Honestly, before Griffon opened I spent little to no time in France/Ireland. I can absolutely see why the park would want to have more actual rides over there to draw guests away from Italy and Germany, which get VERY crowded sometimes.
Project 2019: Finnegan's Flyer (S&S Screamin' Swing)
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this, power is being tapped out quickly with each new ride, its not like the park has unlimited power all over the park
There is no reason they cant get all the power they want, it comes down to they not wanting to upgrade their infastructure. I still to this day can not believe they havent added what they need to powere the CT lights and rely on gensets around the park. I gave them a pass the first couple years when they were trying out the event but by now there is no excure. KD has invested a huge amount in wiring around the park.
I'm no electrical engineer (I didn't stay at Holiday Inn Express) but could the pipeline handcuff electrical (utility) expansion? Obviously all of BGW's utilities are buried. With the pipeline cutting across (almost) the middle of the park, can they bury new utilities lines on top of it?
Secondly, Dominion is completing the Skiffes Creek switching station, adding a major transmission line. Perhaps Dominion may have told BGW "you'll be able to get more power" once the project is completed.
Secondly, Dominion is completing the Skiffes Creek switching station, adding a major transmission line. Perhaps Dominion may have told BGW "you'll be able to get more power" once the project is completed.
I am sure they are at no shortage of electricity with the loss of DK, they just have to reroute it at this point.
the park's power grid is strained, even with DK closed, why else put a new ride in Ireland, because its the only place that doesn't have a ton of power hungry rides already
I'm sure more went into it than that, for example the fact it has only had one ride for a long time, and they like to kinda "revamp" an area around the same time. Ireland deserves another ride, and it'll bring people to that half of the park. Maybe increase business at O'Tators.
you cant increase business to a restaurant that is always closed
if anyone seriously thinks that power is not a problem for the park; you are sorely mistaken
the parks electrical grid hasnt been expanded since about the time Festa was added
if anyone seriously thinks that power is not a problem for the park; you are sorely mistaken
the parks electrical grid hasnt been expanded since about the time Festa was added
People would do very well to listen to @VonDerrick here.
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Even pure logic, simple research, and a very basic understanding of electrical grids back up what @VonDerrick is saying. The last major upgrade to their grid was when Festa went in, and each project since then has expanded on the existing grid in it's respective source. Madrid is likely going to include a major overhaul to some blocks and/or a new grid. Hence the filings of possibly taking power of DF to Festa Field. Wild Landing and Ireland are two area's where power isn't at a premium.
Personally I think that the location, lack of major attractions, what needs to come out, are all byproducts of the fact that there's available power there.
FWIW air pumps are a drain on power sources.
Personally I think that the location, lack of major attractions, what needs to come out, are all byproducts of the fact that there's available power there.
FWIW air pumps are a drain on power sources.
Im also not saying that the current infrastructure of the park isnt at its max but if they wanted more power Dominion would gladly give it to them. Its all a matter of cost and what they are willing to invest to get that power. Its just like yout house, if your panelbox has no empty slots and you have a 100 amp service its up to you to upgrade it to one with more circuts and a higher amapcity. Once you do that Dominion or one of its subs will come out and change your service drop. Its that same thing at BGW just on a much larger scale.
Frankly we have no idea Dominion's capacity on the street. It is entirly possible that whole new lines would have to be run. In fact the regions long haul capacity is being strained, not because Surry can't put out more megawatts its is because there is not enough copper underground or up on poles. (well aluminum in many cases...) I'm not saying that they can't and won't, but that with an industrial facility additional amos are not necessarily a given. In fact often the cost of bringing power to a power hungry location is split among the provider, the client, and even the government.
Commenting about power here from someone who's done electrical work and has worked with amusement rides.
The electrical grid of a park often is not neatly cut up based on areas, and is instead just random selection from a transformer that has the available capacity to it.
My old park Great Adventure has 5 different electrical grids for the rides, and on one of the grids Nitro is on the same connection as Twister and Deja Vu. The Looney Toon Seaport and Safari Kids is powered via 3 separate grids. Just two examples.
