Enigma (roller coaster)
| Enigma | |
|---|---|
| Pleasurewood Hills | |
| Coordinates | 52°30′22″N 1°44′42″E / 52.5062°N 1.7451°ECoordinates: 52°30′22″N 1°44′42″E / 52.5062°N 1.7451°E |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 1995 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Anton Schwarzkopf |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Model | Jumbo V |
| Lift/launch system | Tire lift hill |
| Height | 53 ft (16 m) |
| Length | 1,738 ft (530 m) |
| Speed | 34 mph (55 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:00 |
| Capacity | 300 riders per hour |
|
Enigma at RCDB Pictures of Enigma at RCDB | |
Enigma is a roller coaster located at Pleasurewood Hills, Corton, Near Lowestoft, Suffolk. It is the only Schwarzkopf Jumbo V in the world, as it was the only one manufactured.
It was built in 1983 for a German travelling fair, until it moved to Funland Park in Kent until 1995 when it moved to Pleasurewood Hills as Cannonball Express, where it was mine train themed and was put in a crater next to the car park. The ride used to include a canyon theme with the cars shooting through and past the theming until 2004, when the theming was taken away. In 2005 it was given a new paint job, including a bright-red track and red trains with question marks, but in summer 2009, one of the old Cannonball Express trains were put on track for testing, as the ride would soon be undergoing a revamp.
Showing age
Enigma used to have 4 trains as Cannonball Express coloured:
- Purple - Most Used, in storage (Used for maintenance)
- Blue - Still in operation
- Green - Used 3rd most, in storage (put on track in 2009 for a short amount of time)
- Red - Used the least, thought to be scrapped
This means that there is now only 1 train in operation, which only seats 8 people, plus with separate on- and off-loading stations, this means there is a very low capacity of about 300 pph, also, being one of the most popular rides in the park, the queues can get very long.
The reason the others were scrapped was due to maintenance as the company Schwarzkopf, who manufactured the ride, stopped roller coaster production, so the ride cars and brakes on the ride can't be fixed easily, meaning the block brakes are broken so the ride can't run multiple trains; the best-condition parts are taken from the other trains and put on the one in operation. It is also noted that Enigma isn't as thrilling as it once was, and the trims do not work anymore, which are located part way through the course of the track, meaning the ride's corners can sometimes be painful.
The revamp
It was semi-confirmed, on 15 August 2009, that Enigma will have an overhaul for the 2010 season.
The Revamp will/may include, based on rumours and facts.
- New braking system, so ride can run at full capacity again.
- All 4 trains back on track/in service.
- Possibility of new trains.
- Possibility of repaint/retheme.
- Heavy rumours about relocation (although highly unlikely due to the rides location).
- On-ride photos.
The park has had difficulty restoring the ride as the parts for the ride are not easy to acquire; this resulted in alternatives that had to be investigated.
Recently it has been confirmed that Enigma will receive a £150,000 revamp under new owners HIG Capital in time for the 2013 season. The revamp will continue until 2015, when it is expected Enigma will be fully operational, Including new theming and returning to the use of multiple trains.