Revolution,
Pleasure Beach Blackpool
In an age
where Britain is home to rides like Thorpe Park's 10-inversion Colossus,
and where fairs are full of rides that perform endless loops and flips,
it seems odd that once upon a time, the idea of an amusement park ride
that turned riders upside down was something that warranted massive
attention.
Back then, it
is fair to say that Britain didn't have many decent coasters. Alton
Towers was still trading
more as a stately home than an amusement park,
and the only major coasters were to be found at seaside parks. As ever, Pleasure Beach Blackpool
was at the forefront of the industry, and was
undergoing serious investment since 1976, the year which marked the
death of its former MD, Leonard Thompson, and the ascension of his son
Geoffrey to the role.
Geoffrey
Thompson was, understandably, keen to make his own mark on the industry,
and chose 1979 as the year to make his biggest impact yet. That year, PBB
opened two new rides, showing a canny understanding of the fact that
the park could progress without sacrificing its traditional feel. First
was the Water Chute, based on the boat ride of the same name which
operated at the park until 1932. Second was the Revolution, Britain's
first modern looping coaster (as opposed to the lethal wooden loopers of
the early 20th Century), and the first ride in the park's history to
break the £1 million barrier. The park claimed it to be the first
looping coaster in Europe, but Schwarzkopf actually pipped it by putting
the Looping Star onto the German Fair circuit the year before.
The Revolution
was the first steel coaster to be built at the park, and is still the
only looping coaster there. Despite being an off-the-shelf coaster, the
ride was an ideal choice for several reasons. Firstly, it occupies very
little ground space, always an
advantage at a park which, even then, was
overcrowded. Secondly, it came from Arrow, a long standing partner of PBB, the Ohio firm having already created several smaller rides for the
park, such as the Log Flume and Gold Mine. Finally, it was obvious that
a loop would be a fabulous gimmick for attracting the crowds.
The design of
the ride really couldn't be simpler. The 16 seat train starts on a
raised platform, drops into a loop, then stops on a similar platform
ready for the return journey. Unlike the more common Schwarzkopf shuttle
loops (such as Alton Towers' much missed Thunder Looper), the Revolution
gives riders a few seconds at the half way point to prepare for the
return, and features a much tighter shaped loop than Schwarzkopf's huge
near-circular design.
One thing
which may strike onlookers is that it is tremendously overbuilt. The
platforms are supported by huge latticework arches, under which the park
has housed various attractions through the years, and which strongly
resemble the structure later used by Arrow for the main turnaround of
the Big One. The loop is covered with another huge latticework arch
which goes over-the-top in every sense of the phrase. When the ride
opened, you can imagine that the patriotic red-white-and-blue structure
looked incredibly intimidating. At the time, the ride would have been
clearly visible from the Promenade, and would have done the same job of
attracting the crowds that the Big One does today.
Unfortunately,
in the late 1990s, the park developed an obsession with advertising,
which meant that the ride was repainted to a colour scheme decided by
the ride's new sponsor, Irn-Bru. The track went from red to orange, the
structure from white to blue, and the station was adorned with huge Irn
Bru logos and banners. This actually makes the ride less prominent than
before, which surely wasn't the intention.
If you want to
ride the Revolution, you have to be prepared to work for it. The
platform a long way up in the air, and the only way to reach it is via a
long staircase which winds its way up from the non-descript entrance.
Intended as a neat vertical queueline, PBB's general lack of long queues
make the trek somewhat daunting. In its favour, the staircase does give
lots of good chances to take photos of the surrounding rides.
55 feet above
the ground, you find yourself with a short walk over to the station
itself. This is taken across a narrow, highly exposed walkway which
gives the distinct feeling of walking a tightrope. Just to make things
more intimidating, the whole structure rocks and sways as the train
enters and leaves the station. At this point I'd advise anyone scared of
heights not to even attempt to ride the Revolution, as they will
absolutely hate it up there.
Into the
station itself, which continues the ride's skeletal look. All around is
a framework archway which was presumably intended to form the basis of a
roof, but which has been left uncovered. On quiet days, the staff will
often insist on filling the train from the front, which is intensely
frustrating, as the the back is by far the best place to ride. As you
wait in one of the queue bays, look out for the novel method of
propulsion, featuring a rather odd looking contraption, not dissimilar
to tea tray on wheels, which sits behind the train and is attached to a
pulley system. Watching this little device scuttle back and forth along
the station track is great entertainment in itself!
Compared with
more recent loopers like Colossus, the Revolution's Arrow trains give
the distinct impression that you are sitting in a large crate. The seats
are very deep, and have none of the wonderful exposed feeling we've
started to take for granted. The overhead restraints are surprisingly
pleasant. They are identical to those retro-fitted onto the Space
Invader, but are much more comfortable in their natural habitat,
although you can't help imagining how great it would be if the train
were fitted with lap bars, as the Schwarzkopf shuttle loops are. It's
worth adding that boarding is often chaotic, as the number of loading
bays doesn't seem to match the number of seats!
