Moving Right Along 09 Feb 09 - Posted by Mike
view of the turnaround with the 2nd drop
setting the last turnaround bent
The FireBall at Happy Valley in Sheshan, Songjiang, Shanghai is coming along nicely. The new photos we received from M&V show much progress since the last update.
The construction crew from Martin & Vleminckx set the last bent (cross-section frame) in the far turnaround which connects the second drop to the climb up into the turnaround.
peering down the 2nd drop
the climb up into far turnaround
Typically, as soon as section of bents are erected, tracking can begin on a portion of that area. You can see the start of the track layers in the images.
The view from inside the turnaround is pretty spectacular with excellent views of the first and second drops as well as the previously mentioned twisty track. Did we mention that this ride will be packed full of airtime?
The following images show the views in and around the turnaround curves and hills.
 view of the 1st and 2nd hills |
 twisting double down |
 drop off far turnaround |
So what’s next? The first construction area for bents was the ride’s ending, brake run, station and lift hill. Zone 2 consisted of the 2nd hill, the far turnaround and the guts inside. The footings of zone 3 is shown in this image which is the second turnaround and the connecting hills between zones 1 and 3.
zone 3 - coming right up
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Have you guys ever made a ride not packed full of airtime?
Looks like the construction is moving along smoothly. Construction photos are fun because they show more track shaping details than the renderings do. Thanks for the update.
Wow that is looking insanely good, it’s very twisty but I see a lot of TGG flare hidden in those hills and twists, this is really gonna be a major winner for 09 and most likely yet another gold ticket to add to your collection
Those are awesome photos! I agree with Kevin, it’s cool to see a coaster grow step by step (like on a live webcam).
Wow, Fireball looks epic so far and like promised it looks like it will be packed with airtime. I have to say this is easily your most beautiful looking ride yet.
Did anyone notice they use pictures of ‘El Toro’ at the Happy Valley website? It looks like Fireball will be the centerpiece of the park.
Parks often use pictures of similar rides to advertise those under construction. The only one I can think of that used a construction picture in an advertisement was Hades.