Colossus Partial Retrack (Thorpe Park)

[Howie]

The state of those supports in that clip…

Thorpe came across as being a total dump at the time of the recent CF Live. Storm Surge and Colossus in particular looked atrocious.

Not to mention that infuriating, ultra-loud squeak clunk squeak clunk squeak clunk coming from Storm Surge' lift hill, audible anywhere in the entire park, allll day long!
What the hell, Thorpe? How hard can it be to squirt some WD40 on the bastard thing?

 

[Nitefly]

Not to mention that infuriating, ultra-loud squeak clunk squeak clunk squeak clunk coming from Storm Surge' lift hill, audible anywhere in the entire park, allll day long!
What the hell, Thorpe? How hard can it be to squirt some WD40 on the bastard thing?

Yes that was awful. I expect that could legitimately be raised as a serious H&S issue, in respect of the poor ride ops exposed to that at all day.

If the park doesn’t care about their staff or guests… why should we care for the park?

 

[I'veGotFourB&MsInMyGarden]

The state of those supports in that clip…

I recon that after a few closed seasons and the retrack is complete (and all the track is a vibrant blue/green again) all the supports would need is a clean. I think the new track would carry the aesthetics as faded cream is still just cream. It really wouldn't take a lot of effort to make that area pop and a nice, vibrant area of the park again. Whether Thorpe will put the effort in do this though, we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[I'veGotFourB&MsInMyGarden]

Sorry for the double post but just like that, the big boi is back.

Let's hope that the next wave of retracking doesn't take quite as long...

 

[Fleetwood_Mack]

They'd better close it again by next week if they wanna make a start on the next section and get it open for the beginning of the next season!

 

[Slamming Coastercore]

Had a ride on it this evening at the Ghost Train press night. Not good. Trains felt as though they were vibrating throughout the entire layout and the sound it was making was beyond atrocious.

I never usually bother with Colossus when at Thorpe, but was intrigued enough to give the retracted section a go. It makes no difference, the only answer for that ride is the scrapyard.

 

[Joelpagett]

Had a ride on it this evening at the Ghost Train press night. Not good. Trains felt as though they were vibrating throughout the entire layout that the sound it was making was beyond atrocious.

I never usually bother with Colossus when at Thorpe, but was intrigued enough to give the retracted section a go. It makes no difference, the only answer for that ride is the scrapyard.

You do have to wonder why they are bothering with retracking at all?

The ride is nowhere near as highly regarded as Nemesis or Vampire (rumoured to be getting a full retrack like Nemesis in 2024), and although I am sure people enjoy it, it's certainly not up there in people's top 10s (unless it's beaten the sense out of them).

It may have been the world's first 10-looping roller coaster, but it's now 20 years old, and there is a much more modern version in the UK, as well as The Smiler beating it too with 14 loops.

The problem of roughness lies more likely with the old buggered trains than the track.

So, it begs the question, would the cost of replacing the track be better spent on a new experience that is fun - and not a form of torture on your ears?

Moan over

 

[Swat]

I wonder if this small retrack is more of a case study to see if it improves before commiting to a full retrack. I've not ridden it in about a year but the rolls never came across at the section that is the most in need of retracking.

Given how the big one is currently riding with the same company carrying out the retrack, I don't have any hope a full retrack would drastically change it.

 

[spicy]

Not exactly a new thing though is it, Colossus has ridden like crap for maybe 10 of those 20 years?

The trains have often made that awful noise too.

It will definitely be the first coaster removed but I think they will get maybe another decade out of it yet.

 

[I'veGotFourB&MsInMyGarden]

They just need to bite the bullet and replace the trains. Surely that would cost less than a full retrack?

(I will say though, I don't think it rides as bad as many people say it does. You just have to ride it correctly. Head forward and lean into the turns.)

 

[rctneil]

Unless a a retrack will help resolve any potential maintenance issues they may have, i feel a new set of trains, a power wash and repaint would be a much better option.

Or just remove it entirely.

 

[Fleetwood_Mack]

I've never found Colossus to be that rough, my problem has always been the lack of legroom in the trains. My legs always cramp up by the time we hit the brake run, which is absolutely no fun. Especially when the ops are having one of their slower days and you're sat there waiting for a minute or two. You're completely pinned in place so there's no way of stopping it.

