Journey into space...
Journey into space...
| Theme Park | Blackpool Pleasure Beach |
|---|---|
| Type | Rollercoaster |
| Audience | Thrillseekers |
| Opened | 1984 |
| Closed | 2008 |
| Manufacturer | Zierer |
| Model | Four Man Bob |
| Height | 59 ft |
| Length | 1490 ft |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Max Speed | 37 mph |
Space Invader 2
Sitting within a huge blue meteorite themed building, Space Invader 2 was a fully enclosed rollercoaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
A large space rocket sat next to the building and gave visitors a clue to the theme which lay inside. As they entered the queueline they found themselves within a space station, with various pieces of theming introducing the trip into space they were about to partake in once they reached the ride station.
Space Invader 2 was a Zierer Four Man Bob model rollercoaster and featured single ride cars which each seated up to three riders one in front of the other, each secured with individual T-bar style restraints.
After leaving the station and climbing the lift hill, most of Space Invader 2's ride was taken in blackness, punctuated by various pieces of space related scenery that the cars whizzed past.
The rollercoaster originally opened at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in 1984 as Space Invader. It temporarily shut in 2003 and was refurbished by KumbaK Coasters to reopen as Space Invader 2 in 2004. It permanently closed at the Pleasure Beach in 2008, and was sold to Brean Theme Park in Somerset, where it reopened in 2011 as Astro Storm.
Space Invader 2 is remembered by many as one of the classic Blackpool attractions of the eighties and nineties. While the theming inside the ride was never more than a quirky outdated vision of 21st century space travel, the coaster itself was surprisingly comfortable and provided fun times and fond memories.
The large cube shaped meteorite that enclosed the ride
Space rocket outside
Space Invader 2 entrance
The ride's building was easily seen across the Pleasure Beach
