The Power of Ten renewed...
The Power of Ten renewed...
The track stops here
On 17 November 2022 shortly after the theme park's season came to a close, Thorpe Park posted a TikTok video showing parts of Colossus' heartline roll missing.
This was the park's way of announcing a project to re-track Colossus (or sections thereof) which will take place over a number of years. The plan was for the work to happen during the winter months while the park is closed, meaning Colossus would be open throughout. Unfortunately this part of the plan fell apart quickly, with the rollercoaster still missing track and thus remaining closed at the beginning of the 2023 season. That did, however, give a unique chance to see the ride up close in its partially constructed state, twenty years after it first opened to the public.
The work is being carried out by Taziker, an engineering firm based in Lancashire who also fabricated the replacement track for The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach during its own retracking project that has taken place over the last few seasons.
Swapping out the roughest sections of Colossus' track should help with the overall ride experience and make it more comfortable, although another major issue with the ride is its extremely uncomfortable trains and restraint design. Sadly, Thorpe Park have said they have no plans to replace either.
It is positive however to see the theme park investing in Colossus and securing its future for the next few years - as the ride which sat at the threshold of Thorpe's transition into the major thrill park it is today, that is the least Colossus deserves!
The first part of the retracking project involved the replacement of the first half of Colossus' quad heartline roll (inversions six and seven). Unfortunately the work ran later than planned, meaning Colossus was not ready to re-open for the start of the 2023 season.
Colossus' quad heartline roll
The end of the track
The first one and a half rolls have been removed
Empty supports over the lake
The other end of the missing section
Missing heartlines through the loop
Colossus' vertical loop against the bare supports
The start of the heartlines
Other end of the section
Saw in the background
Looking toward the remaining part of quad heartline rolls