Big One (roller coaster)

Big One
the Big One From The Promenade
Location	Pleasure Beach Blackpool
Coordinates	53°47′21″N 3°03′19″W
Status	Operating
Opened	May 28, 1994
Cost	£12,000,000
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Arrow Dynamics
Designer	Ron Toomer
Model	Hyper Coaster
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	213 ft (65 m)
Drop	205 ft (62 m)
Length	5,497 ft (1,675 m)
Max speed	74 mph (119 km/h)
Duration	3:00
Max vertical angle	65°
Capacity	1700 riders per hour
Max G force	3.5
Height restriction	4 ft 4 in (132 cm)
Big One at RCDB
Pictures of Big One at RCDB
Amusement Parks Portal

The Big One is a steel roller coaster located at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in the United Kingdom. The ride was originally manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, a now defunct steel coaster manufacturer, and was sponsored by the soft drinks firm Pepsi, under their brand of Pepsi Max until 2011. The ride cost £12,000,000 ($19,669,316 USD) to build and is the second biggest ever investment for Pleasure Beach, beaten only by Valhalla, the most expensive dark ride in the world. At its highest point above ground level, the ride reaches 213 feet (65 m) with the first drop measuring 205 feet (62 m); the ride is marketed as being 235 feet (72 m) high which is the height from mean sea-level. It is also one of the longest out-and-back roller coasters, measuring 5,497 feet (1,675 m), which is over a mile in length. The first drop has an incline angle of 65 degrees and the usual maximum speed for the ride is 74 miles per hour (119 km/h). The ride lasts approximately three minutes and during this time riders normally experience positive g forces of up to 3.5G and negative g forces of up to 0.5G. The ride station is situated in the centre of the south end of the park, opposite the Irn-Bru Revolution and adjacent to Bling. There are three trains for the ride, however only a maximum of two trains are ever used, because of the loading times involved. There are five carriages to a train and six passengers to a carriage, enabling each train to carry thirty passengers in total. Riders sit on rows of two. The colour scheme for each train is the same- a blue base with two coloured bands around the side and front (red and white) showing the union jack. Each train is numbered at the back of the fifth carriage, and each carriage is numbered according to the back of each section. During testing, sand bags are used to weigh the train down. This is a safety mechanism and is common practice on roller coasters of a certain height. Before the ride was granted a certificate to operate, Pleasure Beach Blackpool had to appeal to Blackpool Airport which is one mile from the park. As the ride is so high, warning beacons had to be installed on the peaks of the first two hills, including the main drop, before the ride was given the all clear to operate.

Records

When it opened on May 28, 1994, the (Pepsi Max) Big One roller coaster was the tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster in the world. The ride lost its height record to Fujiyama in 1996, though it remained the fastest roller coaster in the world until 2001, when Colossos opened at Heide Park in Germany, and the tallest until 2002, when Silver Star opened at Europa-Park in Germany. The ride still remains the tallest roller coaster in the United Kingdom, but is no longer the fastest (the UK record going to Stealth at Thorpe Park). It is also the second longest in the UK, losing only to Lightwater Valley's Ultimate.

Injuries and Accidents

Main article: Incidents at European parks

The first accident happened only a week after the opening of the ride, in July 1994. Twenty-six people were injured when the computer system failed to completely stop a train returning to the station. The result of this brake failure was a collision with a waiting train at the rides station. The injuries were all only minor but the incident was widely publicised by the media.

Again in August 2001, 14 people were injured on the rollercoaster with two hospitalised after two carriages on the coaster collided, the incident was extensively reported in the British media at the time and resulted in the ride being closed for a short period. The incident occurred when a failure of the braking system caused a moving train to collide with a stationary one, trapping four riders in the carriages who were later freed by fire-fighters. A 13-year-old boy suffered a serious fracture to his right leg, and a 15-year-old boy was treated for spinal and rib injuries.

Marketing

Although the ride itself is marketed as being 235 feet (72 m) tall by the park, this is the height from sea-level (bearing in mind the ride is located opposite the Irish Sea). The height of the lift from ground-level is about 213 feet (65 m) with a drop of about 205 feet (62 m). Notably, if using heights from sea level, there are many roller coasters in the UK and around the world that are "higher" than 235 feet.

When the ride was first opened, the park sold advance boarding tickets for the ride, resulting in the formation of the 235 CLUB (now known as Club Pleasure Beach). The ride is primarily marketed as the tallest ride in the U.K.

References

• Roberts, J.M. (November 1, 1994). "The 'Pepsi Max Big One' rollercoaster - Blackpool Pleasure Beach". The Structural Engineer (Institution of Structural Engineers) 72 (21): 345–349. 

External links

• Pleasure Beach Blackpool, Pepsi Max Big One Official Site
• Statistics and Pepsi Max Big One Image Gallery
• Pics of the Pepsi Max Big One and a front seat ride

Preceded by Desperado

World's Tallest Complete Circuit Roller Coaster May 1994–July 1996

Succeeded by Fujiyama