Hersheypark Skyrush Construction Update #48 (10-26-11)

In this week’s update, work seems to steadily trudging on and with work on the footers for Skyrush’s two giant supports currently going on, we are closer to the ride going vertical.

EDIT: The photos may appear a little stretched out, but if you click on them, they’ll appear normal.

No new track or supports have arrived yet, but here are two shots of the last two loads.

Let move over to the construction site. Remember back in January when several benches were located along the creek on the hillside? They appear to be saved and are now stored behind the shed at the construction site entrance.

Taken in January.

You can see the seat laying behind the shed inside the yellow circle if you look closely.

The bases for the collumns that are going to be part of the curved airtime hill.

Several more collumns still need to be added on this part of the site. They probably will be the last to be added since access to the

 inside is from here.

Collumn for the exit of the curved airtime hill.

Two more footers still need to be built, but work probably won’t start on them until after Hersheypark in the Dark this weekend.

Approximately 9 more footers still need to be started, 9 other footers are waiting for the underground supports for the footers and 8

 footers are currently being worked on and are close to being finished. This is all in the main ride area.

This path looks like it will offer some great views of the coaster as well as the first drop with the Kissing Tower.

These guys seem to move fast when construction the footers. It feels like it takes them around a week from this stage to the final

 completion.

This will be the location of the last two footers for Skyrush’s first airtime hill. They seem to have the ground ready to start drilling the

 underground concrete support pieces.

You can see where they chipped away at the hillside for the next group of footers. Those trees still need to be taken out.

Looks like footer work may be starting soon for the station and break-run part of the coaster.

The 2nd lift hill footer is really moving along. It looks like they just poured concrete for one side and are ready to case up the other

 side. Interestingly, it looks like the base might be a concrete building of some sort.

Freshly poured. Mmm.

The mysterious foundation has cured.

It really wouldn’t shock me if they start going vertical with the lift hill considering that it’s colder and windier higher up.

Lastly, it looks like work on lift hill footer #1 seems to be starting. Hopefully we’ll be able to get a better view of this on Saturday.

Here’s a look at the map this week. Expect another update coming up this weekend!

Hersheypark Skyrush Update #47 (10-16 & 10-20-11)

This past week, Hersheypark’s General Manager, Frank O’Connell has passed away so this week’s update will be in honor of him. We wished that he would’ve been able to be at Skyrush’s grand opening. He will be missed.

 

Let’s start this update looking at what’s happening inside park from our 2nd Hersheypark in the Dark Meet-Up.

Shouldn’t be too long until it goes vertical. Photo by HPCrazy.

I seriously would’ve thought that they would’ve waited until Christmas when the Comet would be closed to work on the footers under the turnaround. Photo by HPCrazy.

I made a map showing approximately how many footers have been done so far from what I can see. You can see it at the end of the update. Photo by HPCrazy.

Looks like they might start on the footers up here soon. Photo by HPCrazy.

The markers by Comet’s exit have been re-painted. Photo by HPCrazy.

Temporary restrooms to take the place of the older ones. Photo by HPCrazy.

Over at Skyrush’s future station, it looks like utility work has begun. Photo by HPCrazy.

New maintenance path to the lift building for Comet. I want to say that it’s been there for awhile, but it’s hard to tell with Looper Lanes being there. Photo by HPCrazy.

Looks like they have the transfer track footers marked out.

Half of Looper Lanes is still there. Photo by HPCrazy.

On the future new path, they seem to be starting to either dig utilities or the footers for the first lift support.

Let’s fast-forward to today and start the next update checking out what this week’s delivery of track is.

This week’s theme seems to be the lift hill peak and more first drop pieces.

It’s a small delivery and I did dectect some silver in the last photo so maybe it’s part of the catwalk?

From left to right: some curvey unknown yellow piece, a strange box to double spine track piece, a no-spine piece that looks like it connects after a lift hill piece on the first drop, lift pieces on where the catchcar drops after pulling the train up the lift hill.

Let’s head back to the construction site.

New footer for the far-turn. Still several to do on this side of the layout.

Footers for the curved airtime hill are starting to take shape.

So much progress since the first footers showed up several months ago…

But so much still needs to be done.

The next area where we’ll see more work happen.

