Black Hole & Alton/New Beast

Anonymous · Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:39 pm

i hate to sound like a newbie but its recently come to my attention that the blac hole and the now retired new beast have the exact same track layout
im curious as to why the previous owners of AT thought to do this or was it a 2 for 1 deal

any thoughts or does someone actually know why they did this

Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:46 pm

They arn't actually the same model. The Black hole is a modified Jet Star 2 The Beast/New Beast is a jet star 3. The jet star 3 is a bigger and longer ride.

Anonymous · Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:17 pm

ahh so where the black hole can fit inside the tent the new beast cannot

Anonymous · Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:19 pm

It's been a long standing myth that the Black Hole and Beast rides have been juggled around since they appeared at the park.

As Ron has pointed out, the Black Hole is a modified Jet Star 2 and always has been a Jet Star 2, whereas the Beast rides were Jet Star 3. Quite why AT decided to introduce another Jet Star into the park in 1988 is a mystery.

Anyhoo. Here's some specs....

Jet Star II
http://schwarzkopf.coaster.net/OKjetstar2GF.htm

And Jet Star III
http://schwarzkopf.coaster.net/OKjetstar3GF.htm

The most notable difference is the height and the fact that the Jet Star III rides have an extra drop.

Anonymous · Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:19 pm

[quote=""thealtman""]ahh so where the black hole can fit inside the tent the new beast cannot[/quote]

Unless next year sees a Jet Star III replacing the current ride and a slight amendment to the size of the canopy.

Anonymous · Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:39 pm

[quote=""Ade""]Your fave topic Brian lol

I bet someone will still say that the Beast used to be the Blackhole etc etc etc[/quote]

I'll just laugh at them.

Anonymous · Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:49 pm

[quote=""Ade""]So when did Alton Towers replace the Blackhole? And was the beast the old Blackhole? :chuckel:[/quote]

Wed Oct 20, 2004 3:42 pm

Ahh... everyone's favorite topic. Gotta love a bit of beast/blackhole action!! (I should really make a video of that

)

I have it on good authority that it is all down to the trains. A park that juggles trains is a park which confuses everyone about 10 years down the line.

Anonymous · Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:56 pm

[quote=""Squiggles""]Ahh... everyone's favorite topic. Gotta love a bit of beast/blackhole action!! (I should really make a video of that

)

I have it on good authority that it is all down to the trains. A park that juggles trains is a park which confuses everyone about 10 years down the line.[/quote]

Yep, the change to coupled cars completely changed the ride experience, making it inferior in my opinion. As it is now, if you sit at the back, you get the same sense of speed as was there pre-1988. However, nowadays, by the time the train is at full speed on the first drop, the front is already nearer the bottom of the drop so although you get better G's at the drop's base, you don't get that kick on the drops, which to me is what the best bit of a Jet Star ride is.

And initially, when it first opened for the 1988 season, the front really did give the impression that the track layout was different. Speeding up and slowing down in different places on the track, all due to the physics of having the two cars coupled together.

Website · Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:00 pm

Never rode it with just 1 car, though I always try to get to go to the back(and nearly always succeed as everyone else runs for the front)whenever I go on it.

Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:18 pm

what's the point in running to the front on that ride?? yo carn't see a thing.

i also haven't bean on with 1 cart but i have only bean viisiting since 1998

Anonymous · Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:19 pm

[quote=""dstone_uk""]what's the point in running to the front on that ride?? yo carn't see a thing.

i also haven't bean on with 1 cart but i have only bean viisiting since 1998[/quote]

Have you been on it recently? It's like a rollercoaster in a warehouse. You can see everything on your way around.

Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:21 pm

i went on it on the 10th actuly and i don't wear my glasses to AT so i carn't see a thing most oif the time anywhy

Anonymous · Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:32 pm

[quote=""dstone_uk""]i went on it on the 10th actuly and i don't wear my glasses to AT so i carn't see a thing most oif the time anywhy

[/quote]

Lol. Try contacts. I started wearing them last year and it changed my rollercoaster riding life.

They're hard at first, but you soon get used to them.

Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:34 pm

i aint alowed

Optision policy"dew to everchanging effects on growing and mutring under 21's are not alowed contacts as the perscripton would have to be updated monthly'

Anonymous · Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:37 pm

[quote=""dstone_uk""]i aint alowed

Optision policy"dew to everchanging effects on growing and mutring under 21's are not alowed contacts as the perscripton would have to be updated monthly'

[/quote]

Ah, didn't think about your age.

Still, I used to wear my glasses and they never came off. I mean, let's face it, it'd have to be a rough ride that knocked your glasses off.

Satch · Mon Mar 07, 2005 12:56 pm

OK, sorry to bring this one up again, but after hearing accounts of the BH-goodbye event about it being a Jet Star 1 originally, I'm confused. I thought the truth was sorted out, and yet here is someone whou would be in the know releasing details as fact which do not seem to fit with what was previously known. Although I find it hard to believe BH was ever a Jet Star 1, why was this released as such at the event?

Anonymous · Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:14 pm

[quote=""Satch""]OK, sorry to bring this one up again, but after hearing accounts of the BH-goodbye event about it being a Jet Star 1 originally, I'm confused. I thought the truth was sorted out, and yet here is someone whou would be in the know releasing details as fact which do not seem to fit with what was previously known. Although I find it hard to believe BH was ever a Jet Star 1, why was this released as such at the event?
[/quote]

Dunno, but it always has been a Jet Star II. I suppose it was 20 years ago so even people who these days would be 'in the know' could possibly be unclear on it's origins.

Better to ask the enthusiasts who were riding it back then. I promise you that it's been the same layout since day one.

Oh, and a Jet Star I is a totally different ride anyway.

http://schwarzkopf.coaster.net/OKjetstarGF.htm

Note the lack of spiral lift.

Satch · Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:17 pm

Thats what I though Shock, it couldnt have been a Jet Star 1 really, it's always been the same ride with slight modifications. Could be AT having one last laugh maybe. Who knows

Website · Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:02 pm

Its always been assumed the BH was a jetstar 2, as satch says with modifications carried out in 1988 to accomodate 2 car trains. During the talk by head of engineering on saturday, who I am led to believe has been there a long time stated that from 1984-1987 it was a jet star 1 coaster, which seemed to take quiete a few people by suprise, myself included.

He said the ride was replaced with a jetstar2 in 1988, modified to take 2 car trains. Some of the jetstar 1 track still exists in the engineering workshop, which we were privvy to view, there are slight differences between the two tracks, maybe someone could post a pic to explain what I mean.

Also the jetstar 2 that was installed in 1988 was already 14 years old at the time, so the track is infact 30years old now, that is why it is almost at the end of its natural life.

Looking at the pictures though of the jetstar 1, certainly cant imagine that was ever in the blackhole tent?

Does anyone remember riding it pre 1988?? did it have a chain lift hill??like below
http://schwarzkopf.coaster.net/ESjetstarGF.htm