Corkscrew (Alton Towers)
| Corkscrew | |
|---|---|
| Alton Towers | |
| Location | Alton Towers |
| Park section | UG Land |
| Status | Closed |
| Opening date | 4 April 1980 |
| Closing date | Sunday 9 November 2008 |
| Cost | £1,250,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Vekoma |
| Designer | Vekoma |
| Model | Corkscrew with Bayerncurve |
| Track layout | custom |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Inversions | 2 |
| Duration | 1:45 |
| Max vertical angle | 43° |
| Capacity | 1,100 riders per hour |
| Acceleration | no launch |
| G-force | 3.1 |
| Corkscrew at RCDB | |
Corkscrew was a steel roller coaster made by Vekoma of the Netherlands. The coaster is located in the Ug Land area of Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England, pending its dismantling in the near future. It was the park's oldest ride and as one of the first British steel coasters, as well as one of the first double-looping coasters in Europe (the first in Britain),[1] received much publicity in the 1980s. However during the latter years of its operation, the ride became notorious for jerking riders' heads and necks in the firm headrests - riders often complained of slight neck pains after riding.
In October 2008, Alton Towers confirmed that the ride was to be dismantled at the end of the 2008 season, allegedly to make room for something 'bigger and better'. The park held a special event in honour of its oldest attraction on November 9th, 2008, on which day, the Corkscrew completed the final circuit of its 730m track. The official date for the last day in regular service is Sunday 2nd November 2008 - the last day of the season. The nearby Ug Swinger (chair-o-planes ride) is also being relocated to Cred Street making way for something new which has been codenamed 'Secret Weapon 6', or 'SW6'.
References
- ^ Roller coaster database http://www.rcdb.com/ir.htm?model=14
External links
- BritishCoasters homepage
- Corkscrew at RCDB
- Goodbye Corkscrew
- Corkscrew on Alton Towers Net
- Corkscrew data on Theme Park Junkies
- BBC News - 'Iconic Ride to Be Dismantled'
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