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| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics | ||||||||||||||
| Product | Suspended Coaster | ||||||||||||||
| Designer / calculations | John Wardley | ||||||||||||||
| Type | Steel - Suspended | ||||||||||||||
| Propulsion | 2 chain lift hills | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 21 metres | ||||||||||||||
| Top speed | 72 km/h | ||||||||||||||
| Length | 670 metres | ||||||||||||||
| Inversions | 0 | ||||||||||||||
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| Manufacturer | Vekoma (2002-present) Arrow Dynamics (1990-2001) | ||||||||||||||
| Riders per train | 24 | ||||||||||||||
Vampire is a steel suspended roller coaster located at Chessington World of Adventures in Chessington, Greater London, England, UK. It opened in 1990 in the new Transylvania area of the park. The ride was designed by John Wardley and manufactured by Arrow Dynamics.
Theme
The ride station is heavily themed as a very gothic abbey, using dim lighting and dramatic music. The queue line passes 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 close to entering the graveyard themed area.
Modifications
As Vampire showed its age, it suffered from numerous breakdowns and maintenance problems. At this point, the ride's manufacturer, Arrow Dynamics, had gone bankrupt, meaning little could be done to rectify these issues. The Vampire had to close for the latter half of the 2000 season, and at this time it was thought to be permanent. However, instead of being removed, the decision was made to modify the ride, and also add excitement with brand new floorless trains built by Vekoma.
A few changes to the track were made, but nothing major, as this would require planning permission (which was unlikely to be granted). The trains were replaced with new Vekoma trains, which are nearly identical to the ones seen on their Suspended Family Coaster model. Also, certain parts of the supports were removed, to allow for a larger clearance envelope because of the new trains. The modified ride reopened in 2002, with the current trains still operating today. They provide a totally different riding experience.
Design
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Color scheme
Beige track and brown and green supports.
Trains
3 trains with 12 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in a single row, for a total of 24 riders per train.
Manufactured by Vekoma.
Images
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Train climbing a lift hill
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External links
- Vampire on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
