Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2024 Discussion

[GJMarshy]

If Blackpool were planning on building a 300ft coaster I’d be a bit worried worried about the winds, I take it that a dive shuttle is more resistant to high winds in terms of being able to operate compared to ride with a train?

This was something I though long and hard about (hence the coasters orientation)

Winds in Blackpool tend to be either from the West or Southwest, so you really want any high points to be facing away from that!

In this layout the drop faces North, followed by a shallow turn to the East (out of most of the high winds) The Immelmann faces away from the wind to the East. The exit from it is again fairly low with the exception with the entry to the MCBR which again faces East (away from the wind)

From the second drop (facing East) onwards, the heights are lower and the tracks is “Shielded” by other structures in the park.

Also with a vertical drop facing North, even in the unlikely scenario winds were coming from the NE, since the train is facing the ground for the vast majority of the drop, the winds have little effect on it.

If BPB want to go tall, this is the way to do it imo!

Also little question for folk who likely know a bit more than I do here, could B&M’s “mini” dive model (narrower gauge track <7 across shuttles) reach 300ft?

I know those models are approaching 180ft now, which is the same as Oblivion, and not far off the “Chonky” models of Sheikra and Griffon etc.

Might a 300ft “mini-dive” (paradoxical I know!) be a good fit for pleasure beach given how much more flexible its layout can be?

The layout I drew up is for a full-size dive model, hence the large sweeping turns etc. This extends the footprint quite a bit (which imo works well given there seems to be space for it, and it has more presence) but if push comes to shove, would a more compact model work better using the mini model still at 300ft? (Ish)

-Marshy

 

[Quantum]

Just been having a play seeing if a 300ft dive would fit at PB, seems it does!

Yes this is scale accurate! I need to figure out a way of importing a 3D model somehow. Anyone any good with No Limits?



The layout has the station on the Ice Blast site, with a 305ft lift hill, a turnaround then the holding brake before the drop. The drop passes through the Big One turnaround and goes into a 40 degree shallow, over-banked turn rising and descending (turn roughly 70ft high). As the turn levels off, straightening out, it rises into a large Immelmann, followed by an ascending banked turnaround into a mid-course brake run.

After the MCBC there's a near vertical drop into a vertical loop, followed by a large corkscrew which upon exiting banks into a helix climbing to a high point, before tightening and curving around itself before raising again slightly, giving a pop of air before entering the final brake run, after which there's a small turn into another block, enters the station & completes the circuit.

Something to think about? Might put our Blivy out of the limelight though!

-Marshy

The problem with that layout is that it goes over where they are planning to build a hotel

 

[Sharko]

The problem with that layout is that it goes over where they are planning to build a hotel

Could it not go on t’other side? They are clearing a reasonable area where the Grand Prix is(was). Also, would a massive Vekoma Tilt coaster be any more compact?

 

[James5696]

Is this a good opportunity to share my “if I owned the PB” fantasy for the big one? I’d love to see it converted to RMC. Remove the arrow track and add on 20 feet or so to the height to reclaim UK’s tallest. Follow mainly the same route, but reprofile the hills with RMC’s classic rolodex of elements and turn one or two into inversions (stall/zero G). With the extra height/speed, they might be able to reduce the downtime from winds, and they’d already have much of the footers/structure in place.

 

[Sharko]

Is this a good opportunity to share my “if I owned the PB” fantasy for the big one? I’d love to see it converted to RMC. Remove the arrow track and add on 20 feet or so to the height to reclaim UK’s tallest. Follow mainly the same route, but reprofile the hills with RMC’s classic rolodex of elements and turn one or two into inversions (stall/zero G). With the extra height/speed, they might be able to reduce the downtime from winds, and they’d already have much of the footers/structure in place.

I could certainly see the second hill turned into one large stall, into a similar Arie Force one style, turn around.

 

[John_P]

I'd have the stall over star gate to create a high 5 element with big Dipper.

 

[rob666]

Some quick napkin maths suggests there's ~£500k in scrap value for the PMBO (4200 tons of steel, 15p a kg). Is there a world where they're so cash strapped they scrap it?

And where on said napkin does the cost of cutting all that metal, and the big crane or mega scaffold to remove it...work into the equation?
They would be lucky to get it taken away for nothing...which may well happen.
At least there may be construction to watch next season, or a new decent flat.
Possibly.

 

[Sharko]

Do you know what, i’ll accept an intamin hot racer. Better than nothing is suppose