Rumors starting circulating in 1996 about a secret new ride, dubbed SW4, at Alton Towers. Pits were dug, but no one was sure what exactly was going to be put there. It was going to have to be something excellent to follow up Nemesis, their award-winning inverted coaster. I am not sure if it would be possible to make a better ride, but they came pretty close. To say the drop on Oblivion is steep is a grave understatement. Only one other ride, Ultra Twister, has a drop this steep. However, Oblivion's drop is over twice as long making it the ride with the longest 87-degree drop. The trains are odd, being that they are only two rows long but each row holds 8 people. The ride itself is very short, so short in fact that it has become known as a freefall instead of an actual coaster. In any case, it is truly a breathtaking ride.
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Name Oblivion
Opened March 14, 1998
Height 65 ft
(180 ft drop)
Elements 87 degree drop
Trains 7
Capacity 16 riders per train
Cost $8 million
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