Black Hole, briefly known as Black Hole II (1988) and New Black Hole (1989), was an enclosed steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers theme park near Alton in the English shire county of Staffordshire, United Kingdom. During the time that the ride operated, the park also operated an outdoor Jet Star III, the Beast. Boy, 11, 'pricked by used needle' in Stoke-on-Trent taxi, Yak Yak Land's back as one family find man upside down in their bin, 'Never-ending' roadworks leave Tunstall traders in turmoil, 11 abusive Stoke-on-Trent men who put their partners through hell, Former Dudson worker, 69, died six days after positive Covid test. While riding Hydro, a water roller coaster, she suddenly flew out of her car, falling 100 ft to the ground. r/altontowers is not associated with Merlin Entertainments or Alton Towers Resort, Scan this QR code to download the app now. It was later found the safety barriers were not designed for amputees and he should never have been allowed on. The worst roller coaster tragedy in history happened in May 1972, on the old wooden roller coaster. In its early years the tent in which the attraction was housed was originally bright green and yellow in stark contrast to its gloomy innards, as well as its space based theme. The loading bay, still pretty much intact. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! The Cine 2000 (back when 2000 seemed a long way away) came to the park in 1980 - it offered visitors an unusual viewing experience, and the predecessor to 3D, by surrounding them with the film. Not so much a rollercoaster, but instead purely a product of its time, before 3D was even a thing. It was themed around space.The Black Hole Was Replaced By The Smiler In 2013Alton Towers - The Corkscrew If you are a fan of Alton Towers Resort, then no doubt you will know about the iconic Corkscrew rollercoaster. All it'll cost you is the time to input your email address and chose which newsletters you want to receive. What rides and attractions do you miss? Not signed up to the newsletter? Black Hole - Alton Towers (Alton, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom) Opening in 1980, Corkscrew was a landmark investment for the park, and one which literally doubled attendance in a couple of years due to its popularity.In 1979, John Broom, one of the original Directors of Alton Towers, wanted to install a flagship attraction that would be unique to the UK, and set the benchmark for thrills in the theme park industry. From Corkscrew to Black Hole: Eight rides at Alton Towers we loved and and our We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. If you decide you don't want to receive the newsletters any more, just click the unsubscribe box and you won't get them again. But you can always sign up again whenever you like. It was a Jet Star 2 (Jet Star I did not have a spiral lift hill i don't think) as far as I know, a smaller (45ft) version of Jet Star 3 (Alton Beast). Has there ever been a death on the Black Hole ride or is this - Reddit Nearly all of us have enjoyed a day out at Alton Towers over the years. Just to clear it up, it did not 'derail'. She later died of internal injuries. I don,t know how or what happened but it happened the day after a bank holiday because we rode it that bank holiday monday prehaps a lot of use the day before. It was removed in 2010 - the iconic double inversion element is now situated at the park's entrance, where those of us who were tall enough to ride before its closure can fondly remember the bone-shuddering experience of Alton Tower's first huge coaster. The ride stood in the X-Sector area of the park. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Thankfully we have what's called "The Freedom of The Press" which means the . Following a special enthusiast event to say goodbye to the ride, Black Hole was closed in March 2005. There have been various shakeups over the years but it has remained popular with thrillseekers and families. wait wait wait.. did the black hole not have the under wheel? If you want to use any photographs on this blog please get in touch paul@ridemad.com im quite happy to share and have high resolution copies of everything used, to see the complete gallery visit the Ridemad Gallery, Copyright ridemad.com | All Right Reserved. This new generation rollercoaster was called Corkscrew with Bayerncurve and opened to huge crowds at Holiday Park in Haloch, Germany, and Walibi Belgium in Wavre, Belgium.Did you ride the Black Hole? [2], In 1985, the bottom of the first drop was modified slightly to make the ride run more smoothly. A board celebrating the coaster's twenty years of operation appeared at its entrance, but the ride itself joined a long list of SBNO attractions in the park at that time. Later that month, at the graduation ceremony, 17 students accepted their diplomas in wheelchairs. It was originally brought to Alton Towers as the Black hole in 1983 before going through a couple of name changes, New Black Hole, Black Hole 2 and finally back to Black hole again. Join me as I take a look at the history of one Alton Towers most iconic ride The Black Hole. However, 1001 Nights was renamed Ug Land, and primarily aimed at families. Opening in 1983, The Black Hole was located inside a large green and yellow tent. