Nemesis (roller coaster)

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For other uses, see Nemesis.
Nemesis

A Nemesis train travelling around the stall turn immediately after the vertical loop.
Location Alton Towers
Park Section Forbidden Valley
Type Steel - Inverted
Status Open
Opened 1994
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard
Designer Werner Stengel
Model Inverted Coaster
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 43 ft (13.1 m)
Drop 104 ft (31.7 m)
Length 2349 ft (716 m)
Max speed 50 mph (80.5 km/h)
Inversions 4
Duration 1:20
Capacity 1,400 riders per hour
Cost £10,000,000
Max G force 3
Nemesis at RCDB
Pictures of Nemesis at RCDB


Nemesis is a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster located at Alton Towers in Forbidden Valley. Opening in 1994, it is uniquely built in trenches to reduce its height above ground. This is to comply with local planning restrictions which require Alton Towers to build below the tree line. Nemesis is based around a legend thought up by the Tussauds marketing department, a monster which was disturbed during routine maintenance work has created a large hole in the Staffordshire landscape. The monster had to be pinned down with hundreds of tonnes of steel and that's how Nemesis came about. Nemesis is well known for its theming, and Alton Towers claim that it is the most intense ride ever.

Contents

[edit] History

Plans for developing the site began around 1991, when Alton Towers began working on a pipeline coaster concept from Arrow Dynamics. The coaster, codenamed SW1 (Secret Weapon 1), was to be themed around a secret underground base. Development of the project was put on hold due to Arrow's financial problems, but was brought back a year later with the codename SW2. However, the project was finally abandoned when Tussauds saw Bolliger & Mabillard's inverted coaster concept, first used on Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America. This inspired the designer, John Wardley, to create a version for Alton Towers, its codename: SW3.

In 2004 Nemesis gained the world record for the most naked people to ride a roller coaster. 32 people took part beating the previous record held by Nemesis Inferno at Thorpe Park by 4 people. The event took place to celebrate 50 years of Guinness World Records. The event and the names of all who took part can be found in the 2005 edition of the book.

Incredibly, the ride potentially travels 12 mph faster when it rains, bringing the top speed up to around 62 mph and increasing the maximum G-Force to over 4G. [citation needed]

[edit] Statistics

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Roller coasters at Alton Towers

Air - Beastie - Corkscrew - Nemesis - Oblivion - Rita: Queen of Speed - Runaway Mine Train - Spinball Whizzer