Thunderlooper

Some time before Intamin perfected attempted catapulting riders from 0 - fast in very little time using hydraulics, Schwarzkopf realised a similar effect could be achieved by dropping a very heavy thing from a great height - the shuttle loop was born.

History

Thunderlooper was the first ride built in what is now Forbidden Valley (then known as Thunder Valley). It was built in 1990 and only lasted 6 years before the locals got so fed up with it they dismantled it themselves and shipped it out to Brazil. Fortunately for them Alton Towers couldn't be bothered paying to bring it back, and the ride now operates under the name Katapul at Hopi Hari.

Enthusiasts now have to make do with building their own models of the ride.

Ride Description

Thunderlooper differs from the cop-out attempt at launched rides built by Arrow Dynamics by actually having a proper launch, rather than using a tea tray on wheels to push the train off the top of a hill. After the launch, the ride enters a near-circular loop typical of Schwarzkopf rides before rising up a spike of track, hopefully coming to a stop before it falls off the end. The train then returns the way it came, passing through the station and up a smaller spike of track on the other side before being brought to a stop when it reaches the station for a second time.

The ride was highly popular and is much missed by enthusiasts. Part of the thrill came from the fact that it was highly unusual for a looping coaster as it had lap bars rather than OTSRs. It also packed a lot of excitement into a short length of track - a launch, forward and backward loops, copious air time on the towers and a reverse station fly through.

End of an Era

At the end of 1996 the ride was removed as local farmers were complaining about it upsetting their cows (no, really). Alton Towers moved their pirate ship into the space left behind by the ride, presumably hoping no-one would notice there used to be a far superior ride there.