Not signed up to the newsletter? 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. They stated: "It's correct that we have Alton Towers old roller coaster Black Hole. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The tent remained in place for several years, being utilised . The reconstructed coaster, complete with an overhaul of the internal special effects, then operated briefly as "New Black Hole", and then from 1989 it operated as "Black Hole II" before reverting to the original name. 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. Recent history is littered with catastrophes involving high-adrenaline attractions - and some have claimed lives in the most terrifying circumstances. 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 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. 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. [quote=""Blaze""]Just to clear it up, it did not 'derail'. Situated next to Corkscrew, it attracted long wait times. When did the Black Hole had the accident? 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). I legitimately have around eight of them, starting from age five, in my fetching Dalmatian-themed raincoat, to the year before it closed. One guest was taken to hospital for checks after hearing her "neck crack" while. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The ride opened in 1981, and at the time was the longest flume attraction in the world. However, this does take the anticipation and tension out of what originally was so scary. It was then reopened, and named Black Hole II, the New Black Hole, before going back to its original name. Welcome! Thankfully we have what's called "The Freedom of The Press" which means the . 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. The three other deaths involved an electrocution, a heart. 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. But in June 1986 missing bolts caused the four-car-train to fly from the track. However, in 2002 visitor numbers dropped, and the ride was renamed Duel. Initially the Black Hole tent was bright yellow and green, although this was changed to a midnight blue when the area was converted into X-Sector with the arrival of Oblivion in 1998. Manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf and designed by Werner Stengel, the Jet Star 2 model opened to public in 1983 and operated until 2005. An hour later, Candy Taylor, 32, fell from a ride called Flight Commander and died from the impact. 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. The coaster was located within a huge blue tent (formerly green and yellow) that ensured the ride took place in total darkness. The Corkscrew is what put Alton Towers on the map as we know it today, opening to its first thrill-seekers in 1980. Black Hole was an enclosed steel roller coaster at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. The car derailed due to undercarriage failure. As you can read, minor injuries all around. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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. John heard about two similar rides which were opening in Europe by Dutch manufacturer Vekoma. From here, the layout comprised mainly a set of clockwise and anti-clockwise helixes. They're have been some accidents however nobody has actually died. For more pictures of the Black Hole and Alton Towers, check out this website:http://orchardoo.com/school/altontowers.htmlBuy Defunctland T-Shirts:https://teespring.com/stores/defunctlandDonate on Patreon:https://patreon.com/defunctlandIn Defunctland's first international addition, Kevin explores the history of Alton Towers and its Space Mountain rip-off coaster, the Black Hole. The large tent which housed the now former Black Hole was eventually dismantled in April 2012 to make way for The Smiler. 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. 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. There was a lot of info about this on one of the other threads. The audience had no means of steady themselves which meant quite a few often fell over, which probably means it wouldn't get past health and safety today. [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]. The park operator Six Flags escaped prosecution for not having sprinklers and smoke detectors as it was deemed a temporary building. 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. The rollercoaster itself was a Jet Star II, designed and manufactured by the legendary Anton Schwarzkopf. They were single cars then and for some reason the car came to a sudden stop and, supposedly, the front of the car was dislodged off the track. Easter 1984. An oil-based smoke machine was added, but it was found that this sped the ride up too much. The park shut in 1996 due to legal action, but reopened under a new name in 1998 following a safety-led refit. So finally heres a set of photographs taken in July 2007 from inside the Black Hole Tent at Alton Towers. 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. In April 2004, Hayley Williams, 16, visited Oakwood with her family. 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. 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. 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 coaster itself was a Jet Star II, designed by Anton Schwarzkopf. Black Hole underwent another refurbishment and was integrated into the new themed area. Our newsletters are sent out in the morning, afternoon and evening. Ever since the 2016 crash the news are all over anything the smiler does. Seasoned riders knew to bring a raincoat for the ride, as you would get absolutely soaked on the final drop. 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. Oblivion, Alton Towers' Secret Weapon 4, was the fourth of the Ministry of Joy's experiments in X-Sector. [1] The roller coaster track was dismantled and sold in 2007. There were no confirmed plans to reuse the site, and the tent remained unused for several years. Certainly. No replacement was ever built inside the tent, although the park considered various ideas including flat ride and rollercoaster concepts. "When Alton Towers decided to remove the ride the manufacturer Gerstlauer bought it back and restored. However, this ride also caused a bout of controversy over the years as its. It now features a laser gun shooting game, with a zombie theme. It operated from 1984 until 2005. Three horrific deaths happened on the same day at King's Island in June 1991. For the third time that day, his flaps fell off. 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. true i admit it there has got to be more eliments to make a derailment happen. 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. [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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Links. Few rides, either before or since have captured the imagination and affection of park guests quite like The Black Hole. The Battersea Fun Fair closed two years later due to the accident. The interior was left relatively untouched until the coaster track was dismantled and sold off in 2007. Defunctland: The History of Alton Towers' Black Hole Defunctland 1.58M subscribers 1.2M views 4 years ago For more pictures of the Black Hole and Alton Towers, check out this. As far as I know, it was the first Schwarzkopf coaster to fail in this way. 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. However, it seems accidents of this have not previously dimmed people's appetite for peak-altitude, maximum-speed adventure. Black Hole. The coaster remained SBNO into the following season, during which it was dismantled, though even then it remained on site awaiting its fate. Black Hole was an enclosed steel roller coaster at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. 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. A planning application for the Black Hole site was submitted in early 2012 and approved by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. If so, then have I got a throwback for you. But on May 5, 2007 the Fujin Raijin II roller coaster was derailed, sending cars flying off the tracks. 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. The ride was closed in 2006. 4. Since then the park grounds are rumoured to be haunted. Thunder Looper attracted hoards of visitors during its six-year stint at Alton Towers as it hit a whopping 53 mph. This was the first time the structure had been put to public use since the attraction's closure in March 2005. In 1988, the ride was dismantled and went on holiday to Europe, where it had an overhaul to hold dual-car trains. Here, you're welcome to talk about all things Alton Towers! So how do I sign up? In the summer of 1997 the waterslide collapsed under the weight of 33 excited end-of-term high school graduates who crowded onto it. It was previously named the Wave Swinger, and then the Ug Swinger, before its closure in 2016. Its interior was redesigned, featuring a modified queue layout and station, which were restyled with a Jules Verne theme. 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. Did you grow up in the 80s? The Smiler is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. The thriving amusement park opened in 1970 with more than 40 rides and attractions. [3] By the mid-2000s, however, it was becoming unreliable and costly to both maintain and keep in line with modern safety standards. Many of the items, including the bathtubs, were auctioned off. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. 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. 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. Trains were comprised of two cars, each seating up to six riders in three groups of two, one in front of the other. 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. The rollercoaster itself was refurbished by Gerstlauer, and can now be found operating as Rocket at Furuvik in Sweden. Once upon a star field you could journey into deep space and explore a powerful natural phenomenon. The Press over exaggerate anything with coasters, take the Smiler doing routine stops on chainlifts for practice evacs. However, lights were added to the lift section of the ride, so that riders were able to brace themselves for the first drop. ''keep low and keep your eyes peeled boys were goin in guns blazing''. 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.