With work having commenced on the future site of Secret Weapon 8 at Alton Towers Resort, the area where The Flume once stood has undergone some substantial changes from the derelict site which could be seen at the end of the 2016 season. We take a look at the progress so far.
Demolition of The Flume ride structure is well underway with the ride troughs in the area over what was the lake, including the final drop, now completely destroyed and placed in a pile waiting to be taken away. The trough which took guests from the station towards the first lift-hill can still be seen suggesting removal of the section of the ride in the woodland area is yet to begin. It would seem that there has also already been some changes to the original plans for SW8 with the old Flume station being demolished, despite original plans indicating it would be retained as a theming feature. Could this suggest that groundwork needs to be completed for the ride in this area before the Flume station structure is reassembled, or could we see a completely different feature in its place? The queueline fencing has also largely been taken down with just the fence posts and ride entrances remaining to mark the path the queue one took. It is anticipated that these will be removed shortly.
Over in the area of the site nearest to The Courtyard Tavern the building which once housed Mexican Cantina has now been completely demolished leaving just the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream unit standing.
The Flume bathtubs are still on site at the Resort with the vehicles having been temporarily stored in an area normally used for staff parking in the main season. At this stage it is not known what will happen to the ride vehicles.
Are you looking forward to seeing the construction of Alton Towers Resort’s first wooden rollercoaster? Have your say over on the Attraction Source Forum. As work continues to progress on SW8 TowersTimes will be sure to bring you all the latest developments.
