Alton Towers Discussion Thread

[TheRapidsNerd]

Heh, they almost need a Diamondback style custom hyper to round out the collection..

 

..or a Riddler's Revenge style stand up, with a water spray like Griffon, and staggard Behemoth custom trains.

[Terror-Penguin]

Didn't this coaster get on to the cover of someone's album. My dad has somewhere upstair's hang on.......

 

Edit:

I've found it, it was by The Prodigy on their 12" Single 'Everybody in the Place'.

 

 

^^And there it is^^

[philcoaster83]

does anyone remember it on the QED documentary in the 80s?

 

That was such a cool show. The Freefall looked huge back in 1984. Remember it yes. Watch it now you can.

 

 

 

 

The Corkscrew will always have a place in the heart of 30-40 British Somethings, it was that iconic. It was once THE ride you sort out to go on first, much like Nemesis now.

 

Maybe it should be boxed up and sent to Margate for the proposed heritage park. Obviously the original yellow and red colour scheme should be revived. I never like the UG Land theming.

[philcoaster83]

Obviously the original yellow and red colour scheme should be revived.

 

In fact just found this shot and it was British Red, White and Blue. They don't do ride photos like this anymore!

My first ride on the Corkscrew circa 1990. It was good once!

[snoflake15]

Obviously the original yellow and red colour scheme should be revived.

 

In fact just found this shot and it was British Red, White and Blue. They don't do ride photos like this anymore!

 

It looked as though it was in need of a lick of paint then!

[scottjenkins]

Anyone have any ideas what's gonna happen to this baby? Will it go to scrap? Or will it be sold?

 

It was 1.25 million pound then and is now awfully old so I can't see it being sold for much nowadays.

 

 

I'd love to buy it, well my dad could buy it for me........hehe

 

How much do we reckon guys?

[spangle]

Ok just got back from Alton towers and had my last ride on corkscrew, we would have had more but it is bloody painful, my poor ears!

 

Yes there is a little air time but you dont really notice as you are desperatly trying to protect your head from slamming against the restraints!

 

The queue for this ride was the longest i have seen in the last few years and with a month to go today they are only going to get longer.

Will be interesting to see if they remove it straight away or leave it standing, will be interesting!

[Airtime&Gravity]

It's about time as Corkscrew seemed out of place with what Alton Towers had become. The site doesn't seem that big, so I doubt a major thrill ride will replace it, and it will probably be replaced with a family attraction such as a splash battle.

[scottjenkins]

They already have a splash battle silly LOL

 

I don't think a coaster will replace corky due to the small footprint it was in. The only was this would be slightly feasable if some serious landscaping was done. Somehow me thinks AT won't be allowed to do this!

 

What flat are we guessing then guts? It must have to fit in with the race theme too!

 

(Before anyone says Aquatrax...I'll get it in)

 

Aquatrax!!

[monkeyoverlord71]

According to BBC it's leaving for another coaster.

I found this video on the BBC site Corkscrew.

I'm going next week for a final ride.

Can't wait to see what comes!

[snoflake15]

^ Brought a wee tear to the eye that article. Loved how David Icke did the report when it opened. Maybe that's when he went loopy!

[DandAyr]

i say there is nothing wrong with the track, the problem is the cars!

 

just look at that old photo - the backrests are flat, the OHR are giving the rider plenty of space.

 

Now look at the video - the backrest has 'wings' to bash your head and ears on as your head moves side to side. Then the OHR are so much wider and again pressing on you more.

 

Corky has not got rougher with age, its the restraints and headrests have got larger and are over the top and spoil the ride. Well, my opinion anyway.

[spangle]

I have to agree with you on that one, the restraints are awful and that is what casues all the pain!

[robbob1991]

I have never actually posted anything on this forum before even tho iv been a member for nearly 3 years, but i think with this topic, its time to brake my post virginity.

The corkscrew was my first big roller coster, and it will always have a special place in my heart. Ill always remember the first time i rode it, i somehow got on front row, and it was a blast, but with my lack of body mass at the time, something weird happened with the restraint and i was stuck on it in the station for nearly 5 minuets. After several people trying there hardest to push and pull it and stamp on that emergency release peddle, they finally decided to let me round again on my own (probably just incase nobody else got stuck on it with me, and the fact there was 2 trains running and the people on the other train were getting annoyed) and give the normal way another go. Luckily it did work and i was free. Probably most peoples nightmare that, 2 rides in a row on corkscrew, but i loved it!

Sadly, after that, every other ride (probably around 80-90 of them) are most remembered for the pain, even tho in resent years, iv found a way to ride it without whacking my head once, what has resulted in me enjoying the ride more.

It is clearly showing its age now though, not only with the increasing roughness, but with the fact you can practically walk straight on it, even on a bank holiday! So Alton Towers have clearly made the correct decision to get rid of it now, unlike the decision to close the black hole, what even in its last years, ran extremely smooth, had queues of at least 20min everyday of the year and everyone loved because of how unique the ride was, and still hasn't been replaced by anything.

