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The '''''Pepsi Max Big One''''' is a [[Steel roller coaster|steel]] [[roller coaster]] located at [[Pleasure Beach, Blackpool|Pleasure Beach Blackpool]] in the [[United Kingdom]]. The ride was originally manufactured by [[Arrow Dynamics]], a now defunct steel coaster manufacturer, and is sponsored by the soft drinks firm [[Pepsi]], under their brand of [[Pepsi Max]]. The ride cost £12,000,000 ($19,669,316 [[USD]]) to build and is the second biggest ever investment for ''Pleasure Beach''. At its highest point above ground level, the ride reaches {{Convert|213|ft}} with the first drop measuring {{Convert|205|ft}}; the ride is marketed as being {{Convert|235|ft}} high which is the height from mean sea-level. It is also one of the longest [[Out and Back roller coaster|out-and-back]] roller coasters, measuring {{Convert|5497|ft}}, 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 {{Convert|74|mi/h}}, although this has sometimes been recorded as being up to {{Convert|77|mi/h}}, during heavy precipitation. 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 |
The '''''Pepsi Max Big One''''' is a [[Steel roller coaster|steel]] [[roller coaster]] located at [[Pleasure Beach, Blackpool|Pleasure Beach Blackpool]] in the [[United Kingdom]]. The ride was originally manufactured by [[Arrow Dynamics]], a now defunct steel coaster manufacturer, and is sponsored by the soft drinks firm [[Pepsi]], under their brand of [[Pepsi Max]]. The ride cost £12,000,000 ($19,669,316 [[USD]]) to build and is the second biggest ever investment for ''Pleasure Beach''. At its highest point above ground level, the ride reaches {{Convert|213|ft}} with the first drop measuring {{Convert|205|ft}}; the ride is marketed as being {{Convert|235|ft}} high which is the height from mean sea-level. It is also one of the longest [[Out and Back roller coaster|out-and-back]] roller coasters, measuring {{Convert|5497|ft}}, 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 {{Convert|74|mi/h}}, although this has sometimes been recorded as being up to {{Convert|77|mi/h}}, during heavy precipitation. 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 silver base with three coloured bands around the side and front (amber, blue and yellow). 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 five miles 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. The ride is currently the tallest in the [[United Kingdom]] and one of the fastest and longest roller coasters in Europe. |
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==Ride Experience== |
==Ride Experience== |
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Revision as of 19:21, 19 June 2010
| Pepsi Max Big One | |
|---|---|
 Pepsi Max From The View | |
| Pleasure Beach Blackpool | |
| Location | Pleasure Beach Blackpool |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 28, 1994 |
| Cost | £12,000,000 ($19,000,000) |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Designer | Ron Toomer |
| Model | Hyper Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Duration | 3:00 |
| Max vertical angle | 65° |
| Capacity | 1700 riders per hour |
| G-force | 3.5 |
| Pepsi Max Big One at RCDB | |
The Pepsi Max 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 is sponsored by the soft drinks firm Pepsi, under their brand of Pepsi Max. The ride cost £12,000,000 ($19,669,316 USD) to build and is the second biggest ever investment for Pleasure Beach. 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), although this has sometimes been recorded as being up to 77 miles per hour (124 km/h), during heavy precipitation. 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 silver base with three coloured bands around the side and front (amber, blue and yellow). 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 five miles 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. The ride is currently the tallest in the United Kingdom and one of the fastest and longest roller coasters in Europe.
Ride Experience
The ride starts off by loading passengers behind air gates which lock and unlock as the train leaves and enters the station. Once the safety bars and seat belts have been checked, the train is dispatched down a sharp dip, into a right hand turn and through a giant novelty tunnel, themed as a Pepsi Max can. From here the train latches onto the computer-controlled chain lift and begins a climb of 235 ft, lasting approximately one minute before the train is fed onto the first drop, which twists sharply to the right and drops downwards towards Ocean Boulevard. During this time the train reaches an estimated speed of 74 mph. After the first and main drop, the train straightens itself out and quickly climbs the first of four flat triangular hills. From here the train drops adjacently from the promenade and sharply enters the first and main helix. The train then drops to the right and begins its return journey to the station. Two large triangular hills guide the train to the right of the first structure, the first quickly dropping past the Tom Sawyer lake (which houses Infusion). The final drop forms an archway above the south entrance of the park, and feeds the train onto the mid-course break structure which sharply slows the train down. From here the train enters the second helix, above the Steeplechase ride before straightening out and twisting past the Big Blue Hotel. The train then coasts over the Pleasure Beach south car park and twists to the left of the Pleasure Beach train station, before gathering speed and diving into a second tunnel which runs underground. Exiting the tunnel, the train straightens out once more and enters the final break run before curving to the right of the first drop and returning to the station to unload.
Maintenance
The ride has undergone numerous changes over the years, including re-profiling of the first drop and of the turnaround over the north entrance of the park in 1997. This has made the crest of the first drop both steeper and smoother, and tightening of the turnaround helix has made the trains run the course to a sharper extent than previously. After the park season ended in 2008, maintenance workers arrived to re-construct the track section before the mid-course brakes. Cranes were brought in and the area surrounding Watson Road and the South Ocean Boulevard were closed as the track was removed. This is because riders had complained that the vibrating of the trains on this particular section of the ride was too rough.
Records
When it opened on May 28, 1994, the Pepsi Max Big One roller coaster was the tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster of any park in the world. The ride lost its height records to Fujiyama in 1996, though it remained the fastest roller coaster in Europe 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 (from mean sea level), 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
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 firefighters.
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[1].
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
- ^ BBC News Report:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/905362.stm
- Roberts, J.M. (November 1, 1994). "The 'Pepsi Max Big One' rollercoaster - Blackpool Pleasure Beach". The Structural Engineer. 72 (21). Institution of Structural Engineers: 345–349.