Ready for a mini-revelation?
This will be a long post, so bare with me. But it might put to bed some of the persistant Maurer talk, but in the process will open up some interesting questions about the track SW7 will use.
The drawings for a coaster submitted in the planning documents, are (usually) from the manufacturer, laid over the architect's plans for the area. Case in point is Swarm's plans. If you look at the fencing plan, at the transfer track, you will notice it is slightly greyed out and saying "Revised transfer track awaited from B&M" check for yourself here:
http://www.thorpeparkmania.co.uk/viewphoto/3257
I think the same is the case for the other recent planning applications, Saw and Thirteen. Look carefully and you will see that these are far too acurate to be a simple architect's drawing.
Now on to SW7, and the drawings for the coaster are from none other than... No Limits! XD
You know the saying that you stare at something too long and you miss the obvious. Well, I haven't looked at the drawings for over a week now, but when I looked at them again today I had an epiphany. There are two things that give away that the coaster is a No Limits drawing, the track and supports. I shall deal with the latter first:
Look at the top of the support on this drawing:
And now to the top of this one in No Limits:
Now you may think I'm a whizz in No Limits, but I'm not THAT good! The support top is the standard design for a post support in No Limits. There are a number of these scattered about the drawings, try and find them yourself (they're mainly near the Toilet block). If you look closely at the drawings, you will also see some "custom" supports (ones you draw yourself) cutting through the track, which means whoever did the drawing wasn't careful with the placing of the nodes (between which you place a support).
Look at these two instances here. I really hope that the real coaster doesn't do this!
Now to the track. If this is really from a No Limits drawing it stands to reason that the coaster is one of the standard options. And it is, the track is non other than that of the default Schwarzkopf coaster design.
First picture: Real Schwarzkopf track. Second: No Limits Schwarzkopf track. Third: SW7 Plans track. Apologies the picture isn't the greatest. Look at the triangular shape of the rail ties and the distance between them. Anyone with No Limits feel free to check it out in more detail yourself.
I'm not sure why everything looks so angular (and there are slight differences), but I imagine the 3D render in No Limits has been simplified in another design package that distorts things a little (hence why the tubular rails and supports are made up of octagons, and why the backbone looks ever so slightly smaller).
So to all those people who have been saying it is Maurer/S&S track, it is in fact good old Schwarzkopf track. XD
Now what significance does this have? Which manufacturer has often used No Limits to represent its rides? Gerstlauer! (Speed: No Limits anyone?) By the way, the founder of Gerstlauer was a previous Schwarzkopf employee. Admittedly, it could also be that the No Limit drawing of the ride has been done by someone at Merlin (I've heard John Wardley likes to use it).
But does this mean that SW7 is going to use track from a 1980's design? Probably not, but I'm only guessing here.
It could be that Gerstlauer are still working on the drawings, so they have used the Schwarzkopf track as an interim, perhaps as they work out which sections of track will be ladder, and which tri-track. But if this is in fact to be a Eurofighter, why not just switch the design in No Limits to a Eurofighter (it takes about 3 seconds). Remember, we do not think the ride itself needs planning permission, just the station.
It could be (like most of us suspect) that they have come up with a new design of track, and the Schwarskopf track in No Limits is what best resembles this new track. But why? It's completely different to Eurofighter track (it's narrower for one). Let the debate commence! XD
Whilst I was looking at my No Limits recreation using Schwarzkopf track, I decided to try 3-car trains. And it actually runs suprisingly well. I'm not saying that SW7 will use these, as we simply cannot say based on these drawings. It could be a Eurofighter as we all suspect, or it could have some completely new style of car or train.
I'll end with a couple of pictures:
Duelling 3-car trains in No Limits. Ignore the chunky supports, they were positioned to suit Eurofighter track.
And finally, this is what the ride will look like if it does actually use 1980's Schwarzkopf track.
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I wish I'd used NoLimits before now!