I'd hate to see it go. It's a really fun coaster and was my first with inversions [Though I was traumatised a few years earlier by Zodiac as 8 year old me didn't realise it went upside down] so 'lossus holds a special place in my heart. But yeah, new trains would be faaaaabulous.

 

[I'veGotFourB&MsInMyGarden]

I've never found Colossus to be that rough, my problem has always been the lack of legroom in the trains.

I 100% agree. As long as you keep your head forward and lean into the turns, Colossus rides just as smooth as any of the other coasters at the park. (in my opinion)

 

[JoshC.]

The point of the Colossus retrack isn't necessarily to improve the ride experience, it is to increase the lifespan of the ride. The location of the ride, couple with its age, has meant that replacing track is necessary really. If it has been to improve ride experience, I think there would have been higher priority sections than the start of the inline twists.

New trains may help, but I believe that the new style Intamin trains (including the ones found on the newer versions of the 10 invert coasters) are slightly different widths to Colossus', meaning it's not just a simple "buy new trains" job. Might not even be possible, unless Thorpe pay for a custom design, which increases the cost. That is, of course, on top of needing to retrack it.

Personally, I think Colossus has served its purpose for Thorpe. It put them on the map, a legitimate world-record breaking thrill ride at the start of their thrill-era. Now that they're established as a thrill park, it's time for it to make way. Part of me hoped that Exodus, being a standard sit down coaster with inversions, was being lined up as a spiritual replacement for Colossus. This retrack would suggest they're planning on keeping it for a good while yet though.

 

[Matt N]

With the inline twists having been the first track pieces to be replaced, is it logical to suggest that subsidence or similar may have been an issue there, what with those being the only pieces of track that are over the lake?

 

[I'veGotFourB&MsInMyGarden]

With the inline twists having been the first track pieces to be replaced, is it logical to suggest that subsidence or similar may have been an issue there, what with those being the only pieces of track that are over the lake?

Possibly. It could also be that Thorpe got a only a small section of the heartline rolls done to see if Taziker was up to the task or not. The heartline rolls are just the bi-tube track and should be fairly easy to manufacture.

 

[catsounds]

It's always been enjoyable for me in the front seats (I've queued for the front 95% of all the times i've been on it)

Could the "retrack" be just to keep it going fora few or so years until they want to invest in it's removal or replacement? The replaced sections might be the parts that had to have the work done to keep it operating for now, it'd be weird for them to not just retrack the whole thing if that was the plan (which lbr colossus isn't nemesis)

It takes up a huge amount of space that they could easily use for the next coaster, they could fit anything they wanted there. Would make sense to replace what needs to be to keep it operating until exodus opens, instead of spending money each year to replace track of a coaster no one cares about in the grand scheme of things

 

[northernfanboy]

It takes up a huge amount of space that they could easily use for the next coaster, they could fit anything they wanted there. Would make sense to replace what needs to be to keep it operating until exodus opens, instead of spending money each year to replace track of a coaster no one cares about in the grand scheme of things

I have to disagree, it really doesn't take up a lot of space at all. It's a remarkably compact design given the number of inversions. On top of that the interaction with the pathways is great, and not easily replicated with a replacement coaster.

So not only are you likely to have the replacement coaster be smaller, you might also lose a key circulation route around an already crowded park. I just can't see them investing in re-tracking and it not being around till at least the end of the decade.

 

[AidanCKY]

You do have to wonder why they are bothering with retracking at all?

The problem of roughness lies more likely with the old buggered trains than the track.

I'd say they replace track due to metal fatigue/cracking more than anything. I assume they retracked that section to make the ride last a bit longer, rather than for any "smoothness" benefit really

 

[catsounds]

I have to disagree, it really doesn't take up a lot of space at all. It's a remarkably compact design given the number of inversions. On top of that the interaction with the pathways is great, and not easily replicated with a replacement coaster.

So not only are you likely to have the replacement coaster be smaller, you might also lose a key circulation route around an already crowded park. I just can't see them investing in re-tracking and it not being around till at least the end of the decade.

it kind of does take a lot of space, more so than any other coaster at the park

they could easily fit a bigger/longer coaster in that space, it literally takes up the whole side of the park from rush to saw island, with the saw alive infilled land added it makes it an even bigger plot of land really