Building & Designing Oblivion - Alton Towers - 10 Years On
Vložit
- čas přidán 17. 06. 2008
- This video shows the building of Oblivion at Alton Towers 10 years ago. In 1997 somthing strange was going on and in 1998 the worlds first vertical drop rollercoaster was launched. This video shows the build up and construction of the world class ride at the resort.
Thank you for watching AdventureShawn ©
Instagram: / shawnsanbrooke
Second Channel: / themeparkworldwide
Seeing John Wardley get giddy and jumping up and down after the drop makes me smile. That man is personally responsible for the thrills of so many British people. He's like the big kid in chief.
What a cool job he has :)
He did more than rollercoasters. He worked on Hammer Horror, James Bond and practically invented the modern animatronic.
I was a coach driver when Oblivion was being built. The company I worked for at the time ran a regular Thursday service to Alton Towers so I was able to see it's progress week by week. Happy days back then (Y)
Did you drive any Volvo B10M's, if so which body did they have
@@randomtransportguyx4397 No. It was such a popular service at the time so we used a Leyland Atlantean Double Decker.
@@bowmurbandit noicccccccccccce
Almost 20 years! Queued for 3 hours when it first opened. Now you can pretty much walk on the damn thing.
I waited 40mins at scare feat
@@twizzrocket4311 Good old scare feat
@@bulletnotloaded3586 y'all gotta love scare feat
I went and queued for 2 hours so you carnt just walk on
queued 50 the on the 18th july 2021
Oblivion is the FIRST dive coaster and therefore the BEST by default. Look at these guys two decades ago with their fiendish concoction. They're like wizards. Nothing else like it existed. The simple, stark layout; just a sinister black track plunging straight into the ground
Felice Graziano it probably still is the best as not much vertical drop rollercoasters don’t go underground
When I first walked up on this ride and saw it’s size and that subtle roar, it was in complete awe. Those execs at the end seemed to have thought the same thing.
The way it banks at the end is something beautiful and terrifying at the same time. 20 years ago, there was nothing like it.
oblivion is incredible. I never realized how deep underground it was, that's why the speed and intensity always takes me by surprise.
Same
I remember being there the year before it was opened and seeing the ground being dug out. It looked so bizarre!
if I had a time machine, i'd go to that guy and say
'you alright mate?'
'looking forward to Oblivion?'
I wasn't sure about riding Hex at first, but after we did it I'm glad my Dad encouraged me. Alton Towers is the Best
Have you been on the smiler
@@jjpoggers Yes and my balls really hurt.
Genius pieces. Absolutely amazing.
I've been to Alton towers today I went on this about 7 times this is incredible
Hi Shawn from 9 years in the future!
Yes he's given me roller coaster advice for the future. Very good man.
What a great upload - really good to see. Thanks!!!
Makes me feel really old when I realise I was a teenager when this thing opened. It was a big deal at the time, had a huge advertising campaign.
Such an interesting video on Oblivion - loved to see the construction
the roar of that B&M track gives me goosebumps🤤🤤🤩🤩
WoW this is brilliant thanks for posting keep it up.
Oblivion has been my favourite ride ever.
Amazing video, thanks for uploading! :)
Look how excited everyone is. The good old days. Before social media. Here I am on social media 😂
Great upload!
This ride is exactly 2 month older than me, i rode it for the first time on its 11th birthday :)
I have ridden this. It was awesome!
going here on saturday cant wait
i wouldn't say that oblivion is the best diving roller coaster ,but defiantly has the best drop out of the bunch ,simply because it's a proper hole in the ground! and not just a little hole with some cover on top of it..
Jonny B But you have to remember, this was revolutionary - they spent a lot of the budget working out how to drop the riders safely, nowadays it’s common knowledge across manufacturers and they have the money to add more track and inversions etc.
Jonny B a second drop is by its very nature redundant on a dive machine. Riding Oblivion for the second time feels redundant, let alone sitting through the second drop on Sheikra. It's all about the drop. One drop.
love oblivion!!
no, oblivion was designed by John Wardley and the ride was manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard.
That ride cemented John wardley as the greatest coaster engineer ever
Love this vid
20 years gone by and still the best vertical drop thrill coaster
AidanWithAnA no stealth
DiamondSword gaming Fair point but Oblivion is what started it all and without it we wouldn't have Stealth or Saw: The ride so yeah, for the thrill factors Stealth wins but c'mon you just have to love oblivion to ya know?
Sure it started it but that doesn’t make it best. Do you call iron wolf the best b&m cause it was the first. Besides, best drop in the Uk is speed at oakwood, it’s not the steepest but check the height it’s way taller than all the others
@@xVx_Krt_xVx_KillMe Fair point I guess but On vertical dive coasters I have only ridden Oblivion soooooo I have much ride credibility to earn
Best drop but not the best dive coaster in general.
We are very lucky to have John Wardle as a fellow Brit, and a pioneer in the roller coaster industry, some of the best & first rides in the world! I love nemesis
Hello This is an absolutely amazing documentary, thank you for putting this up, I think this is what later inspired the Drop tower ride for Nemesis Sub-terra. Keep it up! Kind regards Peter
Drop towers were made before Oblivion.
@@Todd21212 OK
9:07 was Oblivion’s first EVER drop!!!
Still haven't been to Alton Towers desperate to go though and will definitely ride this
the 2 dislikes are off fanta because they weren't sponsoring this ride when it opened.
