Corkscrew
J6 · Defunct But Not Forgotten
J6 · № 144/150
Corkscrew
Alton Towers · GB · Vekoma Double Corkscrew
“Staffordshire first went upside down in Vekoma steel.”
UNOFFICIAL · NOT PARK-ENDORSED
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Fast facts
- Corkscrew opened at Alton Towers on 4 April 1980. coasterpedia.net
- It was a steel roller coaster manufactured by Vekoma. coasterpedia.net
- The ride stood 22.9 metres tall. coasterpedia.net
- Its listed top speed was 64 km/h. coasterpedia.net
- The course included two inversions. coasterpedia.net
- TowersTimes listed its capacity at 1,400 riders per hour. towerstimes.co.uk
- Corkscrew closed on 9 November 2008 and was later replaced by Thirteen. coasterpedia.net
The story of Corkscrew
In the winter of 1979–80, Alton Towers prepared a corner of Abbey Wood for a new sort of park landmark. Corkscrew arrived as a Vekoma steel coaster, the largest investment the park had yet made, and it opened just before Easter in 1980. towerstimes.co.uk
Visitors found a modern machine among the Staffordshire trees. A chain lift carried the train upward, a broad turn gathered it for the descent, and the pair of corkscrews sent passengers over and under in the manner that gave the ride its plain, memorable name. towerstimes.co.uk· coasterpedia.net
For Alton Towers, Corkscrew was more than a single attraction. The park itself records 1980 as the year the gardens and leisure grounds became known as a theme park, with Corkscrew as the revolutionary arrival that helped define that change. altontowers.com
By 2008 the old ride had given its final season. Alton Towers confirmed its removal that October, and Corkscrew closed after a farewell event on 9 November 2008; TowersTimes attributed its end to ageing hardware and a rougher ride, while later records show the site made way for Thirteen in 2010. towerstimes.co.uk· towerstimes.co.uk· coasterpedia.net
Sources
- coasterpedia.net Preferred source
- towerstimes.co.uk Acceptable source
- altontowers.com Preferred source
- towerstimes.co.uk Acceptable source