With the recent spell of good weather continuing, work on Secret Weapon 8 has been carrying on at a rapid pace with more and more wood being added by the day. We take a look at the latest progress.
Construction of the roller coaster’s lift hill has now reached a key point with the structure having reached its peak. As is traditional with GCI projects, the reaching of the roller coaster’s highest point has been marked with the placing of three flags representing the countries of those involved in the project – the Union Jack representing Alton Towers in the United Kingdom; the Stars and Stripes of the USA representing manufacturer GCI; and the flag of Germany representing the construction contractors.
With the lift hill now at its highest point, work is underway on adding the supports for the first drop. The wooden bents are being assembled next to the foundations of the drop before being lifted into place by crane. Underneath the lift hill, an l-shaped concrete structure has been added which has a narrow gap between its two walls. Could this be for part of the lift hill mechanism?
Down towards the lower end of the site, additional concrete foundations have now been laid in the large hole which had been excavated. This, combined with the other high and low points of the layout suggests that the ride will have several changes of height which potentially could allow for a good amount of speed to be generated.
Even more metal appears to have been added to what is speculated to be the large theming feature at the Mutiny Bay end of the site, with additional wooden bents also having been added. What can now be seen is the foundations for the two of the times the track will pass through the structure.
What are your thoughts on the latest progress on the Resort’s first wooden roller coaster? Make sure you join in the speculation over on the Attraction Source Forum. As construction continues to progress we’ll continue to keep you updated on all the developments.
