Alton Towers Almanac: Gallery: Rita

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ATA › Gallery › Features › Access All Areas › Rita - Queen of Speed

Please note that all of the photographs shown were taken with the park's permission. You should not attempt to enter these areas yourself without prior consent.

Inside the hydraulics shed, you can see the massive steel drum that pulls the winch cable.

When a launch happens, there is a quick and almost voilent noise as the drum spins, and then nothing for a second or so, until you hear the train rumbling above you at 60mph!

Looking down the hydraulics shed room. At the end of the room is a computer with software monitoring and logging every single launch.

A look at the screen of the computer with all the launch information, updated live as the trains roar above.

We move past the viewing window and into the room that houses the drum.

Looking at the huge structure, with the many pipes sticking out of it.

Looking at the drum from another angle.

One of the rooms in the hydraulics shed has this diagram on the wall.

Looking down the Rita launch track, from the back of the loading platform

From the track crossing platform looking down towards the launch.

Looking down the launch from the tubular track.

Another shot looking down the launch from the track crossing platform.

A slightly lower view of the launch track.

The catch car is clearly visible in the foreground - it is used to pull the train forward to 60mph in just over 2 seconds.

At the end of the offload platform, looking down towards the station.

Train 2 sat in the station.

Looking down the train full of water-filled test dummies, towards the launch section.

Looking down the launch track from the front row of train 2.

A head-on view of a Rita train.

Another head-on view of a Rita train.

Looking at the train sat in the station.

A close-up of the highly decorative 'bonnet'.

Looking up at the starting lights from the opposite side of the platform to the queue area.

Looking inside the Rita garage from the brake run.

Near the end of the launch section, looking towards Ug Swinger.

We move forwards a bit and have another look.

From the same position, looking back down the launch section of track.

Looking from the control tower at the station platform.

What the operator can see from the control tower.

The Operator's console in the Rita Control Room.

A closer look at the screen above the Operator's panel in the Rita control booth.

A closeup of the screen on the Operator's console.

The announcements console in the Rita control booth.

The view of the launch section of track, from the steps by the control tower.

The view of Rita launching, from the steps by the control tower.

The view the Operator gets of the starting lights.

The launch of a train, seen from a ride assistant's perspective.

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