History
Plans for developing the site began in 1991, when Alton Towers began working on a pipeline roller coaster concept from Arrow Dynamics. The ride, codenamed Secret Weapon 1, was to be themed around a secret military facility. Development of the project was put on hold due to Arrow's financial problems and Mr Wardley's design problems, but was brought back a year later with the codename Secret Weapon 2 this time with the ride being built in a pit, to solve the height restriction problems. However, the project was finally abandoned when John Wardley had the opportunity to ride the prototype, and found it to be slow and energy inefficient.
The park began to look at alternatives and around this time John became aware of the rumours surrounding a new installation by Bolliger & Mabillard at Six Flags. Alton Towers contacted Bolliger & Mabillard who would not give out any specifics about the ride and informed the park to speak to Six Flags. John only did that and after a meeting Six Flags agreed to let Bolliger & Mabillard produce a similar ride for Alton Towers on the understanding that Alton Towers would return the favour. John Wardley worked on this new ride concept which he codenamed SW3, though the theme of a secret weapon evolved into that of organic alien creature.
Nemesis opened in the spring of 1994 to much media fanfare and was one of many major installations at theme parks throughout the United Kingdom.
Read more about this topic: Nemesis (roller Coaster)
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“What is most interesting and valuable in it, however, is not the materials for the history of Pontiac, or Braddock, or the Northwest, which it furnishes; not the annals of the country, but the natural facts, or perennials, which are ever without date. When out of history the truth shall be extracted, it will have shed its dates like withered leaves.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“When the history of this period is written, [William Jennings] Bryan will stand out as one of the most remarkable men of his generation and one of the biggest political men of our country.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“In the history of the human mind, these glowing and ruddy fables precede the noonday thoughts of men, as Aurora the sun’s rays. The matutine intellect of the poet, keeping in advance of the glare of philosophy, always dwells in this auroral atmosphere.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)