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BLACK HOLE | ALTON TOWERS - YouTube Its name reverted back to Action Park last year. After a few seasons the effect was removed from the park, amid rumours of several unfortunate incidents where the microphone powering the alien's voice was left on accidentally. An investigation showed a broken axle caused the derailment, and none of the rides axles had been replaced for 15 years. The tent remained in place for several years, being utilised Boiler House and Carnival of Screams scare mazes for Scarefest 2011, before finally being torn down to make way for The Smiler which now sits on the site. The Smiler - Wikipedia All you need to do is follow this link and click which newsletters you want to receive. The Black Hole was constructed in Fantasy World for the 1983 season taking the place of the \"Dinosaur Land\" attraction which was then moved into storage. After a renovation from Gerstlauer, the former Black Hole ride was transported to Sweden and reopened as Rocket at Furuvik Zoo on 21 May 2011. Any donations would be highly appreciated big or small! The flume was originally designed around logs floating in a river, before it was sponsored by Imperial Leather in 2004, at which the point the logs were swapped out for giant bathtubs. They stated: "It's correct that we have Alton Towers old roller coaster Black Hole. Riders would be taken on a journey through outer space with various theming objects and special affects. But the story didn't end thereafter many years of looking as though the coaster had a date with the scrap heap, The Black Hole did eventually find a new owner, and since 2011 has been enjoying a second lease of life as Rocket at Furuvik, a park in Sweden. It was also a UK first, following successful launches in Germany and Belgium. It was then reopened, and named Black Hole II, the New Black Hole, before going back to its original name. It closed to make way for Rita: Queen of Speed in 2003. John heard about two similar rides which were opening in Europe by Dutch manufacturer Vekoma. So let's take a look back at some of the rides which no longer set our pulses racing after being confined to the history books. During a question-and-answer session in 2010 celebrating the opening of TH13TEEN, it was confirmed by John Wardley and then-marketing director Morwenna Angove that preparation for a new roller coaster in 2013 had begun, and that the former site of Black Hole was being considered for the location. Black Hole was an enclosed steel roller coaster at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. On June 29, 2010 one of the cars came loose and lost all power. The colour scheme of the original tent was changed from yellow and green to solid deep blue, with a new entrance in the style of X Sector. More than 30 accidents have been logged at Alton Towers in the last three years, the Birmingham Mail can reveal. The colour scheme of the original tent was changed from yellow and green to a dark blue, and the entrance was revamped to reflect the X-Sector theme. Click this link and you'll see what you can expect. Clearly showing the supports still in place. The park shut in 1996 due to legal action, but reopened under a new name in 1998 following a safety-led refit. I legitimately have around eight of them, starting from age five, in my fetching Dalmatian-themed raincoat, to the year before it closed. February 2007 saw the coaster finally departed the park to shores unknown, though the tent remained as an empty shell for several more seasons, dominating the X Sector skyline. Ive had this set of photographs lying around for some, Ive had a couple of offers from various people to publish them but I suppose ive been a bit selfish really and kept them to myself. The opening of Oblivion in 1998 led to the redevelopment of Fantasy World, which became known as X-Sector. Black Hole, Alton Towers - Theme Park James So why in 2005 would the Black Hole roller coaster be removed and the tent left abandon many years later? The ride wasn't really for those scared of heights as it involved being suspended from an animatronic toadstool on a seat hanging on by chains at quite a height. The Black Hole was constructed in Fantasy Land for the 1984 season taking the place of the "Dinosaur Land" attraction which was then moved into storage. The ride was an adrenaline rush, although you usually left feeling as though your neck would never be the same again. Some of the animations experienced technical problems in the first season and were replaced, including one where a phantom flew above the riders on an overhead track. By the mid-2000s, however, it was becoming unreliable and costly to both maintain and keep in line with modern safety standards. Inside Alton Towers Black Hole Tent - Best Theme Park Attractions and 6 people could fit per car and there was only one car per train. Oblivion, Alton Towers' Secret Weapon 4, was the fourth of the Ministry of Joy's experiments in X-Sector. Cookie Notice The Black Hole accident happened in 1984, not very long after opening. All that happened, by reading that article at least, is part of the undercarriage became loose and impacted with the track, causing the train to sharply stop and the track to be lightly damaged. The rollercoaster itself was a Jet Star II, designed and manufactured by the legendary Anton Schwarzkopf. The 12 lost Alton Towers rollercoasters as well-loved Nemesis comes to Just click here and you're ready to go. Privacy Policy. