TOTAL double post, but here's something that I wrote a while back and thought that I’d share it here, for those who never got to experience Space Station Zero and in a bit more detail than above.. :blush:Space Station Zero was one of Thorpe Parks earliest rides installed in the early 80's and was most certainly the most intense ride the park then offered to it’s guestsOf course, many of you would have already been on Space Station Zero yourselves in it's new guise as the Flying Fish. Although sadly even the first time this powered Mack coaster was re-themed and re opened in 1990, it was a completely different experience from thenThe ghosts of Space Station Zero are hard to eradicate completely from the park and the large footprint and old shell of the ride area are still very much in place today.Behind the Walls of the red bricked Georgian House and occupying the entire indoor space that is now KFC and Amity Arcade, this off the shelf Mack coaster became many peoples first big ride.Outside and on the floor in front the main building, the old wooden cattle pen queue line's existence is still there and hidden under a square of tarmac.The doorway into the building is now much lower too. You can still see where the original doorway was, just a few feet above it now.It was at the end of the outdoor queue line, and few steps up a grand concrete staircase that once led brave space travellers further toward their adventurePassing through a doorway, the queue line turned left and into a space station, where you were surrounded with White Walls and windows looking out into space.Silver railings wound back and forth through the small room and cattle pen that was stopped at the front by a chain.Above you in this room was a large open ceiling window that using black lighting, created the vast envelope of space that guests would soon be flying throughOnce at the front of the queue and leaving this room, guests were counted through by a member of staff and allowed to follow the path into a mirrored walk way. This next passage way, where the walls and ceiling were covered with mirrors, created a nice effect and led you finally into the ride station itselfThe ride car would already be waiting for you, already unloaded following it's previous trip through space. The nose of the train tilting ominously into a vast, pitch black tunnel as guests made a move for their preferred seating. There was no front row queue line then. There were no batching gates. From the mirrored passage way, guests filed in and took their seats quicklyOnce seated, guests would pull down their over the shoulder harness and the lights in the White station would go dim.In front a large arch, would light up with a countdown. A booming voice would count to the darkened room; Three.. Two.. One.. and in a blaze of flashing lights; IGNITION, WE HAVE IGNITION!Rolling out of the station, the train turned into the darkness. Ahead, a tunnel of lights lit up and were flashing all around.Leaving here, the ride area opened up as the train speeds into it's first helix and around an odd shape in the middle of the ride area (to this day, I have no idea what this was supposed to be, other than perhaps a small model of the space station we'd just left?)The rest of the ride experience was completely in the dark, there were a few bright lights blinding you on a small section of track before re-entering the ride station. The station was then dimly lit in neon blue where just as today, the ride speeds through and completes the circuit again non-stopOn your final approach into then ride station, all then lights were back on. Your train came to a halt in the once again bright White station and on exiting to the left of the ride train-and much like today, across a dimly lit covered bridge, where you were once again led back outside through a blue building (that is still there to the right of KFC although simply a cupboard today)!In 1990, a new season and Space Station Zero was gone.The ride area had been opened up as Carousel Kingdom and extensively themed, including a large doubled tier carousel ride and Space Station Zero had been completely relocated.Now taking up some of the space of Thorpe Parks model world, beside the tea cup ride, Space Station Zero had a completely new look. The raw ride track placed in the middle of a garden, complete with rushing waterfalls and fish fountain. The ride cars were completely revamped into a blue friendly little fish and more importantly, the over head restraints had been replaced altogether with lap barsI can understand Thorpe Parks management team on deciding to relocate a thrill ride with a height restriction, replacing the over head restraints with a simple lap bar and making it accessible to everyone, as a new family roller coaster, although even now, with the flying fish in yet another new location on park, to this day I am unable to ride without looking back at how the ride once was and every time, secretly riding this mack powered coaster on every trip, I'm secretly once again reunited with the first big roller coaster of my lifeThere’s a little more info and pics on Phil’s brilliant Memories of Thorpe Park