Before the
ride starts, we have a marvellous piece of comedy. Prior the sponsorship
deal, the ride-op would play a dreary taped announcement beginning
"You are about to experience the most thrilling and exciting ride
of you life". Since the Irn-Bru deal, the announcement has been
re-recorded to include the sponsor's name. Although the new recording
begins with exactly the same phrase, it is now said in a voice which
sets new records for sarcasm. It's obvious that whoever recorded the new
announcement is trying to sound sincere, and the fact that he utterly
fails just makes it even funnier.
So, with
sixteen riders still sniggering at the underwhelming build-up, the turbo
tea-tray jumps into action and rockets the train out of the station.
Although the publicity machine says that the ride is all about the loop,
I completely disagree. The highlight of the Revolution is, without
doubt, the first drop. Regardless of where on the train you are, you
will get airtime. No, you will get TONS of airtime. In fact, sit in a
back seat, you will get what must rank as the most intense airtime
you've ever known. Forget the Grand National, forget even Megafobia, no
other coaster can offer the same feeling of being catapulted into orbit
that these seats give.
From the drop,
you are immediately bundled into the loop. Given the speed of the train,
the loop is small. Unlike other shuttle loops, the shape of the
Revolution's loop is what mathematicians call a "clothoid",
which in English mean that the curvature of the track tightens
considerably the higher up it gets. What it means for the riders is that
lacks the high G forces of the Schwarkkopf's circular loops, but makes
up for that by providing a strange weightless feeling in the stomach
which would soon make any rider queasy after a few rides. Incidentally,
if you are in the left hand side of the train, its always fun to keep
looking left during the loop, and watch your view of the park spin
around - just a tip!
As you rise
back up and enter the second station, our caustic commentator welcomes
us once more. "You are about to experience the Irn Bru Revolution
360 degree looping coaster ... backwards", he informs us, his
doomed attempt to make the word "backwards" sound intimidating
invariably drawing a sarcastic "ooooh" from at least one
merciless revolutionary.
Using exactly
the same mechanics, the turbo tea-tray's twin brother engages the front
of the train and pushes it back. Unfortunately, it's hard to escape the
fact that the backward journey feels quite a bit slower than the forward
one. The drop, for example, does not give anywhere near as much airtime
as before. The backward loop, however, is a marvel, creating a sensation
I've not known on any other coaster. It gives the same weightless feel
as the forward trip, but is now much more intense, probably due the
train being slower, and therefore spending longer in the loop. After
climbing back to station level, the train trundles back to the platform.
Annoyingly,
there is a turnstile in place to allow re-rides, yet this is never used.
An excuse given in previous years was the difficulty of quick and secure
cash handling, which was understandable, but no longer relevant now that
the park operates its rides solely through the use of tickets and
wristbands. This is extremely frustrating, given that the only other way
to re-ride is to trek all the way down the exit staircase (wrapped
around the entrance staircase), walk around to the entrance and climb
all the way back up again. One very real possibility, however, is that
repeat riding would make riders so queasy, that preventing them saves
the staff the regular job of clearing up the mess!
Ironically,
for a ride which was intended to be seen as the future of thrill rides,
the Revolution has become almost as much a museum piece as the park's
woodies. This isn't meant to sound unkind, but it is a relic from the
very early days of looping coasters. Other than cosmetic changes brought
on by the sponsorship deal, the ride remains unchanged, and can stand
proud, with its antiquated arch over the loop and its original Arrow
train, (still with the pedal operated restraint locking system), making
the ride as much a part of coaster history as the Big Dipper or the
Grand National. Compare this with its most obvious counterpart, Alton
Towers' Corkscrew, an embarrassment of a ride, made worse by
half-hearted attempts to disguise its age. In any other park, the
Revolution might seem outdated, but as PBB is a working museum of the
amusement park industry, it plays the important role of representing the
dawn of the looping coaster in Europe.
For all the
talk of its historical significance, the Revolution is still a great
ride. Although a day at PBB inevitably revolves around the woodies, the
Revolution is a ride that shouldn't be missed. Like the Wild Mouse, it
is too intense to ride all day, but PBB has so many other rides that you
wouldn't want to. As an occasional blast, you can't beat it.
JP Undated
Good points:
▪ Airtime of the
absolute highest quality
▪ Very powerful loop,
both forwards and backwards
▪ A very compact ride -
very important at Pleasure Beach Blackpool
Bad points:
▪ Seatbelts on the
restraints mean poor loading times
▪ Stairs up to the
station are very inconvenient
▪ The colour. Yuck.
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