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. As it became costly to maintain, the ride was closed in 2005, and the remaining tent was finally dismantled in 2012 to make way for the Smiler. It was constructed in what was then known as Fantasy World, which has now been re-dubbed with the more futuristic name of X-Sector. But in June 1986 missing bolts caused the four-car-train to fly from the track. We take a look back at the rides that have been lost to the sands of time, Want Stoke-on-Trent news emailed to you direct from our journalists? New Black Hole (1989) Black Hole II (1988) Black Hole (1983 to 1987) Former status: SBNO from 3/6/2005 to 2006 Operated from 1983 to 3/5/2005: Relocations: Alton Towers as Black Hole Furuvik as Rocket: Capacity: 900 riders per hour: Dimensions: 82.0 ft x 152.6 ft: Designer: Ing.-Bro Stengel GmbH However, this does take the anticipation and tension out of what originally was so scary. The three other deaths involved an electrocution, a heart attack and a passenger suffered fatal injuries when their face smashed onto a rock during a ride. The park reopened closed down that December. Lights were also added to the lift, so that riders were able to brace themselves for the first drop. For the 1988 season, the coaster was dismantled and transported to Europe, where it had an overhaul, which then allowed the ride to use dual car trains. Thu Sep 13, 2012 11:15 pm. Having wound through the ride's outdoor queue-line, guests would enter into the futuristic (by 80's standards) indoor queue, before entering the space-station, which provided riders with their first glimpse of the ride itself. Spectators stood in the middle of the room as a film was projected onto one half of the dome's interior, meaning the edges of action were just outside their periphery. The Black Hole accident happened in 1984, not very long after opening. From here, the layout comprised mainly a set of clockwise and anti-clockwise helixes. [2] The reconstructed roller coaster reopened, and was briefly named Black Hole II in 1988, and then New Black Hole in 1989, before reverting to its original name.[2]. Investigators are still probing the cause of the Alton Towers rollercoaster disaster, but some thrill-seekers have have declared their intention to ride its lightning again despite fact four people were seriously injured. Black Hole, briefly known as Black Hole II (1988) and New Black Hole (1989), was an enclosed steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers theme park near Alton in the English shire county of Staffordshire, United Kingdom. All you need to do is sign up to our daily email alerts, and you'll get them sent straight to your inbox. The coaster remained SBNO into the following season, during which it was dismantled, though even then it remained on site awaiting its fate. Enclosed within a giant tent, Black Hole was a rollercoaster which took place in near complete darkness. Galaxyland Amusement Park, Alberta, Canada. The thriving amusement park opened in 1970 with more than 40 rides and attractions. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. This situation was somewhat rectified at the end of 1987, when the coaster was dismantled and taken away to be re-profiled in order to accommodate coupled trains, greatly improving the ride's capacity. I'm making a presentation on Windows MovieMaker about casualties at theme parks. Over the following years many rumours circulated, both about potential purchasers for the coaster as well as what might replace it, though none came to fruition. Riders would be taken on a journey through outer space with various theming objects and special affect 10. The rollercoaster itself was refurbished by Gerstlauer, and can now be found operating as Rocket at Furuvik in Sweden. Probably the people at the front of the train would of got hurt the most I would imagine, do you think it would if been on the brake run? The rope that hauls the cars to the top of the launch hill snapped and then, the anti-rollback mechanism failed. The Black Hole Accident in the 1980s - Attraction Source Forum Eco-Adventure Valley Space Journey at Overseas Chinese Town East, Shenzhen, China. And according to an Alton Towers archivist, caused roads to be blocked at its opening as visitors joined queues of up to nine hours for the chance to ride this beast of a rollercoaster. In June 2008 a teenager was decapitated by the roller coaster after he hopped over two fences into a restricted area to retrieve a hat. [2] The track layout was enclosed within a large tent to provide a dark ride experience. