B&M Track Plant Trivia

Maybe it's the new blue B&M track, but I'm starting to look back at the B&M track reported late last year. From Screamscape (for more info):

(12/21/09) One of our readers has posted a few new pictures taken outside the plant that makes all the world’s B&M coaster track. While there wasn’t all that much to see in the snow, there were a couple of pieces of Blue-ish track in the background here, as well as some small support pieces on the ground here.

And it seems to match this pic (a little) from Gutterflower at ThemeParkReview of the new Starry Night Ripper (B&M Flyer) at World Joyland, China:



















So I guess that track was for this new coaster (BTW, this B&M flyer is the first to have a regular loop). I gotta say, this coaster looks cool! =D

Guess This Solves the Yellow B&M Mystery...

Haha, looks like I was wrong about it and X-Raptor being the same. From Screamscape:

(2/1/10) I don’t know much about this rumor, but we’ve heard that B&M maybe actually be building a brand new Stand-Up coaster for Ocean Park as early as 2011. Anyone know more?

From Nosferatu at ThemeParkReview:

It hasn't been confirmed yet, but First Drop reported it was for the expansion of Ocean Park in Hong Kong!

And this pic looks to be the expansion of this park:



















And that track looks yellow... which matches the color of the yellow B&M spotted last year (this pic is from ThemeParkReview):



















So guess this exposes the mystery... cool! =D

Parc Asterix 2012

Looks like B&M is getting pretty busy in Europe within the next two years. First Gardaland's prototype (X-Raptor), Heide Park's Dive Machine (Krake)... and now this (from Screamscape):

2012 - B&M Inverted Coaster - Rumor - (11/15/10) The latest issue of First Drop magazine confirms the long standing rumor that Parc Asterix is ready to build a B&M Inverted coaster the 2012 season. According to the article the ride will have an Egyptian theme and be the anchor for a new themed area. You can find a picture of the layout the posted here, which looks to have a unique layout as well as a reported “underwater tunnel” feature. You can even find a NoLimits coaster layout preview of what the ride may be like here.
(3/27/10) Screamscape sources have confirmed to us that Parc Asterix will be adding a new B&M Inverted coaster for their 2011 season, and not an Intamin ride.
(3/1/10) Its been awhile since we’re heard much from Parc Asterix, but I’m hearing that a new themed serious thrill coaster is in the park’s future for 2011. Lord knows that the park is long overdue for a new coaster as the last one installed was way back in 2001, which was the Trace Du Hourra bobsled coaster from Mack. So far Intamin’s name is dropped most often, so I’ve got to wonder if perhaps they are looking to build their own version of Maverick.

And is that a dive loop I see... on an Inverted coaster...???

This looks incredible! It also looks like there will be an underwater tunnel! =D

And as for the theme... hmmm... blue-ish paint, yellow supports, and an Egyptian theme... doesn't that sound familiar to us BGT fans... =P **cough**Montu**cough**

And from Screamscape (today):

B&M - (11/22/10) One of our readers went by the B&M track production facility this week and found a whole yard full of new mysterious Blue track for an unknown project. Nothing odd to see about this track, as it all looks to be fairly standard B&M track size and style.
While the exact nature of the B&M Track Tags are somewhat of a mystery, I’ve been working on trying to break the code for some time and have a few speculative hints I can share. I’ve come to believe that when the Customer section reads “X-WORKS” it means that the track is for an international destination. I still believe that the letter codes at the start of the “Part No.” are also an indication of what kind of coaster this will be. This track is coded as “IC” which I believe stands for Inverted Coaster. Since this track does not match the color used for the only 2011 Inverted Coaster project known, Starry Night Ripper in China, then I can only assume that we are looking at a 2012 coaster project. The latest issue of First Drop magazine mentions that Parc Asterix is planning a new B&M Inverted coaster for 2012, so this could be it.

These next pics are coming from Screamscape:
































This, I gotta say, looks like it is indeed for an inverted coaster... and it even gets us closer to solving the B&M Mystery Yellow Track that was spotted last year... =D

Hersheypark Update

From Screamscape:

