Exclusive New Photos of Inside Everest!!

[peter11435]

If ya look at the links from before with the track under construction, the switches are more or less like railroad turnouts. One part goes straight and the other part turns off on a curve. So I think this is definatly one of the switches. But we can't tell for sure cause there is a drop cloth over the track.

Even without the plastic you would not be able to tell as the switch does NOT work like a railroad switch. It does not simply slide over but rather spins around revealing an entirely new piece of track. This is why the one side can be banked as totodog pointed out.

If you lighten the image in Photoshop you will see that there is plastic extending into the darkened area. This would be further evidence that the other side of the rotating switch is down there in the darkness.
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[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Who is the photographer (or is it a secret) - can they get any more ?
Great shots

 

[ogryn]

That was my guess when just the track work was up. Something like your train comes into the mountain via the light tunnel and then encounters the yetti (which would be behind the cameraman in the picture). Then the yetti does something to make your train go backwards down that dark tunnel (or the other way around).

I would agree with this conclusion (apart from the Yeti bit)

Is that a speaker in the photo as well? Top-Right corner?

 

[Lynx04]

Even without the plastic you would not be able to tell as the switch does NOT work like a railroad switch. It does not simply slide over but rather spins around revealing an entirely new piece of track. This is why the one side can be banked as totodog pointed out.
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Exactly, if you look at the pic I posted you will see the tack under the spin of the other track. That is the track you see in the tunnel pic.

Like you said, you can still see the track rails under the plastic.

 

[Lynx04]

I would agree with this conclusion (apart from the Yeti bit)

Is that a speaker in the photo as well? Top-Right corner?

Yes it is a speaker, obvious it is hidden from view of the guests. The Yeti is not at either switch track. He is at the bottom of the mountain.

 

[KaliSplash]

I'm not one to write and thank people for posting pictures every time they do, though I do appreciate them.

BUT

WOW!

 

[Lionking]

Thanks for the pics can't wait to ride

 

[wdwishes2005]

Yes it is a speaker, obvious it is hidden from view of the guests. The Yeti is not at either switch track. He is at the bottom of the mountain.

maybe you almost go careening off the cliff, then stop and head backwards.

 

[totodog]

Exactly, if you look at the pic I posted you will see the tack under the spin of the other track. That is the track you see in the tunnel pic.

Like you said, you can still see the track rails under the plastic.

I see that now...i was looking for a traditional switch...didn't know it rotated. Very cool and now I'm even more impressed.

 

[Captain Hank]

Wow, awesome pics. Thanks! :wave:

 

[ogryn]

Going *way* back, IIRC, the notion always was that the train would reach the summit, and while you are being distracted the wheels on the train would start slipping, then plummit faster back into the mountain.

 

[CoffeeJedi]

Going *way* back, IIRC, the notion always was that the train would reach the summit, and while you are being distracted the wheels on the train would start slipping, then plummit faster back into the mountain.

actually, i think that the idea was originally to have the coupling to the engine snap and you'd coast down the mountain backwards without it (but then the BTMRR incident at DL happened and put the kabosh on that)
this idea originally came from Western River Expidition, but was turned into Big Thunder without the decoupling story element

 

[pbc]

I thought it was the train is going through the mountain when it happens upon a twisted up piece of track.

And people are like, "OH MY! A YETI'S BEEN IN THESE PARTS!"

And since the track is torn up the train has to go backwards and encounters a yeti, a helix, etc.

 

[nyfrenchy]

I find it hard to believe that it will take 8 more months before opening.... It looks so close to completion, I just can't wait!

 

[marlaymike]

Great Pics!!!!

Thank you!

 

[WDWScottieBoy]

EXCELLENT pics, thanks so much for sharing them! :sohappy:

 

[SpenceMan01]

Nice Pics, EE looks great.


Is the first pic the first switch track? It looks like their is track going down into the dark. I know that the train comes around like that then goes backwards. \

This is the part I am talking about:

http://www.orlandorocks.com/full_photo.asp?fname=ak_ee_7_12_2004%20(4).jpg&caption=Expedition%20Everest%20construction%20site.%20%207/18/04

http://www.orlandorocks.com/full_photo.asp?fname=ak_ee_7_18_2004%20(15).jpg&caption=Expedition%20Everest%20construction%20site.%20%207/18/04

Yes. The ice tunnel is indeed the switchtrack shown in the first picture you have there. In that picture the switch is rotated so that it lines up with the dark (left tunnel) while in the new picture, it's spun into it's other position lining up with the light (right) tunnel. You can tell from looking at the banking in each picture as the track straightens out. It's harder to see in the old picture, but you can see that it's clearly the same set of track. The part covered in plastic in the new picture is the rotating section

I would have to imagine that this IS the place where you come into the tunnel (from the light path), hit the deadend with the gnarled track, then slip backwards (down the dark tunnel). You can see the rest of cave track here: http://www.orlandorocks.com/full_photo.asp?fname=ak_ee_7_12_2004%20(3).jpg&caption=Expedition%20Everest%20construction%20site.%20%207/18/04

Thanks yensid for awesome pics!! :sohappy:

 

[WDW Kip]

I find it hard to believe that it will take 8 more months before opening.... It looks so close to completion, I just can't wait!

Those really are some awesome pics. Until now, I'd only seen pics inside the mountain that looked like the rock wall, so it's nice to see the ice/snow theming carry over inside the structure.

Do you really think it'll take 8 more months to open? We're heading out to WDW in Jan. '06, and we were hoping that a possible soft opening might be in effect.

 

[Yen_Sid1]

How about a picture of the area Yeti will appear it??

Great pictures as usuall.....

This the best I can do. The Yeti should appear on the platform to the right where all the scaffolding is.

http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=15356&cat=500&ppuser=7552

 

[Yen_Sid1]

how old are these pics? in the ice tunnels pic the track is covered in a tarp. no more pull throughs/tests?

Over a week old. They still cover the track while they are still welding, spraying gunite, and painting.