Amusement parks, theme parks, ride photography

Behind the Scenes – Space Invader 2, Pleasure Beach Blackpool

October 22nd, 2007 • Related • Filed Under

I was fortunate enough to attend a club pleasure beach event in May which included a behind the scenes tour of a number of attractions including Infusion and Space Invader 2.

Space Invader 2 was originally called space invader when it arrived at the park in 1984, after been refurbished by Kumbak coasters in 2004 it reopened as Space Invader 2.

Anyone that remembers the original Space invader will remember the very uncomfortable and often bumpy ride.


I have memories of the old space invader been a very bumpy ride with some extreme brakes in the dark. As part of this tour we were left to look around the attraction with senior management for about 30 minutes.

It was ideal for most of the group and we just walked around taking photographs and looking at some of the very odd looking space theming most of which you miss whizzing past at 30-40mph.

Some of the 80’s style space 1999 theming.

Some of these spacemen inside the ride are hardly seen when you go past in the cars, they look tacky and believe me they are but that just adds to the attraction in my opinion. I don’t think any of us ride space invader 2 for the fantastic effects.

Some more of the props.

Hanging in the middle of the attraction is a satellite.

This is one odd looking alien.

and a close up of its face.

Some track shots, the ride is 1490ft in length and has a height of 59ft.

This is a pretty good effect when your on the ride in the dark.

Passing through some more space themed artwork.

Mid ride operators console, this isnt manned during normal operational hours.

One of the trains, Pleasure beach staff compared the cost to a Porsche boxster..gulp!!!

Finally the run back into the station. Brakes in the center of the track.

Id like to thank Club Pleasure Beach for arranging this tour and to Keith and his staff at Pleasure Beach Blackpool.

Collection of other behind the scenes tours Behind the scenes.

If you want to use any photographs on this blog please get in touch paul@ridemad.com im quite happy to share and have high resolution copies of everything used, to see the complete gallery visit the Ridemad Gallery

Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape

Thanks for Reading.

There Are 19 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by Mackenziee on 7 September 2008:

    Omgg i went on that ride ..
    i crpaed myself cos it was in the dark
    and im scared of hights
    its is a good ride but i think its a bit dangerous

  2. Comment by Michael on 19 February 2009:

    this ride looks like the old Black Hole ride at Alton Towers if you ask me.

  3. Comment by Jamie on 23 March 2009:

    this ride is apparently closed now :-(
    does any1 no why?

  4. Comment by bto on 25 March 2009:

    it isnt closed it was broken cause the box what works the ride broke
    but it is back open now.

  5. Comment by Bekka on 21 April 2009:

    Its standing not operating and is actually due for removal due to consistant mechanical failures with the ride.

  6. Comment by Aiden on 7 May 2009:

    It’s being removed now, never had chance to ride it…

  7. Comment by annabel n rachel on 1 June 2009:

    never had chance to ride it but dont really care i think its stupid that they closed it didnt make any changes to it and just reopend it with a new name.

  8. Comment by Admin on 4 June 2009:

    Hi they did make changes to the cars and restraints before reopening the ride.

  9. Comment by dukedog10uk on 13 June 2009:

    Didnt know it had re-opened. Aparently staff on Beaver Creek have been told by their bosses that Nickelodeon are taking over the site as of now with a franchaise / lease from BPB. New markings have gone down for their rides to be brought in and BPB’s to be removed. Can anyone enlighten us further.

  10. Comment by Admin on 13 June 2009:

    Hi thanks for the comments. No its not re-opened these pictures were taken as part of a behind the scenes tour that i did with the park. It was open at the time of these photos around May 2007.

  11. Comment by Charlotte on 23 August 2009:

    I loved this ride and im deverstated that it is to be removed :( although it has never felt the same ever since that young boy fell to his death from one of the carridges in 2000, it’s always had an erie feel to it since then. Alot seems to be changing at BPB lately, I think in the years to come we can kiss goodbye to all the classic rides :( so sad

  12. Comment by Jessie on 24 August 2009:

    I no :(
    I Just came back from blackpool, And it was closed, its one of the best rides and i never hurd about the little boy back in 2000 :O
    Alsoo the bigg dipper :(

  13. Comment by Dave on 3 September 2009:

    It is sad that a life was lost, but it was lost because some teenage children thought it’d be a good idea to stand up and swap seats on a fast moving roller coaster in the dark! As with many rides, the park is therefore forced to make it less “Daddy, don’t hurt me” white knuckle and more “Mummy, can we pick some flowers” tame by introducing harnesses, constraints, seat belts et al. Most of these are totally unecessary and a damning indictment of our ever increasing “blame culture”. I remember the thrill and excitement of leaving my seat on the peaks of the Grand National as a child and having to actually hold tight to the hand rail for fear of leaving the carriage! I used to try to tuck my feet under the lip of the seat in front and my dad used to hold me down with his arm across me. Although the Grand National is still an absolutely fantastic ride, thanks to the idiot who stood up in the late 80s and took a dive head first, it will always be spoiled for me (and future generations of children) as restraints mean that your backside is incapable of leaving the seat more than 5mm! Apologies for mixing a bit of politics with the fun of roller coasters, but it just seems such a shame!

  14. Comment by stephen on 20 September 2009:

    we were half way throgh riding it when it suddently stopped and my sister told me a boy came out of his car and fell . she said we were in his carridge. it got going again im glad its shgut its the worst ride ever

    does any one no why its getting knocked down?

  15. Comment by stephen on 20 September 2009:

    we were half way throgh riding it when it suddently stopped and my sister told me a boy came out of his car and fell . she said we were in his carridge. it got going again im glad its shut its the worst ride ever

    does any one no why its getting knocked down?

  16. Comment by stephen on 20 September 2009:

    yes i was on the big dipper 1 hour before it crashed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  17. Comment by stephen on 20 September 2009:

    when is the big dipper opening?
    :)

  18. Comment by gypsy boy on 29 September 2009:

    its still getting checked over
    i hate the Space Invader 2 aswell its shite :)

  19. Comment by stephen on 2 February 2010:

    i checked up on the death of the space invader and the boy got frigtened mid ride and tryed to get to the front to be with his friend ! if you ask me that is a bit stupid

    all pleasure beach tragedy’s

    1) 1997 one pepsi max car stopped mid ride due to breaks not working and the other car slamed into no one seiriously hurt

    2) 2000 the boy fell from the space inveder coaster and died

    3) a woman and a child hurt on the horses ride (next to maze) after their seat belt became detached from the horse.

    4) one car on the big dipper ride stopped on the return to the platform and the other opperating car smashed ito it most escaped with a few bumps and bruisesd but 27 were hospitilised.

    i know alot about the pleasure beach so if anyone wants to now anything please leave a comment on this site i will check and reply so keep checking .

    NOT TRYING TO BOAST !

Post a Response