• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Corkscrew

RIPCorky said:
Still seems odd not seeing it there and hearing it.
Click to expand...
The only place you hear it now is at Lunapark in France.

I never got to ride Corkscrew, but it seemed like a nice fun attraction, even without theming. Shame it went to be regarded as incredibly rough when the vekoma trains were added.

It'd he nice for Alton Towers to build another coaster like Corkscrew and Spinball whizzer, just a really fun ride with not record breaking or worlds first elements or a heavy backstory and theming. Just a little fun attraction that didn't take itself seriously and where most guests could go on and enjoy thoroughly.
 
Trooper Looper said:
The only place you hear it now is at Lunapark in France.

I never got to ride Corkscrew, but it seemed like a nice fun attraction, even without theming. Shame it went to be regarded as incredibly rough when the vekoma trains were added.

It'd he nice for Alton Towers to build another coaster like Corkscrew and Spinball whizzer, just a really fun ride with not record breaking or worlds first elements or a heavy backstory and theming. Just a little fun attraction that didn't take itself seriously and where most guests could go on and enjoy thoroughly.
Click to expand...
As I understand it, it was always rough, the Vekoma trains just made it worse due to their wider rigid OTSRs. I never rode Corkscrew with it's original trains but I've been on a few Vekomas which had the original Arrow trains and they were all some shade of rough - The Missile in particular was brutal.

For what it's worth I always felt Corkscrew got a lot of flak; as an early Vekoma in a park full of Schwarzkopfs and later B&Ms it always felt rough but I think objectively it wasn't really that bad.

Unlike Air/Rita nowadays it was an 'every visit' ride for me - the view from the top and the first drop were excellent.
 
Trooper Looper said:
The only place you hear it now is at Lunapark in France.

I never got to ride Corkscrew, but it seemed like a nice fun attraction, even without theming. Shame it went to be regarded as incredibly rough when the vekoma trains were added.

It'd he nice for Alton Towers to build another coaster like Corkscrew and Spinball whizzer, just a really fun ride with not record breaking or worlds first elements or a heavy backstory and theming. Just a little fun attraction that didn't take itself seriously and where most guests could go on and enjoy thoroughly.
Click to expand...
Wish they could have kept either Corkscrew or Black Hole. Old technology but reliable and dependable. Corkscrew was definitely more of a thrill than Thirteen and for people of a certain age it would have been their first upside down rollercoaster, it was mine anyway. Rita kind of ruined that area of the park, used to be packed full of rides around the iconic Corkscrew. Now it's just a load of safety nets, and a ride you can't really see.
 
Trooper Looper said:
The only place you hear it now is at Lunapark in France.

I never got to ride Corkscrew, but it seemed like a nice fun attraction, even without theming. Shame it went to be regarded as incredibly rough when the vekoma trains were added.

It'd he nice for Alton Towers to build another coaster like Corkscrew and Spinball whizzer, just a really fun ride with not record breaking or worlds first elements or a heavy backstory and theming. Just a little fun attraction that didn't take itself seriously and where most guests could go on and enjoy thoroughly.
Click to expand...

It wasn’t incredibly rough as it didn’t have the speed to reach that problem. It was ultimately jerky and if truth be told a little bit boring by the end of its life.
 
RIPCorky said:
Wish they could have kept either Corkscrew or Black Hole. Old technology but reliable and dependable. Corkscrew was definitely more of a thrill than Thirteen and for people of a certain age it would have been their first upside down rollercoaster, it was mine anyway. Rita kind of ruined that area of the park, used to be packed full of rides around the iconic Corkscrew. Now it's just a load of safety nets, and a ride you can't really see.
Click to expand...
Black Hole was pulling itself to pieces wasn't it? It had been reprofiled extensively to accommodate 2 car trains but was essentially a compromised design as a result AIUI.

That said it ran for 10-15 years after a full refurb in Sweden. Presumably somewhat less intensively than she was in Staffordshire, I expect.
 
I don't remember it being rough in the same way as something like Smiler (;)), it just had that awkward Vekoma shuffle with the occasional smash to your ear.

It felt rougher when the likes of Nemesis appeared and it was, comparatively. I don't remember a vast difference between the old and newer trains - but maybe there was.

