Weston Super Mare going for the record?

Magic · Weston Super Mare going for the record?

There's a rumour doing the round that the Grand Pier at Weston Super Mare could become home to the World's fastest ride. The 200mph ride will run down tracks built over the top of the existing shelters along the centre of the pier. The ride will be electric powered and could form part of the regeneration of the pier as it's rebuilt after the recent fire. It will be very low throughput as it'll probably only carry 2 riders at a time in 2 racing cars.

Supposedly, subject to planning permission, it'll be built by Gravitron, a Gloucestershire based company, who had recently built a go kart track on the pier. A quick look at their website shows they have experience in electric powered cars and they already seem to have a dragster attraction http://www.gravitron.co.uk/html/dragsters.html

With a potential top speed of nearly twice that of G Force at Old Town Kissimmee this will be one hell of a ride. Fingers crossed.

smiler

http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk...estonmercury&tCategory=search

More news on there local news. Really hope this gets the go ahead

marshall hill

Magic do you honestly think a ride can go from standstill to 200mph and back in 600ft ? im afraid its not humanly possible , let alone the thourght of the average customer actually wanting to part with good money for the privlage ! !

reg

I wouldn't dismiss it totally. The G Force racers in Florida go from 0-120mph in less than 200 ft, so I can't see why a larger version can't attain 200mph in 3 times the distance.

MrDJ

now this ride would be perfect for southend pier.

marshall hill

reg

G Force racer in florida is basically an S&S Space Shot tower ride (like Ice Blast) on its side, with the car being pulled along in the same manner as the passenger gondola is pulled up the tower. The breaking is the same method, using the compression of air in the tanks to bring the car to a rapid, but smooth stop. It wouldn't be any different if the size were increased. You would still have the same relative acceleration and decelleration distances. I don't know the exact figures, but an S&S Space Shot reaches its maximum speed within the first 3rd of the tower, and slows down in more or less the same space, creating the pop of airtime as the the carriage is arrested by the cables. A 600ft version on its side should easily be able to get to 200mph in 300 ft, and then be slowed comfortably within the remaining 300ft. I would imagine it could even coast from 300ft to 400ft before slowing down.
We'll just have to wait and see if it happens or not.

stevencaine

my sister has just bought a house in Weston super mare and in her words it is massive its got five bedrooms and a heated indoor swimming pool Wink

Steven Burns

Is the ride inside her house? OMG, that must be a big place.

Weston Super Mare looked rank the other week when i did Carters. The pier didn`t seem that big to take a great ride either. We can see but it doesn`t look like a world class resort or pier.

MrDJ

stevencaine

was done Weston at the weekend the pier is due too open 2010 not sure about the coaster,
went too Brean for the first time what a ghost town that place needs to liven up in the summer Very Happy

MrDJ

Brean has been almost a ghost town for the last year. A good friend of mine Mr Mayhem who was the kids entertainer in dickies was laid off last year after 5 years. he has a massive fan club that follows him wherever he goes and i couldnt believe the amount of family's that have actually boycotted the camp site and also canceled their caravan pitches in protest.

Happy Helen

I agree with you, Brean is a bit of a Ghost town as it is in the middle of nowhere. I always thought is was a bit of a dump and the leisure park is not really that brilliant.

marshall hill

MrDJ

i was there 2 years ago and the park was ok. the only ride i really went on was Xtreme.27 times in a week to be exact. i didnt risk the coasters there as they would of killed me off with my arthritis.
i lost count how many times the new wild mouse coaster broke down.

a new coaster for brean could be interesting and bring some much needed custom back to the park.

Happy Helen

You can get an idea of what the new design for the peir by going to www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/weston_pier_destroyed

bradpeet

The contractor to rebuild the new pavilion at Weston-super-Mare's historic pier has been announced.

The Grade II-listed tourist attraction was destroyed by fire in July last year following an electrical fault.

John Sisk and Son will now start work as soon as possible and the owners plan to reopen the pier in June 2010.

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8186937.stm

Happy Helen

I was down in Weston last Sunday and the peir was comptetly empty.

I can't see it opening next year.