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Mindbender - the world's largest indoor triple loop roller coaster was dubbed one of the "safest rides in the world" when it was built. The roller coaster was given a space theme and debuted at the park in 1983. Six Flags Great Adventure park, Jackson Township, New Jersey, USA. Firstly, the bottom of the first drop was modified slightly to make the ride run more smoothly. The ride, which closed in 1992, was the resort's first 'dark ride' taking its smaller visitors on a trip based on Phileas Fogg, and the 1873 novel, called - you guessed it - Around the World in 80 Days. Since then the park grounds are rumoured to be haunted. Try it outhere. A 19-year-old university student was killed, and 19 other people were injured. One guest was taken to hospital for checks after hearing her "neck crack" while. Trains were comprised of two cars, each seating up to six riders in three groups of two, one in front of the other. Have you ever really been to Alton Towers if you don't have a photo of you and your friends or family on the log flume - your faces frozen in an expression of excitement or terror? The worst theme park accident ever happened on May 11 1984 at the traditional and seemingly-safe haunted house. Hidden away from sight, the ride was located in a large tented structure which gave away little about the thrills that could be found within. In its earlier years the ride suffered from through put problems due to its single car trains, which resulted in long queue times for the popular attraction. The coaster was located within a huge silvery black tent (formerly green and yellow) that ensured the ride took place in total darkness. Follow Defunctland on Social Media:Twitter: https://twitter.com/defunctlandFacebook: https://facebook.com/defunctlandDefunctland Subreddit: https://reddit.com/r/defunctlandFor more great content, visit https://defunctland.comGet in touch with Defunctland: contact@defunctland.comBlack Hole Footage: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh2QwD7SoVmAF-_j8Do6Z_gFree HD Stock-Footage and Motion Graphics by CyberWebFX - Top Footage For Free - https://www.youtube.com/c/CyberWebFX*Obligatory Michael Eisner reference* Roller coaster disasters: The 11 worst the world has seen, Fun on the Big Dipper at Battersea Funfair, London, 1966. It is conveniently placed on our doorstep in North Staffordshire - and just so happens to boast some of the UK's best rollercoasters. So how do I sign up? Seasoned riders knew to bring a raincoat for the ride, as you would get absolutely soaked on the final drop. Oblivion | Theme Park Ride at Alton Towers Resort We know how irritating it is to find your inbox filling up with emails you don't want. It operated from 1984 until 2005. By the mid-2000s, however, it was becoming unreliable and costly to both maintain and keep in line with modern safety standards. Its interior was redesigned, featuring a modified queue layout and station, which were restyled with a Jules Verne theme. Black Hole was standing but did not operate. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Six were killed and ten more taken to hospital unconscious. Inside, the ride retained its theme of space but received a newly designed queueline and station with steampunk architecture. [3] Six Flags Over Georgia Park, Georgia, USA. To capitalise on the effect of the projection, the films used were typically motion-based with the camera mounted onto a variety of moving vehicles, whether that be as part of a car chase, a helicopter journey or even a rollercoaster ride. Situated next to Corkscrew, it attracted long wait times. Alton Towers is clearly a fan of recycling, as the ride has been reused many times since its initial conception - it was replaced by Toyland Tours in 1994, then Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Ride in 2006, with the ride track and boats remaining the same, but with new scenes. Did you grow up in the 80s? Originally titled Energizer, it opened in March 1995 in what was formerly known as 1001 Nights, and was a flat ride aimed at thrill-seekers. Taking the place of the former Dinosaur Land attraction, which had then been moved into storage, the modular steel track for Black Hole was constructed by Anton Schwarzkopf. In 1996 the Black Hole received a makeover, with a new look inspired by the novels of Jules Verne. The ride sadly closed in 2016, to make way for the latest wooden rollercoaster, the Wickerman. 4. 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''keep low and keep your eyes peeled boys were goin in guns blazing''. