Upon further reading that info was already known! It would have been down to cost v benefit at that time. Spending the capital on the control system for a short term gain does not appear completely logical to do. Especially when the ride was closed 2 years thereafter.(they should of known the expected remaining life). In 2004 capex was being spent on the claw and visitor numbers expected to grow from that alone. Why bother upgrading the control system then? It could of been closed earlier. Therefore i suspect it was closed for structural or safety reasons. But the structural reasons should have been forseen. Both could be fixed if the benefit v cost stacks up. New management equals new assumptions...
Www opened in 2006 but was planed capex wise years in advance..before 2003.....