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Oblivion: General Discussion

DistortAMG said:
I'm doubting myself now wondering if I am getting confused and the clutch is actually on the chain. I see that many mechanical things, I get confused.

"Goes through paperwork".

The clutch is actually on the motor. As the train arrives, the train places tension onto the chain which activates the clutch and slows the chain. It then releases and rolls off like you say.

As the clutch is tension activated, that explains why it varies with different weights, specifically because the clutch must be worn out now.....the girlfriend must have been driving.

That makes more sense. A solution to the same problem but using just as effective but much simpler engineering, sounds like B&M.
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All this second-guessing on how Oblivion works (not doubting your explanation at all @DistortAMG) proves that Towers really need to do Behind the Scenes tours like Thorpe do. I'd happily pay to hear how Thirteen, Hex, Rita, The Curse etc work with a full track walk of Wicker Man thrown in!
 
Steve74 said:
All this second-guessing on how Oblivion works (not doubting your explanation at all @DistortAMG) proves that Towers really need to do Behind the Scenes tours like Thorpe do. I'd happily pay to hear how Thirteen, Hex, Rita, The Curse etc work with a full track walk of Wicker Man thrown in!
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Definitely. I would love to see behind the scenes on rides, especially Oblivion and Hex.
 
There isn’t that much behind the scenes on Oblivion, you can see pretty much everything. Hex is good behind the scenes if you can see the vault moving from within the shed, Th13teen is ok but you can’t be in the drop area during operation so you don’t get to see the workings. If you want to see how an Intamin drop track works then look for the Th13teen event videos on YouTube as they showed a video of the test rig during operation.
 
Tbh id love them to add an inversion to oblivion instead of the banking or add some extra length to the layout. Dive coasters are still really popular but nearly all of them now do something after the drop.

Very few have a better first drop so an inversion would make it 1 of the best out there
 
It's the world's first dive coaster. The first Roller coaster to ever have a vertical drop, so adding unnecessary elements to it would seem a bit outlandish on how important this ride is in Roller Coaster Histroy. I mean, I wish there was a helix at the end of it, but remember, this was the first of its kind, so it's got some historical significance to it, and adding more to it would kinda butcher it and devalue its historical and technological significance. If it wasn't for Oblivion as we know it today, there wouldn't be Dive Coasters. Outside of its layout, the queue and station does need a lot of TLC done. A fresh coat of paint wouldn't hurt either.
 
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lee2804 said:
Tbh id love them to add an inversion to oblivion instead of the banking or add some extra length to the layout. Dive coasters are still really popular but nearly all of them now do something after the drop.

Very few have a better first drop so an inversion would make it 1 of the best out there
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The chances of getting planning permission for any change whatsoever, so close to the edge of the park, I would say are pretty slim.
Fine as it is, the park's one big drop.
 
I’ve been on Oblivion, Oblivion: The Black Hole and SheiKra. Oblivion’s drop is the best of all of those three.

I also find that the inversions and things that come after the drop just make you forget about the main drop in the first place. You feel like you’re just on any other rollercoaster after that point!

Oblivion doesn’t need anything doing to its track or trains. Agreed about the need for a tidy up though!!
 
Jb85 said:
Having ridden SheiKra I tend to agree with @deanW.
For me it's the one ride that justifies being a one trick pony.
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I even enjoyed Oblivion: The Black Hole more than SheiKra, because there is more emphasis on the drop itself and then just a few things after, rather than having the big drop, then a big inversion, then a SECOND drop and a water splash you don’t feel at all (though it is very cool to see that from off ride!).

The fact Oblivion goes straight into the ground really adds a lot to the experience too, as you can’t really see how big the drop actually is. Idk maybe I’m just biased but Oblivion wins 🎢
 
That’s an interesting one, because I’d actually say that SheiKra edged itself a cut above Oblivion for me based on my recent trip to Florida. I thought the drops felt a touch stronger and more impactful than Oblivion’s, and I also liked the additional size and length; when you get two drops instead of just the one, what’s not to love?

Oblivion’s not too far behind, though; I’ve grown very fond of it over the years, and it’s a very close second favourite in the park for me!
 
There’s just something about Oblivion’s drop that doesn’t compare to other dive coasters in my experience, maybe it’s the fact that it goes into the ground I don’t really know. I’ve done Baron 1898 and Sheikra and although they were both great rides their drops didn’t have the same level of intensity for me.
 
Could it be that Oblivions Drop is more intense because of the train design? Oblivion and another one shortly made after it. I hear that the newer ones uses springs on theirs while Oblivions are more conventional. Perhaps they should reintroduced the older design back as a 2nd option, even though it can't actually go on a vertical track, it is shown to give a more intense experience.
 
First time posting after lurking on here for a while. Went to Alton Towers this Wednesday just gone and I have to say Operations on Oblivion were brilliant. Six trains during the day and they were blitzing through getting people loaded and unloaded. It said 35 minutes on the queue entrance but was on within 10 minutes on the first ride. Although I did notice that they didn't hold us that long on the drop, maybe 1 - 1.5 seconds and then BAM! For someone who has been used to nearer 2 seconds it caught out a few people for sure.

Once it went dark they had reduced the amount of trains going round to four and had only one side of the batching station being used so that was nearer 20 minutes wait... Still, riding Oblivion at dark is something else! Really enjoyed it.

I normally go end September just as the schools go back so considering it was half term for some counties, it was a good day out where we got a lot of rides done.
 
djransome said:
First time posting after lurking on here for a while. Went to Alton Towers this Wednesday just gone and I have to say Operations on Oblivion were brilliant. Six trains during the day and they were blitzing through getting people loaded and unloaded. It said 35 minutes on the queue entrance but was on within 10 minutes on the first ride. Although I did notice that they didn't hold us that long on the drop, maybe 1 - 1.5 seconds and then BAM! For someone who has been used to nearer 2 seconds it caught out a few people for sure.

Once it went dark they had reduced the amount of trains going round to four and had only one side of the batching station being used so that was nearer 20 minutes wait... Still, riding Oblivion at dark is something else! Really enjoyed it.

I normally go end September just as the schools go back so considering it was half term for some counties, it was a good day out where we got a lot of rides done.
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I think the 'holding' parts before the drop is randomized. I wouldn't mind if it is. Make's it more fun thinking how long or short you'd be held before plunging into oblivion. (Just wish they could use the old "Don't. Look. Down!" line at the drop like they used to.)
 
EarthlyKnight27 said:
I think the 'holding' parts before the drop is randomized. I wouldn't mind if it is. Make's it more fun thinking how long or short you'd be held before plunging into oblivion. (Just wish they could use the old "Don't. Look. Down!" line at the drop like they used to.)
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Onboard audio would be better than a megaphone at the top of the drop.
 
Blackhole_Sun said:
Onboard audio would be better than a megaphone at the top of the drop.
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It would, as it might keep the local residents from complaints about the noise produced by people screaming as they drop into oblivion (I think that's the reason they got rid of it?) also, how would they fit the onboard audio system into the ride carts?
 
EarthlyKnight27 said:
It would, as it might keep the local residents from complaints about the noise produced by people screaming as they drop into oblivion (I think that's the reason they got rid of it?) also, how would they fit the onboard audio system into the ride carts?
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No clue how it would fit as I don’t develop or engineer rides.

Oblivion is not as intense and scary for most as it was in 1998.

It’s not something that will return anyway.
 
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