2012 - Attraction 2012 - (10/20/10) The latest rumor about Hersheypark’s 12th coaster project seems to indicate that the station for the new ride may be located near or even on the site of the old skyride station near the front entrance. Speaking of the new coaster, I had a thought. Given the questions asked by the RIT labcoats were all about the role water plays in a ride and drop ride sensations, could we be seeing a new B&M Dive Machine here?
(10/19/10) The crazy Hersheypark marketing team is at it again with what seems to be another Nantimi style viral marketing plot. Over the weekend there were a few people in white lab coats approaching guests to conduct surveys invoving questions about Airtime, water elements in rides and questions about freefall / drop rides. Fortunately for us, the staff of Keystone Thrills were one such group of guests surveyed, and have reported on the event.
Each of these lab coat staff members were wearing nametags, claiming to be staff from the “Ride Institute of Technology”. And the end of the survey, guests were given some exit passes and another small envelope with puzzle pieces in it. If you put the puzzle together it featured the RIT logo, website address and a message, “See u in the spring. Ride on!” Looking at the picture of the puzzle you’ll also notice that two of the puzzle piece are shaped like backwards numbers, so if you looked at the back of the puzzle it would make the number “12”. 12… not only as coming in 2012… but also because this will likely be the park’s 12th coaster. Now I wonder if there was a message at all on the back too… mirror writing, black-light writing, anything…
As for the website, there is a short interesting story, but no hard clues I could find… nor did I really expect to at this point in the game. No kissing on the first date after all, though they do provide an e-mail address to write into as well. Don’t bother looking to see who registered the site either… it’s been protected to cover up the owner’s identity. Nothing jumping out at me in the html code either I’m afraid, but feel free to poke around yourself as well.
While you ponder all this, Keystone Thrills has also sent us a link to their latest construction update at the park, showing off the various markings now in place.

So now we know the following rumors/facts:

*2012 opening
*Going up in Comet Hollow
*Station in either Tilt-a-Whirl (which may be removed offseason) or old Skyway station (however, I doubt the Skyway rumor).
*Either B&M or Intamin
*Survey markings in Comet Hollow
*Creekside Catering removal
*Possible punch through Comet's structure
*212 ft.
*Possible new path from Rhineland to Comet Hollow.
*32 columns on the lake
*Possible Spring 2011 announcement
*Airtime
*Possible water elements
*Possible freefall-style drop
*Intamin Mega Lite or B&M Dive Machine

This project gets more interesting...

UPDATE: I found this on the Ride Institute of Technology website (I'm bolding up an interesting point):

In April of 1911, one year after Comet Halley blazed across the night sky, two of the nation's leading research scientists quietly handed in their resignations and founded the Ride Institute of Technology (RIT).

Working from a nondescript laboratory outside Princeton, New Jersey, Dr. Jeffrey Clayton and Dr. David Austin initiated a series of cutting-edge experiments under complete secrecy. These tests were known as Project Alpha, and would forever change the nascent theme park business.

For eight years, Dr. Clayton and Dr. Austin worked on Project Alpha in isolation and obscurity, endlessly rerunning experiments, testing hypotheses, and establishing the standards of an industry they were building from the ground up.

In the fall of 1918, RIT rented the penthouse suite of a downtown New York City hotel. Here, they invited the world's foremost ride engineers, ride operators, and theme park executives for an exclusive look at the results of Project Alpha.

The reception was astounding, and those in attendance recall pandemonium as the presentation concluded. Well-dressed executives stood on chairs shouting, and in their frenzy, offered fantastic sums for exclusive rights to the findings.

RIT turned down every bidder, and Dr. Clayton and Dr. Austin left New York under cover of darkness. They soon rented a new laboratory in a new state, where they began to hire additional scientists, physicists, and engineers.

As RIT expanded, its founders gradually removed themselves from day-to-day operations. In time, a new generation of scientists moved into leadership positions, and in their bid to grow further, they placed RIT firmly in the public eye.

Today, RIT stands as the undisputed leader in the advanced research and testing of theme park rides and attractions. We are the first and largest firm within our industry, and our clients include every iconic theme park in the world.

It's been nearly 12 years since we've released a major new study, but in the spring of 2011, we will unveil our most ambitious undertaking yet. We look forward to sharing our results with the world, and our forthcoming website will explain these findings further.

Thank you for visiting the Ride Institute of Technology.

So it has been 12 years. Well, if they count 2010, that makes their last project occur in 1998... which was when Great Bear, the B&M Invert of that park, opened. Hmmm...

So after reading that, I'd be willing to bet that this will be a B&M coaster. Like Lance, I think we could be seeing a Dive Machine in that park (hopefully so =D). But IMO, this isn't the only possibility that came to mind.

There's also a flying coaster possibility, as Manta at SeaWorld dips in a pond of water, with a splash effect. Not to mention, a 212 ft. flying coaster would be AWESOME (especially with an Alpengeist-style drop)! =D And then there is one last possibility:



I know it's too early to tell, but if X Raptor is successful in Gardaland, B&M can build something similar at Hersheypark for 2012. Busch expanded the Dive Machine design; Hersheypark can possibly expand this design. With the ride possibly having some water effects (which X Raptor is possibly having), I can also see this happening, as well as an expanded design, with some possible airtime, rotating seats, 212 ft. vertical drop, a tunnel, and a zero-g-roll.



A hyper coaster also seems possible, but I'm not sure with all that small land (for an out-and-back hyper at least).

So yep, those are my possibilities as of now.