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Vampire (roller coaster)
Encyclopedia
Vampire is an Arrow suspended swinging roller coaster
at Chessington World of Adventures
theme park in London
, England
. It opened in 1990 in the new Transylvania area, and was designed by John Wardley
. It originally featured bat
-themed trains, which were later replaced with floor less models. The trains hang from the track, and swing freely as the roller coaster completes the course. It has two lift hills, featuring many dives and turns throughout. Towards the end, the ride has a sudden drop into a sharp banked curve through a tunnel before entering the break run.
The ride station is heavily themed as a very gothic
abbey, using dim lighting and dramatic music. The queueline takes riders through a graveyard, before heading through a crypt and dark corridor which leads to the loading platform. Of particular note is the animatronic organist within the station which 'plays' a large pipe organ
along to the theme music.
, had gone bankrupt since the ride had been built, meaning little could be done to rectify these issues. Vampire was closed for the latter half of the 2000 season, and at the time this was thought to be permanent. However, instead of removal, the decision was taken to modify the ride so that it could use a new type of suspended coaster train, therefore increasing its popularity.
The track was to remain unchanged because modifying this would require planning permission
, which was unlikely to be granted. Since the ride consisted of the suspended swinging model, with tight corners, any new trains would also have to be able to swing (reducing lateral G
s). This led to the development of swinging suspended floorless coaster trains, manufactured by Vekoma
, which are still in use today. The modified ride opened in 2001, under the same name as the previous incarnation. The new trains give riders a completely different ride experience.
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
at Chessington World of Adventures
Chessington World of Adventures
Chessington World of Adventures Resort is a theme park and zoo in South West London, England. It lies south of Central London. Historically opened as Chessington Zoo in 1931, a theme park was developed alongside it, opening in 1987...
theme park in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It opened in 1990 in the new Transylvania area, and was designed by John Wardley
John Wardley
John Wardley is a British award-winning concept designer and developer for theme parks, mainly for rides such as roller coasters.-Rides Designed By John:*Nemesis*Oblivion*Air*Thirteen *Haunted House*Runaway Mine Train...
. It originally featured bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
-themed trains, which were later replaced with floor less models. The trains hang from the track, and swing freely as the roller coaster completes the course. It has two lift hills, featuring many dives and turns throughout. Towards the end, the ride has a sudden drop into a sharp banked curve through a tunnel before entering the break run.
The ride station is heavily themed as a very gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
abbey, using dim lighting and dramatic music. The queueline takes riders through a graveyard, before heading through a crypt and dark corridor which leads to the loading platform. Of particular note is the animatronic organist within the station which 'plays' a large pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
along to the theme music.
Modification
As Vampire started to age, it suffered from numerous breakdowns and maintenance problems. The manufacturer, Arrow DynamicsArrow Dynamics
Arrow Dynamics was a roller coaster and amusement ride design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. In 2002, the company went bankrupt but was quickly bought by fellow amusement ride manufacturer S&S Power to form S&S Arrow. During its peak, Arrow Dynamics was responsible for some of...
, had gone bankrupt since the ride had been built, meaning little could be done to rectify these issues. Vampire was closed for the latter half of the 2000 season, and at the time this was thought to be permanent. However, instead of removal, the decision was taken to modify the ride so that it could use a new type of suspended coaster train, therefore increasing its popularity.
The track was to remain unchanged because modifying this would require planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
, which was unlikely to be granted. Since the ride consisted of the suspended swinging model, with tight corners, any new trains would also have to be able to swing (reducing lateral G
G force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall.It may also refer to:* G-Force , a 2009 film by Disney** G-Force , a 2009 video game based on the film...
s). This led to the development of swinging suspended floorless coaster trains, manufactured by Vekoma
Vekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
, which are still in use today. The modified ride opened in 2001, under the same name as the previous incarnation. The new trains give riders a completely different ride experience.