Opening in 1983, The Black Hole was located inside a large green and yellow tent. The car derailed due to undercarriage failure. 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Thunder Looper attracted hoards of visitors during its six-year stint at Alton Towers as it hit a whopping 53 mph. 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? The ride was an adrenaline rush, although you usually left feeling as though your neck would never be the same again. Due to the pitch blackness, occasionally punctuated by illuminated asteroids and other space objects, Black Hole felt more intense than the ride perhaps really was. 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? When the ride first opened, the ride was completely dark. 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. Something went wrong, please try again later. The Black hole is a Schwarzkopf Jet star 2 coaster with a length of 1919ft, Height of 443 and a duration of 1min 50 seconds. [3] This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. It was previously named the Wave Swinger, and then the Ug Swinger, before its closure in 2016. Any donations would be highly appreciated big or small! However, this does take the anticipation and tension out of what originally was so scary. 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 Black Hole accident happened in 1984, not very long after opening. Recent history is littered with catastrophes involving high-adrenaline attractions - and some have claimed lives in the most terrifying circumstances. [2], In 1985, the bottom of the first drop was modified slightly to make the ride run more smoothly. Black Hole - The Park of the Past - Your premier Alton Towers guide Arsonists were believed to have started a blaze which, whipped by winds, became a furnace, melting metal walls and leaving eight trapped teenagers torched beyond recognition. Its interior was redesigned, featuring a modified queue layout and station, which were restyled with a Jules Verne theme. The Black Hole Few rides, either before or since have captured the imagination and affection of park guests quite like The Black Hole. Since then the park grounds are rumoured to be haunted. 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. An hour later, Candy Taylor, 32, fell from a ride called Flight Commander and died from the impact. In 1998, the opening of Oblivion in the area brought about the redevelopment of Fantasy Land into X-Sector; the Black Hole was integrated into the new themed area with another refurbishment. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Oblivion | Theme Park Ride at Alton Towers Resort Following a special enthusiast event to say goodbye to the ride, Black Hole was closed in March 2005. For a derailment to happen it would take the failure of several seperate wheels. It was loosely themed around space exploration. Most recently, the ride system has been reused again as part of the Alton Towers Dungeon. 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Black Hole | Alton Towers Wiki | Fandom Black Hole was standing but did not operate. The Black Hole was built on the site of the former Dinosaur Land in 1984, becoming the park's second major coaster and quickly establishing itself as a perennial favourite with park guests. From here, the layout comprised mainly a set of clockwise and anti-clockwise helixes. The last car hit support structures before crashing into a concrete pillar in front of a packed audience watching a concert. Few rides, either before or since have captured the imagination and affection of park guests quite like The Black Hole. What followed was a disorientating tangle of various steep twists and turns before hitting the brake run and returning to the station. 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. It now features a laser gun shooting game, with a zombie theme. The rollercoaster itself was a Jet Star II, designed and manufactured by the legendary Anton Schwarzkopf. Has there ever been a death on the Black Hole ride or is this - Reddit I don't think AT ever revealed what happened, but obviously it was deemed safe to ride after inspection. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. US Army Sergeant James Hackemer was thrown from the roller coaster and fell to his death in July 2011. It operated from 1984 until 2005. Once upon a star field you could journey into deep space and explore a powerful natural phenomenon. Six people have died in separate incidents at the notorious Action Park which opening in 1978. 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. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Attraction Source Events & Meetup Archive, http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p281 cu0009.jpg. Later that month, at the graduation ceremony, 17 students accepted their diplomas in wheelchairs. 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. true i admit it there has got to be more eliments to make a derailment happen. This money helps me to carry on running the channel and posting high quality videos for you guys to enjoy! This rocket simulator ride had a multi-car centrifuge that whirled inside a domed screen showing movies about space. The tent remained in place for several years, being utilised . Riders would be taken on a journey through outer space with various theming objects and special affect 10. It operated from 1983 until 2005. It operated from 1984 until 2005. Situated next to Corkscrew, it attracted long wait times. Something went wrong, please try again later. 6 people could fit per car and there was only one car per train. There were no confirmed plans to reuse the site, and the tent remained unused for several years. 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. [2] The track layout was enclosed within a large tent to provide a dark ride experience. What rides and attractions do you miss? [2], In late 2021, Furuvik Zoo put the rollercoaster up for sale. