SW8 (roller coaster)
| SW8 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Alton Towers | |
| Coordinates | 52°59′20″N 1°53′19″W / 52.98889°N 1.88861°WCoordinates: 52°59′20″N 1°53′19″W / 52.98889°N 1.88861°W |
| Status | Under construction |
| Opening date | March 2018 |
| Cost | £15,000,000 (excl. advertisement) |
| Replaced | The Flume |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | Great Coasters International |
| Designer | Merlin Magic Making, Creative Director Bradley Wynne |
| Lift/launch system | chain - silent lift (anti rollback) |
| Height | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Drop | 46 ft (14 m) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Trains | 3 trains with 12 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train. |
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SW8 at RCDB Pictures of SW8 at RCDB |
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SW8 (Secret Weapon 8) is the code name for a wooden roller coaster currently under construction at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. The ride replaced The Flume which closed at the end of the 2015 season. The attraction is set to be the park's first roller coaster constructed from wood and is to be manufactured by Great Coasters International.
The ride is expected to open at the beginning of the 2018 season. A trademark for the name Wicker Man, that included the SW8 logo, was filed by Alton Towers in October 2017.
In April 2015, the park had explored options to install a wooden roller coaster in Forbidden Valley for the 2017 season. However, due to many factors including budget, these plans were later dropped.
The revised site of SW8 was chosen to be the site of the Flume. The Flume closed in early October 2015, 1 month before the end of the season and for the start on the 2016 season, it had been fenced off and surrounded by signs advertising the development of SW8. The site remained unchanged throughout the 2016 season.
The first planning documents were submitted to Staffordshire County Council on 23 April 2016. They documented the basic layout of SW8 and the surrounding area. They also suggested that the old station used for The Flume would be turned into a 'Smokehouse' restaurant however this indication was removed on later revisions, and The Flume station was fully removed. The full plans were submitted on 31 May 2016 and were approved on the 25 August 2016.
The 2017 Alton Towers map advertised the SW8 construction site as part of Gloomy Wood. However, the planning application for access to the ride from Mutiny Bay has not been changed.
Construction of SW8 commenced on 28 November 2016 with the demolition of The Flume. The path leading from Mutiny Bay to Katanga Canyon was closed for the 2017 season for vehicle access to the construction site, along with part of the staff "Magic HQ" car park. In March 2017, the rollercoaster's main building, consisting of the station, shop and preshow, began vertical construction.
The first pieces of wood for the coaster arrived at Alton Towers on 4 May 2017.
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