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The ride stood in the X-Sector area of the park. A 17-year-old died from a crushed chest, and all 32 others were taken to hospitals. With 14 inversions, The Smiler holds the world record for most inversions on a roller coaster. It operated from 1983 until 2005. Most recently, the ride system has been reused again as part of the Alton Towers Dungeon. You can make donations VIA By Me A Ko-fi.Donation page: https://ko-fi.com/themeparkenthusiastWhat is the Black Hole?Black Hole, briefly known as Black Hole II and New Black Hole, was an enclosed steel roller coaster at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. It was previously named the Wave Swinger, and then the Ug Swinger, before its closure in 2016. Defunctland: The History of Alton Towers' Black Hole - YouTube The Black Hole took its final voyage on March 5th 2005, much to the dismay of enthusiasts and guests alike, and then not a lot. [2], In late 2021, Furuvik Zoo put the rollercoaster up for sale. The Black hole is a Schwarzkopf Jet star 2 coaster with a length of 1919ft, Height of 44'3 and a duration of 1min 50 seconds. The Corkscrew is what put Alton Towers on the map as we know it today, opening to its first thrill-seekers in 1980. At the same time it gained new effects within the tent as well as an updated restraint system. Morrisons trials loyalty scheme changes after More card axe, The new scheme will once again allow shoppers to collect points, Asylum seeker slams UK hotel as children won't eat the food, The family came from Albania in September, The Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire criminals locked up in April, These are the offenders who've been put behind bars, Recognise anyone? No replacement was ever built inside the tent, although the park considered various ideas including flat ride and rollercoaster concepts. Easter 1984. So finally heres a set of photographs taken in July 2007 from inside the Black Hole Tent at Alton Towers. The Smiler is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Three people fell to their deaths and the fourth suffered serious neck and chest injuries. Sporting a vivid new colour scheme, and no longer hidden within a tent, the ride lives on to hopefully thrill many more Swedish guests in the years to come. It was originally brought to Alton Towers as the Black hole in 1983 before going through a couple of name changes, New Black Hole, Black Hole 2 and finally back to Black hole again. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Posts: 1. It was a Jet Star 2 (Jet Star I did not have a spiral lift hill i don't think) as far as I know, a smaller (45ft) version of Jet Star 3 (Alton Beast). The ride reopened with the new laser quest element at the start of the 2003 season. Black Hole was one of Alton Towers' classic rides. However, the ride became costly to maintain and out of date with the rest of the theme park, leading to its closure in 2005. The ride opened in 1981, and at the time was the longest flume attraction in the world. Black Hole. When researching the article, this is the one that stood out most to my mother, who said she was "fascinated" by the ride, at the tender age of around eight when it opened in 1981. In 1988, the ride was dismantled and went on holiday to Europe, where it had an overhaul to hold dual-car trains. It was loosely themed around space exploration. true i admit it there has got to be more eliments to make a derailment happen. As a result, it was changed to a water-based smoke machine. In July 1982, a 15-year-old boy drowned, in 1984, a 20-year-old drowned, and in July 1987 an 18-year-old was also killed in the pool. Mindbender rollercoaster at Galaxyland, West Edmonton Mall. I spotted one residing in the children's section of the Royal Stoke University Hospital. The Black Hole lift hill music composed by Andy Quin called Encounter which was used in the attraction was also reused for advertising Space Mountain in Disneyland Paris. Contact I don't think AT ever revealed what happened, but obviously it was deemed safe to ride after inspection. Thunder Looper attracted hoards of visitors during its six-year stint at Alton Towers as it hit a whopping 53 mph. And thus the coaster reopened in 1988, variously known as the New Black Hole and Black Hole II, although the look and feel of the ride remained similar to the original ride experience. The coaster was located within a huge blue tent (formerly green and yellow) that ensured the ride took place in total darkness. Ever since the 2016 crash the news are all over anything the smiler does. Certainly. The following season the traditional yellow and green tented was also repainted in Black and Silver, so the older ride blended seamlessly into the X-Sector when it launched. Darien Lake Theme Park, Syracuse, New York. The last car hit support structures before crashing into a concrete pillar in front of a packed audience watching a concert. A bit of History about the ride. However, this ride also caused a bout of controversy over the years as its. The article above has it about right (according to all the other reports I remember reading at the time). In April 2004, Hayley Williams, 16, visited Oakwood with her family. Manufactured by Gerstlauer, it opened in 2013 as the world's first Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster. At the time of its closure, there were no plans on what to do with the now redundant area, so the building that once housed the ride was never removed. The interior was left relatively untouched until the coaster track was dismantled and sold off in 2007. What followed was a disorientating tangle of various steep twists and turns before hitting the brake run and returning to the station.
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