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. It didn't reopen for the 2017 season, and despite being advertised as closed for refurbishment, it instead deteriorated for the next two years, and Alton Towers confirmed it wouldn't return in 2019. However, lights were added to the lift section of the ride, so that riders were able to brace themselves for the first drop. 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. Want to make sure you never miss the most important headlines from Stoke-on-Trent daily? Click this link and you'll see what you can expect. The park reopened closed down that December. 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. Contact It caused a chain of cars to hurtle back into the boarding area, smashing into a wall and killing five children and injuring 13 more. Three horrific deaths happened on the same day at King's Island in June 1991. The Smiler is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. The Corkscrew is what put Alton Towers on the map as we know it today, opening to its first thrill-seekers in 1980. Defunctland: The History of Alton Towers' Black Hole - YouTube It would not have been a full derailment, a partial one maybe, a wheel may have failed, but it wouldn't have completely left the track. 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? As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 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. 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 coaster itself was a Jet Star II, designed by Anton Schwarzkopf. The interior was left relatively untouched until the coaster track was dismantled and sold off in 2007. 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. All you need to do is follow this link and click which newsletters you want to receive. [quote=""Blaze""]Just to clear it up, it did not 'derail'. The 12 lost Alton Towers rollercoasters as well-loved Nemesis comes to The Black Hole Accident in the 1980s - Attraction Source Forum I'm making a presentation on Windows MovieMaker about casualties at theme parks. 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 Why would Alton Towers Remove the UK's Space Mountain.Enjoy my content? Manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf and designed by Werner Stengel, the Jet Star 2 model opened to public in 1983 and operated until 2005. The devastating crash on The Smiler has capture the attention of the nation, but it is not the first time thrills have turned to horror on the biggest rides. 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. When did the Black Hole had the accident? When a man fell into a pond two others jumped in to rescue him. Our newsletters are sent out in the morning, afternoon and evening. 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. We will also send you breaking news alerts, so you'll get the news when it happens. 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. 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. We know how irritating it is to find your inbox filling up with emails you don't want. Reports say the tragedy was caused by a faulty, loose screw. and our The Battersea Fun Fair closed two years later due to the accident. They stated: "It's correct that we have Alton Towers old roller coaster Black Hole. A 17-year-old died from a crushed chest, and all 32 others were taken to hospitals. The coaster's continued popularity, saw its queue line expand in 1993 to swallow the neighbouring Vintage Cars site, and for its remaining years in operation, the Black Hole's extended outdoor queue-line was actually sited on the former track of the Vintage Cars as it snaked through the bushes at the top of Fantasy World. Thankfully we have what's called "The Freedom of The Press" which means the . 4. 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 Black Hole accident happened in 1984, not very long after opening. They're have been some accidents however nobody has actually died. They're a digest of all the most important local headlines of the day in an easy to read format. No replacement was ever built inside the tent, although the park considered various ideas including flat ride and rollercoaster concepts. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. So why in 2005 would the Black Hole roller coaster be removed and the tent left abandon many years later? As far as I know, it was the first Schwarzkopf coaster to fail in this way. Try it outhere. The opening of Oblivion in 1998 led to the redevelopment of Fantasy World, which became known as X-Sector. Mindbender rollercoaster at Galaxyland, West Edmonton Mall. Thu Sep 13, 2012 11:15 pm. All you need to do is sign up to our daily email alerts, and you'll get them sent straight to your inbox. By the mid-2000s, however, it was becoming unreliable and costly to both maintain and keep in line with modern safety standards. Roller coaster disasters: The 11 worst the world has seen, Fun on the Big Dipper at Battersea Funfair, London, 1966. I legitimately have around eight of them, starting from age five, in my fetching Dalmatian-themed raincoat, to the year before it closed. 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). World's 11 worst theme park disasters in Alton Towers aftermath In April 2004, Hayley Williams, 16, visited Oakwood with her family. Six Flags Over Georgia Park, Georgia, USA. 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. In 1985, a number of changes were made. Inside Alton Towers Black Hole Tent - Best Theme Park Attractions and 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 worst theme park accident ever happened on May 11 1984 at the traditional and seemingly-safe haunted house. 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 ride featured differentiating (and disorientating) floor levels, and included a dollhouse which moved by itself (which terrified me as a child). Cookie Notice 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? 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. It was also designed to allow a high throughput whilst allowing the cars to travel the ride separately, and at different speeds, to allow the effects to spook visitors. So finally heres a set of photographs taken in July 2007 from inside the Black Hole Tent at Alton Towers. 