I do half wish that they had found a way to put a train (any train!) on the track in the plaza, that could be skinned each year, befitting whatever the addition was.

15 year since its departure ... Time flies.
 
WillPS said:
Black Hole was pulling itself to pieces wasn't it? It had been reprofiled extensively to accommodate 2 car trains but was essentially a compromised design as a result AIUI.

That said it ran for 10-15 years after a full refurb in Sweden. Presumably somewhat less intensively than she was in Staffordshire, I expect.
Click to expand...
Was being welded seasonally from what I gather. I suppose it could have been refurbed and a fire escape installed to comply with new safety regulations. I guess maybe after all those years of operation neither were up to the rigours of being run in the UK's most popular theme park anymore. Permanent foundations/supports would have made Corkscrew a bit less of a rough ride I imagine.
Was a head basher more than a rough ride, worst part probably the bottom of the drop curving round to the inversions.
 
Trooper Looper said:
The only place you hear it now is at Lunapark in France.

I never got to ride Corkscrew, but it seemed like a nice fun attraction, even without theming. Shame it went to be regarded as incredibly rough when the vekoma trains were added.

It'd he nice for Alton Towers to build another coaster like Corkscrew and Spinball whizzer, just a really fun ride with not record breaking or worlds first elements or a heavy backstory and theming. Just a little fun attraction that didn't take itself seriously and where most guests could go on and enjoy thoroughly.
Click to expand...
It wasn’t actually that rough to be honest. It was more the design of the restraints than anything else just as you went round into the Corkscrews. It would throw you a bit left and right but not much more. You would if you were unprepared hit your ears or head a bit.

Was a good starting point for kids and going upside down. I feel Towers lack that now. You either have Nemesis which is really intense and intimidating and the madness of 14 inversions over in X sector.

That lift motor noise and view from the top of the hill was legendary and a noise you will hear forever. Most of all it was reliable and the Ug Land theme was great for it.
 
RIPCorky said:
There is an identical ride there.
Was an off the shelf model of which only one still operates I believe? So like the Jet Stars it's a rare ride now
Click to expand...
That makes sense, but I had a look on Wikipedia and it states that another Corkscrew with Bayerncurve still operates, at Beto Carrero World in Brazil.
Changing the subject for a second, I have been on a Corkscrew with Bayerncurve (Super Manege (RIP) at La Ronde) and it was a fun ride, and I don't remember it being rough, so I'm sure that I would have liked Corkscrew!
 
zeock said:
That makes sense, but I had a look on Wikipedia and it states that another Corkscrew with Bayerncurve still operates, at Beto Carrero World in Brazil.
Changing the subject for a second, I have been on a Corkscrew with Bayerncurve (Super Manege (RIP) at La Ronde) and it was a fun ride, and I don't remember it being rough, so I'm sure that I would have liked Corkscrew!
Click to expand...
I only mentioned it being the only one because the one at Lunapark used to be at Flamingo Land and was also called Corkscrew, it even had the same logo as the original one at Alton Towers.
 
WillPS said:
Black Hole was pulling itself to pieces wasn't it? It had been reprofiled extensively to accommodate 2 car trains but was essentially a compromised design as a result AIUI.

That said it ran for 10-15 years after a full refurb in Sweden. Presumably somewhat less intensively than she was in Staffordshire, I expect.
Click to expand...

For the church change price of 400,00 euros, Black Hole is yours.

Corkscrew on the other hand, is more than likely all over the globe by now, being melted down and re cast into new things.
I do feel that the Smiler is far rougher than the Corkscrew ever was. Smiler is only going to get worse too as she ages. Those Gersts just do not age well imo.

Long live Corkie!! Or her Corkscrews at least.
 
I rode it a few times when I was younger. I remember once I had some keys in my pocket and they were starting to come out so I grabbed them. I then watched as each key ring pinged off it, I assume due to the Gforce
 
Quite crazy to think that it has been 15 years since Corkscrew closed. I still remember the day well, not least because it was the first time I met up with the wonderful people of this forum!

I did not go to Towers too many times whilst Corkscrew was there, but I still remember the sound of that lift hill motor, it was quite iconic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top