I would not be surprised to look at BGW's grids and find a similar selection of rides scattered around the park. I also would not be surprised to find out if Finnegan's Flyer is going to be occupying the same grid that Darkastle recently freed up.
The electrical grid of a park often is not neatly cut up based on areas, and is instead just random selection from a transformer that has the available capacity to it.
My old park Great Adventure has 5 different electrical grids for the rides, and on one of the grids Nitro is on the same connection as Twister and Deja Vu. The Looney Toon Seaport and Safari Kids is powered via 3 separate grids. Just two examples.
I would not be surprised to look at BGW's grids and find a similar selection of rides scattered around the park. I also would not be surprised to find out if Finnegan's Flyer is going to be occupying the same grid that Darkastle recently freed up.
The only counter I would put to that, especially with BGW, is that we don't know how it was fully planned.
I'm going with the assumption (based on the research of past rides plans and the electrical work filed at about the same time as PM) that the Rhine acts as a 'natural divider' in the power grid of the park. Where as the divide side to side is less apparent.
Fin's Flyer is pulling power from Grif's area. As far as I could tell, the only other major attractions taking power from that same area are InvadR, Le Scoot, LeCatap, BfE. Of course more than just that pulls from that same area.
The area's I can't be certain on how it's divided is the Germany through Oktoberfest to Festhaus Field. I'm guessing that's all one block. San Marco, to Festa, to EfP looks one block, hence the looking into pulling power from DF's area, so I'm going to guess there's some divide up in the Germany area, and not one in the Italy area. Nesse remained a mystery to me because she's old enough that plans for her stuff isn't digitized.
If I had to take a random stab from a urban planner standpoint, inside the park BGW has at least 3 major divides, at most 6. And likely 1 more for outside the park and BTS operations.
Other reasons why that particular location in Ireland is desirable are:
1. Ease of access for construction. Equipment can utilize the pipeline easement for transport of building materials.
2. Convenient location to the employee parking lot, which can be used as a staging area for building materials and construction machines.
3. Ample parking in the employee parking lot for construction workers.
4. The pipeline easement provides a direct route out to employee parking area. No convoluted pathways or significant obstacles to avoid.
1. Ease of access for construction. Equipment can utilize the pipeline easement for transport of building materials.
2. Convenient location to the employee parking lot, which can be used as a staging area for building materials and construction machines.
3. Ample parking in the employee parking lot for construction workers.
4. The pipeline easement provides a direct route out to employee parking area. No convoluted pathways or significant obstacles to avoid.
If the tree removal crew is an example, they accessed via the gate (4) adjacent to First Aid and drove their trucks directly to the site via the service road/pipeline clear-cut that runs alongside the train tracks. I'm sure large pieces will use that route.
In that the majority of construction will happen on days the park is closed, walk-in workers will probably use the access gate (6) from the England parking lot. That's a pretty short walk. They could also use that lot area for staging.
In that the majority of construction will happen on days the park is closed, walk-in workers will probably use the access gate (6) from the England parking lot. That's a pretty short walk. They could also use that lot area for staging.
I really all this talk of access and power have little to do with the chosen location, sure they were considered but I think they picked a location then thought about how to get it there. I really think they know they need something in that area of the park. BFE was an attempt at that and it failed. This attraction will have very few heavy or large pieces. The heaviest will be the drive system. They should have no problem assembling it on a day to a day and a half for the main structure. So they will only need a crane for a couple days. Look at the limited access for things like Griffon and Aplollo and those were built and those both had massive cranes on site for weeks.
Im sorry but no. In any development project the first question is “can the infrastructure handle it”. The first time I was overseeing a project that was the first thing my boss said to me.
Step 1: Pick what you want; S&S Flyer
Step 2: Find where in you infrastructure can take the power/drainage loads
Step 3: Pick plots of land in the infrastructure that can be developed
Step 4: figure out how to get it there.
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