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. A planning application for the Black Hole site was submitted in early 2012 and approved by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. The coaster was located within a huge silvery black tent (formerly green and yellow) that ensured the ride took place in total darkness. 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. The ride began with an unusual spiral lift hill, before plunging down a 44 foot drop into the "black hole". [3], Media related to Black Hole (Alton Towers) at Wikimedia Commons, Last edited on 10 November 2022, at 03:20, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Furuvik zet Schwarzkopf achtbaan Rocket te koop (Furuvik puts Schwarzkopf roller coaster Rocket up for sale)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_Hole_(roller_coaster)&oldid=1121026397, This page was last edited on 10 November 2022, at 03:20. Eco-Adventure Valley Space Journey at Overseas Chinese Town East, Shenzhen, China. However, in 2002 visitor numbers dropped, and the ride was renamed Duel. The Press over exaggerate anything with coasters, take the Smiler doing routine stops on chainlifts for practice evacs. The coaster was located within a huge blue tent (formerly green and yellow) that ensured the ride took place in total darkness. Did you grow up in the 80s? 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. In 2013 the new ride to replace the Black hole was announced as "The Smiler", to open on the 31st of May 2013. Let me know in the comments down below! [/quote], as memery serves i did a bit of modeling of this ride in the late nineties and all i can think of is one of the wheels had burst as, ''holy crap lead wasps''. As you can read, minor injuries all around. ''keep low and keep your eyes peeled boys were goin in guns blazing''. Black Hole was one of Alton Towers' classic rides. If you have an email address, then you're sorted. Following The Black Hole, Enterprise and Energizer, Oblivion was designed to surpass its neighboring thrill rides. The rollercoaster itself was refurbished by Gerstlauer, and can now be found operating as Rocket at Furuvik in Sweden. It is conveniently placed on our doorstep in North Staffordshire - and just so happens to boast some of the UK's best rollercoasters. All three suffered electric shocks and the rescuers, William Haithcoat and Darrel Robertson, both 20, were killed. Not so much a rollercoaster, but instead purely a product of its time, before 3D was even a thing. 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. 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. A spiral lift hill carried guests up into space before they were dropped 15 metres into the Black Hole, where the darkness was only penetrated by brief glimpses of the stars or occasional laser beams illuminating hidden asteroids or other residents of the void. 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 second happened a year later (approx) on MindBender at West Edmonton Mall, Canada, where poor maintenance and loose bolts caused the undercarriage to fall away from the last car of the coaster, killing 3 people. By the mid-2000s, however, it was becoming unreliable and costly to both maintain and keep in line with modern safety standards. The horrific accident on the 18m attraction will make others questioning their addiction to amusement park rides and wonder just how safe they can be. For the 1988 season, Black Hole was dismantled and transported to Europe, where it had an overhaul by BHS (later becoming Maurer Shne) of Peienberg in Germany, to accommodate dual-car trains. Opening in 1983, The Black Hole was located inside a large green and yellow tent. James, 29, was an Iraq War veteran who had lost both his legs in the conflict. Lights were also added to the lift, so that riders were able to brace themselves for the first drop. This proved to be the tent's final use, as 2012 saw it demolished to make way for construction of The Smiler. All it'll cost you is the time to input your email address and chose which newsletters you want to receive. This was the first time the structure had been put to public use since the attraction's closure in March 2005. 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. 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. The ride was closed in 2006. An oil-based smoke machine was added, but it was found that this sped the ride up too much. Cookie Info There was a lot of info about this on one of the other threads. Share your memories of Alton Towers' extensive past here. The wave pool became known as the "Grave Pool" after a series of deaths in the 1980s. However, it did not become a theme park as we know it today until the 1980s. Black Hole went where no man had gone before! The worst roller coaster tragedy in history happened in May 1972, on the old wooden roller coaster. The ride station was themed around the London docks and then went 'around the world', and had an animated Phileas in a hot air balloon. Sign up to our newsletter. Posts: 1. 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. Inside, the ride retained its theme of space but received a newly designed queueline and station with steampunk architecture. In 1988, the ride was dismantled and went on holiday to Europe, where it had an overhaul to hold dual-car trains. No, the newsletters are absolutely free. The ride stood in the X-Sector area of the park. From Corkscrew to Black Hole: Eight rides at Alton Towers we loved and Following a special enthusiast event to say goodbye to the ride, Black Hole was closed in March 2005. 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. It closed to make way for Rita: Queen of Speed in 2003. But on May 5, 2007 the Fujin Raijin II roller coaster was derailed, sending cars flying off the tracks. A bit of History about the ride. 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. The space-themed ride had some lights added in 1985, as it turned out that a sudden drop in complete darkness was actually quite unpleasant for the riders. Oblivion, Alton Towers' Secret Weapon 4, was the fourth of the Ministry of Joy's experiments in X-Sector.
