Colossus (Thorpe Park)

Roller coaster in the United Kingdom
Watch the on-ride POV
Colossus
Thorpe Park
Location Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK
Coordinates 51°24′12″N 0°30′46″W / 51.40335°N 0.51286°W / 51.40335; -0.51286
Park section Lost City
Status Operating since 22 March 2002
Statistics
Manufacturer Intamin
Product 10 Inversion Roller Coaster
Designer / calculations Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH, John Wardley
Type Steel
Riders per train 28
Hourly capacity 1300
Propulsion Chain lift hill
Height 30 metres
Top speed 72 km/h
Length 850 metres
Inversions 10
Duration 1:32
G-Force 4.3
HELP
The first drop and vertical loop, with the beginning of the quadruple barrel roll in the foreground
Colossus, with X:\ No Way Out in the background

Colossus is a steel roller coaster located within the Lost City themed area at Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK.[1] When it opened on 22 March 2002, Colossus was the first roller coaster with ten inversions and the first major roller coaster at the park. An exact replica, called 10 Inversion Roller Coaster, was later built at Chimelong Paradise in China in 2006 and several more 10-Inversion coasters have since been built with a revised layout. Colossus and 10 Inversion Roller Coaster held the record until May 2013, when The Smiler opened at Alton Towers with fourteen inversions.

History

The initial plan for Colossus was a launched Bolliger & Mabillard Sitting Coaster, much like The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure.[citation needed] This was eventually cancelled in favour of a multi-inversion roller coaster from Intamin. The ride was announced in August 2001.[2] During planning, the ride was known as Project Odyssey.[3][4] The final piece of track was installed on 8 November 2001.[5]

Colossus opened on 22 March 2002.

After the 2022 season, some sections of track were removed.[6]

Design

Elements

The ride's design was adapted from that of Monte Makaya in Brazil, opened in 1998. The height was reduced by 21 feet but the same set of inversions were used. Two extra barrel rolls were added, one at the end of original triple barrel roll (creating a quadruple barrel roll) and another just before the final brake run. Monte Makaya's helix was also removed.[1]

Trains

7 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows, for a total of 28 riders per train. Riders are secured by over-the-shoulder harnesses. Colossus was the first roller coaster to use Intamin's second generation Multi-Looping trains, which are more streamlined and exposed.

Images

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Colossus, Thorpe Park - Coaster Kingdom
  2. European Park Announces Record Breaking Coaster - Ultimate Rollercoaster
  3. Colossus: Plans - Total Thorpe Park
  4. "Project Odyssey at Thorpe Park". Attraction Source. 2000-10-27. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  5. "Colossus Milestone at Thorpe Park". Attraction Source. 2001-11-08. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  6. Meersman, Timothy (2022-11-24). "Colossus ondergaat retrack in Thorpe Park". Theme Park Freaks. Retrieved 2022-11-27+. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

External links

  • Colossus on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
Most inversions on a roller coaster (10)
tied with
10 Inversion Roller Coaster

March 2002 - May 2013
Preceded by
Dragon Khan
Most inversions on a roller coaster (10)
tied with
10 Inversion Roller Coaster

March 2002 - May 2013
Succeeded by
The Smiler
Articles on Thorpe Park