- Corkscrew (Alton Towers)
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Corkscrew 
View of Corkscrew from ground level Location Alton Towers Park section UG Land Coordinates 52°59′05″N 1°53′26″W / 52.984701°N 1.890421°WCoordinates: 52°59′05″N 1°53′26″W / 52.984701°N 1.890421°W Status Demolished Opened 4 April 1980 Closed 9 November 2008 Cost £1,250,000 Type Steel Manufacturer Vekoma Designer Vekoma Model Corkscrew with Bayerncurve Track layout custom Lift/launch system Chain lift hill Height 75 ft (23 m) Drop 68 ft (21 m) Length 2,400 ft (730 m) Max speed 44 mph (71 km/h) Inversions 2 Duration 1:45 Max vertical angle 43° Capacity 1,100 riders per hour Acceleration no launch Max G force 3.1 Height restriction 4 ft 0 in (122 cm) Corkscrew at RCDB Pictures of Corkscrew at RCDB 
Amusement Parks PortalCorkscrew was a steel roller coaster made by Vekoma of the Netherlands. The coaster was located in the Ug Land area of Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. 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'. [2] The park held a special event in honour of its oldest attraction on 9 November 2008, on which day, the Corkscrew completed the final circuit of its 730m track. The official date for the last day in regular service was 2 November 2008 - the last day of the season. The nearby Ug Swinger (chair-o-planes ride) was also relocated to Cloud Cuckoo Land and renamed Twirling Toadstools, making way for a roller coaster, Thirteen.
One of the coaster's cars was put on eBay by Alton Towers to raise money for charity and was sold on 15 December 2008 for £7,200. Then, in 2010, the corkscrews were removed from storage and refurbished in time for the park's opening weekend. They were repainted purple and erected as a new artwork feature in the entrance plaza.
The opening title sequence used by The ITV Chart Show between January 1989 and November 1991 was created by digitally rotoscoping footage of the Corkscrew. [3] A photograph of the Corkscrew was used on the cover of the 1991 single Everybody in the Place by The Prodigy
References
- ^ Roller coaster database http://www.rcdb.com/ir.htm?model=14
- ^ BBC News - 'Iconic Ride to be Dismantled' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/7648401.stm
- ^ Amiga Computing magazine, November 1991 issue.
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'
Alton Towers Roller coasters Runaway Mine Train (1992) · Nemesis (1994) · Oblivion (1998) · Air (2002) · Sonic Spinball (2004) · Rita (2005) · Thirteen (2010) · SW7 (2013)Other rides Hex - the Legend of the Towers (2000) · Congo River Rapids (1986) · Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Ride (2006) · Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back (2003) · Peugeot 207 Driving School(2006) · The Flume (1981) · Nemesis: What Lies Beneath (2012) · The Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - 4-D experience (2012)Past rides Around The World In Eighty Days (1981–1993) · Toyland Tours (1994–2005) · Nickelodeon: Outta Control (1997–1998) · Doom & Sons (1981–1992) · The Black Hole (1984–2005) · Thunder Looper (1990–1996) · Corkscrew (1980–2008) · The Beast (1988-1997) · Beastie (1983) · Dinosaurs(1980 - 1983) · Space Boat(1983 - 1983) · Towers Express(1974 - 1984) · Magic Carpet (1984 - 1985) · Alpine Bobsleigh(1980 - 1986) · Ferris Wheel(1985 - 1986) · Cine 360(1981 - 1987) · Turbo Star(1984 - 1989) · 4 Man Bob Coaster(1985 - 1991) · Adventure Land 4 - 11(1982 - 1991) · Alton Beast(1988 - 1991) · Alton Mouse(1988 - 1991) · Gravitron(1990 - 1991) · Octopus(1984 - 1991) · Spider(1986 - 1991) · Cine 2000(1980 - 1992) · Fantastic Fountains(1981 - 1992) · Tri-Star(1989 - 1992) · 1001 Nights(1985 - 1994) · Miniature Golf(1980 - 1994) · Mini Apple Coaster(1982 - 1995) · Mississippi Showboat(1985 - 1996) · Splash Kats(???? - 1996) · Rowing Boats(???? - 1996) · The New Beast(1992 - 1998) · Park Railway(1953 - 1999) · Swan Boats(1987 - 2003) · Dynamo(1993 - 2004) · Black Hole(1984 - 2004) · Bone Shaker(1995 - 2004) · 3D Cinema(1981 - 2004) · Toyland Tours(1994 - 2005) · Vintage Cars(1983 - 2005) · Cred Street Carousel(2000 - 2005) · Bouncing Bugs(1981 - 2008)Areas (Zones / Lands) Towers Street · Cloud Cuckoo Land (was Talbot Street/Land of Make Believe/Cred Street) · Katanga Canyon · X-Sector (was Springfield Centre/Fantasy World) · Mutiny Bay (was Ingestre Centre/AquaLand/Merrie England) · The Towers · Gloomy Wood · Storybook Land · Forbidden Valley · Adventure Land · Dark Forest · Old MacDonald's Farmyard · The GardensMedia Hold Tight (TV show) (1982-1987) · The Grand Knockout Tournament (1987)See also Categories:- Steel roller coasters
- Vekoma roller coasters
- Roller coasters introduced in 1980
- Defunct roller coasters
- Amusement ride stubs
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