Astro Storm
| Space Invader 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pleasure Beach Blackpool | |
| Location | Pleasure Beach Blackpool |
| Status | Closed |
| Opening date | August 21st 1984 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Enclosed |
| Manufacturer | Zierer |
| Designer | Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH |
| Lift/launch system | Chain Lift Hill |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 1:30min |
| Max vertical angle | 36° |
| G-force | 2.6 |
| Space Invader 2 at RCDB | |
Space Invader 2 was an enclosed, sit down roller coaster at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, England.
The ride was built in 1984, and was refurbished by KumbaK Coasters and renamed in 2003.
Space Invader 2 operated single car trains. Riders were arranged inline in three rows for a total of three riders per car with a T-bar restraint. Before 2003, the ride used cars which were able to carry 4 people and riders were restrained by a seatbelt.
History
Space Invader opened on August 21st, 1984, and was Blackpool Pleasure Beach's fourth steel roller coaster. The ride itself was constructed by Zierer, a German ride manufacturer. The original ride was similar to the ride as it is today, although it was known to be a much rougher ride. It was refurbished in 2003 by KumbaK Coasters and reopened in 2004 as "Space Invader 2". In September 2008, the ride closed following a failed evacuation during operating hours, the roller coaster has remained closed since and will not reopen.
The Ride
After leaving the station, cars make a 90° turn to the right and are carried to the top of a chain lift hill, the cars then decend a 59 ft drop in the dark, at an incline angle of 36°. The ride then has several drops, banked turns and helixes, before cars reach the brake run and return to the station to be unloaded.
Theming
The ride is themed around a journey through space, and is decorated with glow-in-the-dark pictures of stars, planets and aliens. The Queue and loading area were themed around a space station, with various signs telling riders how long it would be until boarding their ride vehicles. Some parts of the queue were themed around the Star Wars films, such as a statue of Hans Solo stuck in carbonite.
Incidents
On July 21st, 2000, 11-year-old Christopher Sheratt died after he fell out of the ride vehicle.[1] Reports say that Sheratt panicked on the dark ride and unfastened his seatbelt.
References
- ^ "Boy's rollercoaster death 'accidental'". BBC News. 2001-10-30. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
In July 2008 an emergency evacuation was carried out. Some sources say this is why the attraction was closed.