Hopefully, the iconic corkscrew loops will be saved from the scrap heap and kept on the alton towers site, they can melt the rest in my opinion. They could have it somewhere around the entrance, put it on stilts in the middle of the lake in front of the towers, or mabe even looping down the middle of tower street so you could have a view of the towers thought the famous loops as soon as you enter the park, would be a pretty cool sight you greet you, with a plack near it saying something really cheesy like "the ride what started it all". Everyone must agree that without the corkscrew, Alton Towers wouldn't be where it is today, just like Pleasure Beach Blackpool with the Big Dipper and Grand National, so it definitely should be still aloud a special place on the park.

I will definitely be there on the 9th of november to say goodbye to a legend and a british coster icon.

[robinschroder]

Courtesy of BBC News:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/7697240.stm

 

False leg found underneath ride

 

The owner of a prosthetic leg found beneath an Alton Towers rollercoaster is being sought by the amusement park.

 

The leg was just one of many bizarre items found near The Corkscrew, which is to be dismantled after carrying 43.5 million people since it opened in 1980.

 

Staff clearing the site also found underwear, a diamond wedding ring, 53 non-matching shoes and 604 watches.

 

Other lost property items included 800 pieces of jewellery, 237 mobile phones, thousands of caps and a prosthetic ear.

 

The ride, which reaches speeds of up to 44mph (70km/h), opened on 4 April 1980.

 

'Missing leg'

 

Riders are turned upside down twice within three seconds - which probably explains the large amount of lost items found below.

 

The Staffordshire amusement park said it was used to dealing with more than 5,000 items of lost property, such as car keys, money and mobile phones.

 

Russell Barnes, divisional director, said: "As the Corkscrew is the oldest rollercoaster in the park, we were expecting to find some strange items when we started clearing the Corkscrew area but a prosthetic leg definitely tops the list as the most bizarre.

 

"If anyone has any information on the missing leg, we would be keen to hear from them."

 

The rollercoaster, which was the first double-looped ride in Europe when it opened, will run for the last time on 9 November.

[snoflake15]

How the hell can you lose a leg on the corkscrew? Nemesis maybe but not the corkscrew.

 

And how did he get home?

[kalvin]

Are they scrapping the Corkscrew or are they going dissasemble it for selling to another park?

[nemesis-storm]

Are they scrapping the Corkscrew or are they going dissasemble it for selling to another park?

 

The park have stated that the Corkscrew will be scrapped, but the Corkscrew inversions will be kept as some sort of monument

[Manny In England]

^ I thought everyone was just hoping that they kept the inversions, that's great news.

[MG]

Today at the closing of Corkscrew, SW6 is described as going to be a 'World's First' by Russell Barnes of Alton Towers while he was talking to BBC News.

Interesting to see Alton Towers looks like it will be taking the prototype route again. Could be interesting.

R.I.P Corkscrew

BBC News

[AndyGiles]

I would put money on this being a new B&M prototype.

 

All Secret Weapons (excluding Nemesis - but that was a Europe first) have been prototype coasters.

 

It's time that Alton puts itself back on the coaster map after a disappointing few seasons.

 

I expect a coaster which is nothing short of spectacular and will make our American friends very jealous!

[Purplepills]

I'd put my money on a B&M prototype also, if its a worlds first, and also if the rumour of a new B&M concept is true.

 

My only negative thing about it being a prototype is that they can tend to seem a little tame a few years after they have opened, when more of the same type of coaster have been built. Its a marketing department's dream though.

 

Can't wait to find out more.

[Fry]

Well, yesterday was the last day, and Alton put on quite a good show for it, although unfortunately, not many people turned up for it (I heard 3000 as a gate figure, and with them running coasters on two trains, I think they expected more). They had a small museum set up with memorabilia from the 80s, 80s-style entertainers, music and all this. The only thing that disappointed me was the lack of real fuss made when it shut - no announcements, no clapping or anything... it just stopped going.

 

There was also a LOT of press there as well from all over the country, and it has been thoroughly covered over here with a lot of emphasis placed on the replacement being awesome. I was even interviewed for national radio, which I hope to God they don't broadcast because it was very, very bad.

 

It was overall a sad day, but we managed to be on the last public train ever (other then the competition winners who DON'T COUNT!), so that was a fitting way to say goodbye.

[Loefet]

From the reports of the last day of Corkscrew life as a coaster, there was some hint's about the new ride. It will definitely be a coaster and also a worlds first. This will rule out many coaster designs that are out on the market. SO I guess we have to wait and see what they will come up with.

ALTON Towers has promised thrill-seekers a new £12 million ride to replace the Corkscrew.

 

As workers begin to dismantle Europe's first double-loop roller-coaster today, plans are already in the pipeline for a new ride, billed the "world's first roller-coaster of its kind", to take its place in the park's Ug Land.

 

Planning permission still needs to be secured, and details of the ride – due to open in 2010 – are being kept a secret.

 

Russell Barnes, divisional director at Alton Towers Resort, said: "I can't say what it is but it will be something very different."

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Corkscrew-fling-Alton-Towers/article-462050-detail/article.html

[dr.gumbo]

I honestly have no idea what it could be, it could be a B&M but I certainly wouldn't rule out Intamin. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with.