Big Dipper (Blackpool)
Encyclopedia
Big Dipper is a wooden
out and back
roller coaster
at Pleasure Beach Blackpool
, Blackpool
, England. The ride was first built in 1923 by John Miller
but was extended in 1936 by Charlie Paige and Joe Emberton; adding arches over the south entrance of the park and additional drops. The ride operates with two trains, each containing three four-bench cars, seating two people per bench.
The roller coaster is also referenced in the Jethro Tull
song Big Dipper, from their 1976 album Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!
In August 1998, Richard Rodriguez set a world record by riding the Big Dipper for over 1000 hours. There is a plaque commemorating this event in the ride's station. Although he doubled this mark two years later to 2000 hours, Guinness World Records nullified the achievements by altering the rules in 2007 and Rodriguez's new record was set on the Pepsi Max Big One
and Big Dipper and stands at 405 hours 40 minutes.
On June 5, 2010 - there was another incident with part of a train derailing. This occurred at the same point as the 2009 crash, however there were no injuries and the ride began operating again shortly afterwards.
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
out and back
Out and Back roller coaster
Out and back refers to the layout of a roller coaster. An out and back coaster is one that climbs a lift hill, races out to the far end of the track, performs a 180 degree turn and then races its way back to the station....
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
at Pleasure Beach Blackpool
Pleasure Beach Blackpool
Pleasure Beach Blackpool is a family owned amusement park and resort situated along the Fylde coast in Blackpool, England. It is the most visited amusement park in the United Kingdom, and one of the top twenty most-visited amusement parks in the world with an estimate of 5.5 million visitors in...
, Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, England. The ride was first built in 1923 by John Miller
John Miller (entrepreneur)
John A. Miller was a roller coaster designer and builder. He held over 100 patents, many of which were for roller coaster safety devices , that remain key components of present-day roller coasters...
but was extended in 1936 by Charlie Paige and Joe Emberton; adding arches over the south entrance of the park and additional drops. The ride operates with two trains, each containing three four-bench cars, seating two people per bench.
The roller coaster is also referenced in the Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
song Big Dipper, from their 1976 album Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!
Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!
Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! is the ninth studio album released by British band Jethro Tull. It is widely considered a concept album. The remastered 2002 CD version contains two bonus tracks that were cut from the original LP, "Small Cigar" and "Strip Cartoon"...
In August 1998, Richard Rodriguez set a world record by riding the Big Dipper for over 1000 hours. There is a plaque commemorating this event in the ride's station. Although he doubled this mark two years later to 2000 hours, Guinness World Records nullified the achievements by altering the rules in 2007 and Rodriguez's new record was set on the Pepsi Max Big One
Pepsi Max Big One
The Big One is a steel roller coaster located at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in the United Kingdom. The ride was originally manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, a now defunct steel coaster manufacturer, and was sponsored by the soft drinks firm Pepsi, under their brand of Pepsi Max until 2011...
and Big Dipper and stands at 405 hours 40 minutes.
Accident
On August 11, 2009 - two trains, carrying a total of 32 guests, collided. This resulted in 21 guests requiring treatment at a nearby hospital for injuries ranging from whiplash and broken noses, to cuts and bruises.On June 5, 2010 - there was another incident with part of a train derailing. This occurred at the same point as the 2009 crash, however there were no injuries and the ride began operating again shortly afterwards.