikers fault or not. I would also like to point out there could be a whole host of reasons in why the track was sent back. 

[Benin]

Factor in the issues in supply chain at the moment though.

 

But Thorpe would've agreed to a date with Taziker and presumably unlike other park owners would've kept up to date with any going ons with it. Any delays they would be compensated for but it depends how on it the park were to this as a project.

[Mark9]

23 minutes ago, Benin said:

Factor in the issues in supply chain at the moment though.

 

But Thorpe would've agreed to a date with Taziker and presumably unlike other park owners would've kept up to date with any going ons with it. Any delays they would be compensated for but it depends how on it the park were to this as a project.

 

Maybe they are managed by Amanda Thomson and actually have no idea on any project and how far its progressing.

[tactic]

I don't think anyone knows when it's going to be completed to be honest. The park and Taziker both seem to be having issues unfortunatly, casuing delays to the retrack.

[MattyMoo]

 

On 3/27/2023 at 7:45 PM, MattyMoo said:

 

End of May opening confirmed.

 

So... no whispers from anyone who knows someone who is the manager of a Spoons where someone who works for them served Russ Gaines a pint the other week who told him an update? 😁

 

I would assume there's no activity on site at all with Colossus, otherwise Park Pixie would be all over it.

[tactic]

Does anyone actually know if there is any track on park yet or are we still completely in the dark about how long this will take?

 

I seem to remember seeing Thorpe reply to a comment on instagram about a week ago saying 'Colossus will open late spring, not long now!' or something like that. That could be taken in 2 ways really; either it's opening very soon as they said not long now, or it's going to be end of may opening as they said late spring. I'm inclined to believe the latter though as if it was opening soon, I assume we would see track on park and maybe even have the ride testing by now.

[JoshC.]

On 4/23/2023 at 10:39 AM, tactic said:

Does anyone actually know if there is any track on park yet or are we still completely in the dark about how long this will take?

 

I seem to remember seeing Thorpe reply to a comment on instagram about a week ago saying 'Colossus will open late spring, not long now!' or something like that. That could be taken in 2 ways really; either it's opening very soon as they said not long now, or it's going to be end of may opening as they said late spring. I'm inclined to believe the latter though as if it was opening soon, I assume we would see track on park and maybe even have the ride testing by now.

 

The new track was on site about a month or so ago, but did not fit correctly.

 

It has had to be sent back to be realigned. No updates as to how long it will take.

[MattyMoo]

Petition for this topic to be moved to "The Future" or added to a new "Thorpe Park 2024" thread.

[tactic]

Lmao yes definitly, there's no hope of it being open anytime soon by the looks of it. This was why I was skeptical with Taziker doing the retrack...

[JoshC.]

23 hours ago, MattyMoo said:

Petition for this topic to be moved to "The Future" or added to a new "Thorpe Park 2024" thread.

 

Sod it, why not?

[RobF]

Tbh, at this rate they might as well have closed Colossus for the season retracked and new trains with Intamin 

[tactic]

I know but that would have been the logical solution and we all know thorpe don’t think logically lol.

 

This was the worry I had with Taziker doing the retrack. I’m sure they are a trustworthy company, but there will always be mistakes trying to copy something made by someone else, while the original manufacturer will know exactly the dimensions etc, so they won’t make mistakes.