G Force (roller coaster)
G Force was a roller coaster at Drayton Manor Theme Park, Tamworth, England. It was the only X-Car coaster in the UK and was opened by the band G4 in 2005. The ride was also the third X-Car coaster to be built in the world, the first being the prototype Sky Wheel at Skyline Park in Germany and the second being X Coaster at Magic Springs. Another unique aspect of the X-Car coaster is the inverted lift, known as the humpty-bump lift. Unlike a conventional inclined lift, the lift on is similar to a standard vertical loop. At the top of the lift, riders are suspended upside down and the train is released to traverse two more inversions, including an immelman loop and a bent Cuban eight. The ride was originally called Project X but changed to G Force before the coaster's opening. The coaster closed in October 2018 after extensive downtime during the 2018 season. The park stated the maintenance cost for the coaster was too expensive and therefore the decision was to close the ride. As of January 2020 the ride has been removed and is in storage at the rear of the park.
| G Force | |
|---|---|
 The G Force roller coaster | |
| Drayton Manor Theme Park | |
| Location | Drayton Manor Theme Park |
| Coordinates | 52°36′46″N 1°42′53″W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | 26 July 2005 |
| Closing date | October 2018 |
| Cost | £2,500,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Manufacturer | Maurer AG |
| Model | HBX 2000 |
| Height | 82 ft (25 m) |
| Length | 1,263 ft (385 m) |
| Speed | 43.5 mph (70.0 km/h) |
| Inversions | 3 |
| Duration | 0:45 |
| Max vertical angle | 360° |
| Capacity | 1100 riders per hour |
| G-force | 4.3 |
| Height restriction | 53–78.74 in (135–200 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 12 riders per train. |
| G Force at RCDB Pictures of G Force at RCDB | |
Ride Experience
This ride lasted 45 seconds and used to go at a speed of 43.5 MPH (miles per hour). The design of the ride vehicles were unique. The train consisted of two cars, each seating three rows of two people. Instead of conventional shoulder restraints, the ride used special hip restraints. This allowed freedom of upper body movement, however it can cause discomfort if not fitted properly to the lower body.
The queue line featured projectors and screens as well as an original soundtrack. Work to repair visual effect Tesla coils and the g-force fan at the top of the stairs were meant to happen, but this was scrapped as they focused on getting the trains ready back from their refurbishment and unfortunately, the replacement visual effect never came after the ride's closure in 2018.
Incidents
An incident occurred on 10 October 2010 when the ride failed to gain enough height to join the lift hill after the station. Passengers were on the ride at the time, however none were harmed. The ride was then closed for a safety inspection. Another one happened on 1 July 2017 where a train got stuck upside-down on the lift hill for a few hours. No one was injured but passengers were treated just in case of any head problems.
Feedback
Generally, opinions of G-Force were mixed. One of the main complaints was that the restraints were uncomfortable, sometimes making the rider experience pain.
Closure
On 12 October 2018, it was announced that the coaster would be retired at a press conference. The ride had been down for most of the 2018 season after the trains were sent off for modifications. They stated that the ride had become too expensive to maintain and was constantly breaking down. The ride was SBNO for the 2019 season with the only work on its removal being banners put up saying "Planning for future fun". At the end of 2019 a JCB could be spotted by the ride and eventually during the Magical Christmas event, the supports of the ride had been numbered and work was underway to remove the ride. In January certain photos and a video of G-Force's site made it clear that Drayton weren't wasting any time in removing it. By the end of January, it had been completely removed with only rubble left over from the foundations. This was cleared as the months went on with rumours about what could replace it. The track was removed from the park and sent to the Netherlands were it has sat in storage.
References
External links
- Press release at RCDB