Why?,
Where?, When?
The construction of Oblivion
was another undercover operation for the park. At the beginning
of the 1997 season, all the rides at the bottom of Fantasy
World had disappeared, and a large fence had been erected
around the site from the exit of Black Hole, up to the Springfield
Restaurant.
During the season, work was being carried out on the site,
and could be seen from the Black Hole exit. When I saw the
site in 1997, all that could be seen was a very deep hole
in the ground being reinforced with concrete.
Rumours
were rife on what Alton Towers new attraction was going to
be. Nothing was certain, and the park was keeping very quiet
about what the SW4, as it was known at the time, was going
to be. All we did know was that they were advertising it as
a 'World First Ride'. Once the track began to arrive towards
the end of the season, it was obvious that this was going
to be something very special.
Many
rollercoaster enthusiasts across the globe identified the
track as being B & M, though it was wider than the usual track.
When the park closed for the winter, no one was any the wiser.
Major rumours soon started that this was to be B & M's new
prototype ride, the Dive Machine. The rumours were substantiated
when some photographs identified the track further. It was
confirmed by enthusiasts across the globe, that the new ride
at Alton Towers was to be the world's first vertical drop
rollercoaster.
But
What Is It Like?
The ride itself consists of
several shuttles, each two rows of eight seats. The seats
are slightly reclined, so when going up the steep lift hill,
you are actually lying on your back. When you reach the top
of the climb, and level off, you realise just how high you
really are, as you see the Staffordshire countryside disappear
into the distance. You might actually forget what you are
about to experience.
You
slowly approach the drop, not really knowing what its going
to feel like. Slowly you edge your way to the precipice, and
are held for about four seconds at a forty-five degree angle
looking down into the vapour filled hole. You might actually
wonder if you really are brave enough. But, by the time the
thought has entered your head, its too late, and the shuttle
is plummeting towards the ground. You try to scream, but the
terrific forces and roar of the ride drown you out.
Accelerating
all the way down, the track begins to curve away from the
vertical, and begins to climb again, heading towards that
small square of light. As soon as you are back at ground level,
you are thrust into a sharp left hand bend which takes you
up into the brake run.
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click
images for larger version
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Present Day
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Pictures
from the past
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Oblivion has always
looked like this
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Construction
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Submit
your photos
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If
you have photos we can use, especially from the past
or construction periods, then please email them to us
at pictures@towersalmanac.com
(No bigger than 100k please)
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