May 24 - We are closely following the exciting track replacement of the iconic Nemesis roller coaster at Alton Towers. Just as we saw with the overhaul of Duel into Curse of Alton Manor, Alton Towers is heavily marketing this extensive overhaul to immerse us in the story. All posters and advertising point towards the Phalanx where scientific testing is in progress. We even saw the Phalanx logo on the lorries seen transporting the track into the park.
Theme Park Worldwide has just posted their most recent Nemesis update at Alton Towers from the 23rd May where work is continuing at a very fast pace.
As you can see, there is more track waiting in the car park ready to be installed. Majority of the track already there has now been moved from the trailers onto the ground and protected from being scratched by metal or wooden blocks. A number of new supports have also arrived and are located on the trailers.
Although track has been arriving on trucks without the Phalanx branding, the Scott Foster crane being used for the retracking has got a banner on it saying "Phalanx Aerial Support Unit" which is a nice touch.
When looking at the site itself, foundations are in place for the big stall turn and further supports have been added including a section under the exit bridge before the train makes its way into the final inversion. No new track is in place since the last update as it appears the focus is on preparation. We can see pipes being lifted onto the site and wire and cable replacement. We are expecting to see a full update of the operating and computer systems during this extensive overhaul
It is expected that when the preparation work is done, the track currently sitting in the car park at the beginning of the video update will be installed in a short amount of time and most likely over night in order to not interrupt the running of the monorail and Galactica during park hours.
The existing track that is remaining looks like it has been cleaned but there is no sign of it being painted yet. We expect this will be one of the last jobs so as not to cause damage to it while the retracking is taking place.
There was big news last week when the $5 million investment, Nemesis Sub-Terra which was only open for 3 years (2012-15) was announced to be returning on 27th May. The new logo clearly uses the black and red colours which we are seeing on the new Nemesis track.
In the video update you can see that there is a lot of work being done on this attraction ready for its opening. Based on the Pre-shows which are currently being tested in the park it looks like they are very similar to the original although we still hope there will be some tweaks to highlight and tie it in with the new story of Nemesis.
The Phalanx vehicle has been removed in order to make way for an extended queue line. We are hoping to see it return somewhere nearby either when Nemesis Sub-Terra reopens on Saturday 27th May or next year when Nemesis reopens.
The question is asked in the video if we are likely to see a new retail location next year in Forbidden Valley. The Rollercoaster restaurant took over the former Air shop and we are guessing Alton Towers will bring out a lot of new merchandise to promote the new Nemesis retracking.
We think it would certainly be a sensible decision to make for not only merchandise but for food and beverages as we expect guests to spend a lot of time in Forbidden Valley when Nemesis reopens in 2024. We will keep you updated on this as well as further news on the progress being made on the Nemesis retracking when we hear more.
May 11 - Theme Park Worldwide have added a new construction update to YouTube this week which shows a host of developments at the site which can be seen from the recently erectly observation platform as well as from down on ground level.
As can be seen in the video, here is a run down of the current developments:
- A new logo has been added to the construction walls by the entrance Nemesis with #SEEK THE TRUTH
- Original brake run track is still in place and this is where they are now working from with new track now in place.
- Part of the support is in place for the final inversion which goes through the tunnel.
- Further track has been uncovered on trucks in the car park ready to be installed. You get to see a close up look at the new black track with the vivid red vein design on it. The design is very detailed and consists of a number of different shades of red with a white outline.
- There is a lot of track in the car park on 8 trailers, some has not been uncovered yet been uncovered including the track for the zero-G roll. A lot of work is being done overnight so we are expecting the track to really start going in over the next few weeks and the new Nemesis will
- New gloss black supports are also ready to be installed and are really striking.
- New trains are promised with no confirmed details so far.
The rumor (see below) back in January that the black B&M track seen at Clermont Steel Fabricators in Ohio was meant for Nemesis has come true!
Guests will be able to get excellent views of the Nemesis track replacement from the observation platform which is now in place. Announcements are made while standing on the observation platform to build the atmosphere around the development, "This is a biohazard risk containment zone, all hazardous material has been made safe for civilian viewing".
You also get to see in the video the Nemesis set piece which has been in place since Nemesis opened in 1994. For most people they may never have even noticed it but from the observation deck you can clearly see the impressive details.
It is commonly thought that the storyline for Nemesis sees the monster rising from the ground which is represented by the station and the track was holding it down but we are expecting a change in storyline considering the track now has the red vein design on it, implying the monster has now broken free and the track is now part of the monster itself.
With the black and red track it seems to hark back to the original logo design and has a comic book feel just like the actual comic book that was created about Nemesis in 1994. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet and there will undoubtedly be a lot of speculation surrounding this.
We will continue to bring you details of the construction progress of Nemesis at Alton Towers. Do you like the new black track with red vein design? So far in our poll, Has Alton Towers made the right decision with the new Nemesis track, 68% said "Absolutely - love the new black track with red veins!" and 32% said "No - should have kept the original grey!"
It will be interesting to see if opinion will change as more track is added to Nemesis over the coming weeks and months. Let us know your thoughts by voting in our poll or by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
UPDATE April 30 - There have been exciting times behind the scenes at Alton Towers over the last few weeks as new track for the iconic Nemesis roller coaster has been arriving ready to be installed for the complete track replacement.
Back in January there was talk online that the new track could be black rather than the original grey. Now according to a recent post by Blooloop the new track is not only black but also has red veins painted on it.
Now this is causing quite the stir with Nemesis fans and I must say this new paint job is somewhat of a surprise! It appears that the track is arriving to a site approximately 20 miles away from Alton Towers then the red veins are being painted by a local artist and then transported to the park ready to be installed.
Alton Towers has released a video of the new track arriving at the park from the Phalanx. The video which is embedded below is a fantastic way to build hype it is definitely working, we are seriously hyped!
Screamscape has also added a number of photos of the black Nemesis track arriving. With Nemesis being one of my all time favourite rides I can not explain how excited I am for the reopening in 2024. We will keep you posted on further updates on the track replacement of Nemesis here at Theme Park Tourist.
Continue, to read previous updates and developments from the Nemesis retracking at Alton Towers...
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