Thanks for the photo BenC - Having looked at the other photos it seems obvious why the ride is taking so long to get built. Its because there is only one bloke doing any work

Swarm is grey, not black for one thing...And why does the track and supports having the same colour matter? Do we want a Silver Bullet look to it?Big coasters often work better as big and evil contraptions, depending on the theme of the ride of course... So why a dark colour shouldn't be chosen when this is the apocalypse, I don't know...Also, I find that darker coasters work well in photos very well, regardless of weather... And really, the colour will affect the ride in absaolutely no way... Here's something I'm gonna throw out here after riding Raptor which will probs be contraversial to a few people... Swarm will probs be the best ride at Thorpe, but it won't be the most intense due to the very nature of the ride...And if you are of considerable girth, forget it...

Nobody was suggesting bright colours like Silver Bullet's track has.I think many of of us were just hoping for a darker grey colour for the supports or vice versa.

I agree, it's just nice to have two shades of the same colour I mean like Colossus for instance or nemesis, actually for that matter stealth. SAW had the same colour supports as track, looks ok.

Swarm is grey, not black for one thing...And why does the track and supports having the same colour matter? Do we want a Silver Bullet look to it?

No one or I actually mentioned specific colours. I merely mentioned coasters which have the same track and support colour built by Merlin since the take over. People are very quick to snap back and even clutch at straws to find fault with anything they can. A nice darker grey like TPGG mentioned would be enough. It just adds a bit of visual interest. You can have 'dark and menacing' with more than one colour, you know.

And if you are of considerable girth, forget it...

I assume from looking it has air style restraints, so is restrictive in the... large.. department?

I'll probably get all kinds of hate for this, but does the color of the track/supports even matter? There's no point getting all feisty about the color scheme, it won't affect the ride...

No, I totally agree. Colour is not the most important thing in the world. Like I said in my original post, it doesn't effect the ride at all, just the looks. The ride itself looks incredible and that first drop looks really intense! But when you have a top notch ride, it would be NICE to have a decent, imaginative and interesting colour scheme to match. I'm not getting feisty, just raising a small point.

Throwing my view into this...Grey is grey is grey. Grey is a nice colour for the ride, and is at least something different compared to Merlin's 4 previous major coasters. A different shade of grey for the supports is hardly going to make a big difference to the impact and appearance of the ride; grey is grey is grey.

I'll probably get all kinds of hate for this, but does the color of the track/supports even matter? There's no point getting all feisty about the color scheme, it won't affect the ride...

#hateofallkindsColour of course matters because the appearance matters. What would suit the ride more/look better, grey and black or yellow pink? (lol X at Six Flags)

But X had next to no theme... It doesn't need colour consistency/consideration. And neither does The Swarm, considering that the grey does it's job perfectly. Besides, the track colour is clearly different to the support colour. The photo just doesn't show it well: http://www.totalthorpepark.co.uk/features/future2012.shtml Total Thorpe Park have the colour scheme simplified about a fifth down their The Swarm Updates page.

I'll probably get all kinds of hate for this, but does the color of the track/supports even matter? There's no point getting all feisty about the color scheme, it won't affect the ride...

You are absaloutly 100% correct, it's as said above when you have an awesome ride that's cost 20million, why "scimp" on the paint job. Although the more I think about it the same colour could look awesome. Not sure about the photo, swarms track is clearly not that black...

Because the emphasis of a great rollercoaster is to immerse you in the theming and ride experience, not to draw your attention to the track! As long as the trains look well themed, the track colour should be nice and subtle, almost disappear. That is my opinion anyway.

Would it make any difference if it was pointed out that Krake was actually brown track; Raptor Grey and Thirteen Black? They're all different colours! To sum up the whilst-we-wait-for-it-to-go-vertical discussion; I wouldn't think The Swarm would be any a brighter a colour, and thank god too. Can you imagine Merlin ever re-painting it down the line when it's all faded?

^ Not being sarcy but has Air ever been repainted? It always strikes me that it and Colossus were added in the same year and painted almost identical shades, yet the difference between them now is astounding. Is B&M track treated differently?Also, just noticed the lift hill base segment in that photo on the previous page

^ Not being sarcy but has Air ever been repainted? It always strikes me that it and Colossus were added in the same year and painted almost identical shades, yet the difference between them now is astounding. Is B&M track treated differently?

Can imagine so, plus Air doesn't have oil dripping off everywhere... That's the main issue for Colossus...You can always tell with UK construction topics when boredom sets in... Complaining about the colour... I can't wait for the inevitable trim picture to turn up and make everyone angry...

Angry, bored? How can we be bored when Thorpe are building there best coaster ever?!? Anywho I think I like the colour, if we go back to the original promo picture, look at the track colour. http://I.imgur.com/KU3cI.jpg(sorry about the iPhone screenshot, I lost the original)

It's very clear (actually, it's probably not) : The track colour is grey like dull steel. The supports are darker grey. But still grey.It's like magic, I swear.

I assume from looking it has air style restraints, so is restrictive in the... large.. department?

Hes hinting at the excellent Raptor announcements declaring THOSE WITH WIDE GIRTH MAY BE UNABLE TO RIDE. And yes, Raptor is pretty restrictive in the large department and just gets tighter as the ride goes on. I'd imagine Swarm will do the same.

It's very clear (actually, it's probably not) : The track colour is grey like dull steel. The supports are darker grey. But still grey.It's like magic, I swear.]

Oh Mark, you... ;)Interesting developments (maybe?) : Theme Park Guide's Facebook claim to have information on a certain "update (no photos)" tomorrow Jeez if it's worth dedicating a whole status to it them just tell us!

Anyway enough sarcasm..... Bahahahahaha I love it

There WERE meant to be interesting developments before I went to Italy...I was expecting at least a lift hill when I came back... Least if Asterix is anything to go by this won't take long to build...

There WERE meant to be interesting developments before I went to Italy...I was expecting at least a lift hill when I came back... Least if Asterix is anything to go by this won't take long to build...

A Lift hill? Lad, we don't need no stinking lifthill for our wing-rider. I'm thinking a funky lift from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with lights and lasers and effects. Would be AMAZING.

Interesting developments (maybe?) : Theme Park Guide's Facebook claim to have information on a certain "update (no photos)" tomorrow Jeez if it's worth dedicating a whole status to it them just tell us!

If people cared that much about the updates, they'd go to the park.. or wait for a handy TPM update

That's exactly my point, Mark. Turns out it's not much of an update at all. Ah well, for those that are interested...

Nothing to report from today. There still look to be ~10 footer shells stacked at various points around the site, but other than than nothing is happening. I also saw no supports moved to the front of the site as had been reported. Track is still sitting where it was 2 weeks ago.

What are your connections with the park Adam? You seem to deliver quite interesting news. Atleast when they have actually done something!