Corkscrew (Alton Towers)

Corkscrew with train car in original red, white and blue colours

Corkscrew with train car in subsequent colourscheme

Corkscrew with its latter colour scheme

In 1979, John Broome, one of the then directors of Alton Towers, wanted to make the Towers and Gardens into a new style of leisure attraction.[2]

On 4 April 1980 (1980-04-04), Corkscrew opened[1] to a crowd of 30,000. It became the main attraction of the park, and led to attendance numbers doubling from 500,000 in 1979, to over 1,000,000 in 1980. It was a Vekoma MK1200 Corkscrew with Bayern curve. Weighing a total of 350 metric tons (340 long tons; 390 short tons), and built within a base area of 95 by 50 metres (312 by 164 feet),[3] the modular steel track was painted yellow, whilst the steel supports were painted black.[2] Two trains of six cars (24 riders per train, four in each car) were a patriotic red, white, and blue, and the entry and exit station was blue and white.

In 1984, more attractions were built in the new 'Festival Park' along with Enterprise and the Twirling Toadstool (then Wave Swinger).

When a newly themed area called Ug Land opened in 1999, Corkscrew's appearance was modified. Its trains and track received a new paint scheme, and dinosaur-themed props were placed around the ride, including a dinosaur skeleton that guests would pass under in the waiting line queue.[2]

In 2005, a new roller coaster called Rita was built (originally known as Rita: Queen of Speed), as well as there being several other changes to the park. This resulted in Corkscrew becoming dated, and eventually a decreasingly popular attraction of the park. Customers also reported that due to its age, it had become increasingly bumpy and uncomfortable to ride.[2]

In October 2008, after 28 years of service, Alton Towers confirmed that the ride was to be dismantled at the end of the 2008 season, to make room for the 2010 attraction TH13TEEN,[2] built under the codename Secret Weapon 6, or SW6.[1][5] On 9 November 2008, after carrying an estimated 43.5 million thrill-seeking passengers, Alton Towers held a special event in honour of the attraction in which the Corkscrew completed the final circuit of its 750 metres (2,460 feet) track.[1] The official date for the last day in regular service was 2 November 2008 - the last day of the season.[5]

After being dismantled, the section of track which formed the two corkscrew inversions was saved, and repainted blue and gold. It is now displayed at the main entrance to the park near the ticket booths.[2]

The ride started by a slow ascent of 22 metres (72 feet), powered by a 75 kilowatts (101 horsepower) lift motor. Once it had reached the top, the car went round a turn and down the 20.7 metres (68 feet) drop reaching a maximum 44 miles per hour (71 kilometres per hour).[1] The train then pulled through a camel hump and a 180-degree turn, before entering the two Corkscrew inversions (a double-helix type manoeuvre). Once the train exited the two inversions, it then went around a 180-degree turn and into some trim brakes. After that, the train went across another camel hump, and in to the Bayern-curve, and around the perimeter of the coaster again, before going into the brakes and station.

The Corkscrew became a very rough ride toward the end of its life, and contributed to the decision to dismantle it in 2008.

The remains of Corkscrew near the entrance to the park

Footage of the Corkscrew and the Pirate Ship feature in the music video for British doo-wop band Darts cover of Let's Hang On!.[6]

The opening title sequence used by The ITV Chart Show between 7 January 1989 and 30 November 1991 was created by digitally rotoscoping footage of the Corkscrew.[7] A photograph of the Corkscrew was used on the cover of the 1991 single Everybody in the Place by The Prodigy.

One of the Corkscrew's train cars was put up for sale on eBay. The car was sold on 15 December 2008 for £7,200, and these funds went to good causes. Alton Towers retained the famous corkscrew inversions, which were refurbished, and placed as an artwork feature in the entrance plaza.[2]

Media related to Corkscrew (Alton Towers) at Wikimedia Commons

• Corkscrew on Alton Towers Net
• Corkscrew data on Theme Park Junkies