Lol XD
The second dislike was from Coke after the smiler started sponsoring oblivion
Me and my girlfriend went on this 15 times in a row, it's awesome!!!!
There’s something so magical about oblivion. The drop ain’t matched.
this I'd so cool I really like oblivion ride
wow i've been that deep under ground? Kool!
i went on this today it is sick
I thought they were having a smoke up at 0:38😂
cannot wait goin tomoz
Now it’s 20 years on!
I bet people who first saw this ride were like WTF mate
survivalleader saw the ride lol
Thanks for sharing the video. I bet it was amazing to be working on the ride in late 1997/early 1998. I would have loved to have been there with the guys. I can remember all the hype surrounding it. Anyone know how them people got to go to the park before it even opened for the 1998 season?
wow, i loved this documentary!!! 1999's The Dream Factory (part of the Modern Times series of documentaries that the BBC produced.) The full documentary is on here some-where...
John rocking that nemesis hat
I know oblivion is 21 and all but it still looks intimidating I always have had a soft spot for it
I think I may have an idea of what the guard may say now
"The ministry of Joy kindly ask you to leave"
funny how people r saying that the drops 90 degrees and more people r saying it's 87. Alton towers staff have even been saying it's 87 degrees :D
+JAX GAMING It's 87.5
ghabhrayli
Try Saw at Thorpe Park it is 110 degree angle
I heard the drop was 89.5, meaning that it is in fact vertical being as in Maths one would count 1.5 as 2 when rounding up decimals. I know it isn't LITERALLY vertical, but it is just close enough to be counted as such
JAX GAMING Just shy of vertical.
Can't wait until Saturday, SW6 opens!!!
Lol Th13teen
It's so hard to build a new type/theme of rollercoaster these days, It's a shame really, the entusiats at 6:00 clearly saw it was a B&M Manufactured coaster with a sharp eye.
So looking forward to Thirteen.
10 out of 10 i have been on it
@bigmuffexpress Nice one!
It'll be 20 Years On in 2018!
Which is now xD
22 in 2020
@@angrybirds2973 22 isn't a mile stone though... -_-
30 in 2028
40 in 2038
I think alton towers is one of the best place for rollercoaters; Along with busch gardens
lol at the 90s haircuts!!
lol john wardley was giddy with excitement.
I wonder what the ride on the computer screen is at 7:26 is?
I say the red harnesses look quite good with the trson
i agree mate
Even though it's about 80-90 feet over the ground it actually goes down a good 180ft into that tunnel, so if viewed from the bass of the tunnel it would definitely show the scale of it.
anyone got any info on the oblivion guards?
"Magical roller coaster" have you realised it saids "you will get anxiety" in the advert whilst waiting in the queue lol
Alton Towers is soooooo epic!!!!!!!
i love how now we use the term b and m
B and M are a coaster manufacturer. Can’t spell the full name.
What happened to the full documentry
Hi Shawn, I’ve got a question. why was oblivion so slow when it was testing for the first time?
That’s just the standard really when rides test for the first time!
*boomf!! woosh!* That sounded unbelievably quiet XD
Levie Pine sand in the track. Bloody NIMBYs
Now its oblivions 20th :)
Have you ever read John Wardley’s book? I finished it yesterday and it was such a good read.
It’s a great read
Good question i wish i knew :(
what was it based on, i dont quite get what the the theme is and its been 11 years
@jackledgend its a 180ft stright down drop
the men in green
who's the guy at 7:25? Is he still in the community?
2013 now. ;D
I've been on oblivian
Andrew Lincoln narrating,I think? ❤️
It’s now 2028 and getting removed🤯
Now we shall all wait for... OBLIVION: RE-ASCENDED!!! LONG LIVE THE DARKNESS!
I went to Alton towers 2 hours waiting so I thought forget it
Cool.
Look up Sheikra and Griffon in the United States.
They'll blow your mind.
thechosendude I went on shiekra in 2008.
Danielle Dewitt I went on Sheikra in 2007 before they switched to floorless trains.
Oblivion is better.
@SpikePBB Your right I use to be in his club.
Shawn did you watch oblivion being built
no he was too young and he didnt work there back then
I have been on it . It’s good but over very fast
9:13 They were still constructing the Enterprise at that time?
Enterprise has been in various locations in the park since the 80s.
Kiwi enterprise was where Nemesis and those rides are in while Oblivion was being built
The conceptual drawings are in rollercoaster resteraunt
Is Andrew Lincoln the narrator haha
looks a bit different now! They need to improve the length on it or something- because X Sector is always empty.
Jacksite2007 go their now that The Smiler has opened and the place is always packed
25 years
So i draw Fanart for Alton Towers quite a lot and I’m starting social media to help me get noticed, i know this is a silly idea but it would be fun to animate this :>
Hey look ^ its John again! :L
Not the worlds first vertical drop rollercoaster. It's only around 88 degrees and Superman Escape from Krypton opened a year before 1997 and has a max angle of 90 degrees!
Samuel Hearfield k?
That isnt a roller coaster
@SanbrookeProductions its called th13teen
:45433 ;?6434& No the ride in this video is called oblivion.
2013
65ft actually above
This ride was literally groundbreaking lol. I think the drop is approx 180'ft but does anyone know how much of it is above ground level?
It's about 40m
i feel so sorry fo that guard
blackrider42 h
More like 20 years on
Lets make a rollercoaster roflcaek it goes up and down.