I feel like ending the debate right now that you can't have two launched coasters side by side:
http://www.parkz.com.au/photo/AU/Gold_C ... aster.html
Yes, It is a bit odd, but in terms of marketing a new ride, most members of the GP wouldn't really know about it's location in the park beforehand, and hence aren't going to come to that conclusion.
wouldn't the ride need exceptionally strong tracking, escpecially on the launch 'track', so that wear is not done to it?
But it wouldn't be any worse then what happens to a regular wooden coaster.
Say you had a flat length of track, and the train was speeding along at 100 km/h, on the flat bit of track the only force on it would be the weight of the train...there are no turns so there are no lateral forces, and the track isn't curving upward, so no g forces stronger than +1 are generated.
All you would need to do would be to make sure the track/metal surfacing could deal with wheels running across it at that speed, but since there are a number of woodies out there that travel that fast there should be no new challenges.
I think my only concern would be timber warpage misaligning the sensitive launch components (Eg LSMs), but as has been mentioned you could get around this by having the launch on a steel structure.
Alternativley, you could use a launch system such as frictional tyres, where movement is less of an issue.
Now, I know the idea of a launched woodie generates a bit of :roll: amongst some. A woodie has been a long wanted/planned ride, but at the same time the restrictions would mean you are limited to a low to the ground Prowler or Freizeitpark Plohn style layout. The main issue there is that you still need a big drop at the start to make sure the train has enough speed so airtime is generated on this style of course, but of course this isn't allowed at Alton.
I think this is where a launched woodie would become useful. You could have a low to the ground layout with lots of low hills that satisfies local restrictions, but you give the ride the constant speed it needs to make this style of layout a success by having multiple sets of LIMs/LSMs scattered throughout.
Anyhow, if I were building a woodie at Alton, that's how I'd approach it, not saying that's what they would be planning or whatever.