Shockwave (Drayton Manor)

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Shockwave

Drayton Manor Location Drayton Bassett, Staffordshire, England, UK Coordinates 52.612523°N 1.154919°E / 52.612523; 1.154919 Park section Adventure Cove Status Operating since March 26, 1994 Cost £4.2 million Height restriction 55 inches (140 cm)
Statistics
Manufacturer	Intamin (Subcontracted to Giovanola)
Product	Stand-Up Coaster
Designer / calculations	Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
Type	Steel - Stand-Up
Riders per train	24
Propulsion	Chain lift hill
Height	120 metres
Top speed	53 km/h
Length	1640 metres
Inversions	4
Duration	1:36
G-Force	4
HELP

Shockwave is a steel stand-up roller coaster located at Drayton Manor in Drayton Bassett, Staffordshire, England, UK. The ride first opened in March 1994. In addition to being the only stand-up roller coaster in Europe, it is the only one in the world to feature a zero-g roll. It was built around the same time as Splash Canyon Rapids, in which the station for it is located directly below Shockwave's station.

The roller coaster is one of three stand-up coasters designed by Intamin, and the only one still operating. It is also the only stand-up coaster built by Intamin to feature multiple inversions.

History

The second half of Shockwave.

Shockwave was ordered during IAAPA 1992. In winter 1992, £1 million worth of concrete was laid for Shockwave and Splash Canyon Rapids, a ride also built by Intamin. After the ride was completed, during the pull through, it was discovered that the test-car could not maneuver the zero-g roll, so a replacement track segment was brought in.

Shockwave opened on March 26, 1994. It was the second of three major British roller coasters opened in 1994; the first being Nemesis at Alton Towers and the third Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Because of this, 1994 has been named the "year of the roller coaster" for British enthusiasts.

After completion of the ride, local residents complained that the final bend was too close to the edge of the park. In fact, Shockwave had been built as planned, but the council had not considered the proximity of the ride to the edge of the park.

For the 2004 season, Shockwave was repainted. For the 2011 season, the trains were repainted. For 2021, the station building was refurbished and repainted.

Design

Elements
Chain lift hill Vertical loop Zero-g roll Double corkscrew

The station of Shockwave is located directly above the loading area of River Rapids, in the Adventure Cove area. At 120 feet tall, Shockwave was built as high as possible under the planning restrictions. The ride was planned to have a helix at the end, however it was not possible with the velocity and space available.

Colour scheme

For the 2004 season, Shockwave was repainted light blue. Previously, it had silver track and brown supports.

Trains

A train on Shockwave before and after its repaint.

2 trains with 6 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 4 across in a single row, for a total of 24 riders per train.

For the 2011 season, the trains were repainted; one dark blue and the other red. Previously, they were painted light brown.

Trivia

The opening in 1994 of The Big One, Nemesis and Shockwave resulted in 1994 being celebrated by UK parks and fans as the "Year of the Roller Coaster".

References

• An Interview with Colin Bryan - CoasterKingdom.com

External links

• 
  Shockwave on the Roller Coaster DataBase.