This new path will be exciting since you will now have the option of just skip walking though Founder’s Circle and head straight for the coasters.

Most of these trees will need to go.

A new manhole cover for the sewer.

It looks like they ready for concrete for the 2nd lift hill footer. That thing looks massive.

It seems like some of the theming aspects of the ride have begun. If they add paint, then this will add a nice touch to the ride area.

I think the biggest mystery of today has to be this. I have no clue what it could be for, but it has to be for Skyrush. I guess we’ll find out soon.

Now that the leaves are falling from the trees, it should be easier to see the station construction. Could the restrooms already be gone from the look of these photos?

Here’s an approximate guess on which footers seem to be done, under construction, and about to be started. As you can see, it looks like much of the main ride area seems to be finished or soon to be finished.

That’s it for this update. Thanks for reading!

Hersheypark Skyrush Update #45 &46 (10-10 & 10-12-11)

Since you guys have been very patient for another update, I will be giving you guys two! Let’s get started!

By this time the track storage area looks no different than last week.

Could this be the catch-car for the cable lift hill?

Lift hill pieces. You can tell from the brackets on the side for the catwalk.

This track keeps getting curvier the more I see it.

This is a rare piece for this layout.

Using the Kissing Tower, Great Bear and Storm Runner as comparison points, this is kind of an estimated idea on what the skyline may look like with Skyrush. It looks like it maybe as visible as the tower.

Back at Ground Zero for construction, it looks like they are about to build the footers that are under Comet’s turnaround.

Vertical construction really doesn’t look too far off.

The creek is now going through these pipes to releave the stress on the ones running under the construction site.

They’re working their way down the hillside. It’s almost to the point where they may need to start focusing on the area next to the pump building.

The second lift hill footer is starting to take shape.

It’s good to see the creek blocked off again.

Hopefully this pipe will help them out.

Just about done!

At least it doesn’t look like a lake anymore.

Dig!!!

Going off-topic for a little, They seem to be almost finished converting HP Memories into a Christmas Shop.

Tis’ the Season.

The images are new.

Peeking into Rhineland, they have set up some temporary outdoor shops. Looks like the buildings won’t be opening up soon?

They’ve gutted the ticket booths.

Hersheypark in the Dark starts on Friday. What new discoveries will we find in Comet Hollow??? Find out this weekend! Now back to Skyrush!

The next group of photos were taken today (10-12-11) at the track storage area from the Hershey Gardens parking lot.

The lift track has arrived!

Let’s see, I spy the lift support, a possible piece for the first drop, and top piece for the lift hill. Looks like the catch car will travel under the track similar to Expedition Ge-Force at Holiday Park in Germany.

Here’s a closer look.

I doodled this in so it would be easier to picture how steep this lift hill will be.

The train will be going from right-to-left on this track section. That’s 50 degrees folks!

So far it’s seeming very likely that these are for the lift under the track. I have a feeling that when everything is done, the lift will look different from Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion.

 

I wonder what’s going to be attached to those rectangular boxes?

 

More station or brake-run pieces?

More pulleys for the lift hill cable.

I can never get tired of looking at this photo.

Just think, these pieces will be placed around 200 feet into the air.

Through the fence!

 

That’s it until this weekend (unless many more track pieces show up before then). Thanks for reading!

 

 

Hersheypark Skyrush Construction Update #44 (10/2/11)

Happy October. To start out the month, here’s another track update and this week there is sure to be a suprise.

Hmm… Interesting.

Let’s see… strangely shaped brackets for the supports to mount to the track…

…a trough in the center of the track for the lift cable… looks like some lift track.

The mystery of those yellow pieces may have been solved.

 That piece in the center looks like the piece for inside the station.

 It may look like we may be dealing with a lift system different from Intimidator 305.

 Now that they moved the crane, check out how small this piece is.

I have a feeling that those papers attached to that blue thing may explain what it’s for.

 The field is full of track at this point, but there’s still more that still needs to arrive.

 

I should be able to do a construction site update too hopefully sometime within the next few days.

Also, a little bit of an update on the blog/ forums. You may now reach this blog through the following address: http://keystonethrills.com

Try it out and see if it works! Right now the forums still have the same address at http://keystonethrills.megabb.com and I will update you on when that changes.