A 200-foot cylinder has been installed at the centre of Pleasure Beach Resort's re-imagined Launch Pad ride.
The cylinder, which travelled more than a thousand miles across Europe, is a 'key component' of the ride and is responsible for 'revolutionising' the ride experience.
Made up of five individual sections, each weighing 1.9 tons, the cylinder's total weight is equivalent to a large African elephant, a military tank, a cruise ship's anchor, or the Big Ben bell.
It has a pressure of 105 PSI, meaning each square inch inside the cylinder experiences a force of 105 pounds.
Karl Murphy, director of engineering, said: "The higher the pressure, the greater the build-up of kinetic energy.
"By increasing the PSI, we’ve increased the force, and therefore the acceleration of speed is greater, meaning riders will feel a huge difference and shoot to the sky with more power than ever before.
"This new cylinder is what’s going to create those stomach-dropping moments and feelings of weightlessness that guests are going to love."
The installation of the cylinder marks a milestone in the 'extensive' project, which has been ongoing during Pleasure Beach's closed season from December until February.
The Launch Pad ride has already undergone a 'complete aesthetic makeover', changing colour from white to blue and red, and adopting a new name, branding, and a space exploration theme.
The majority of the work has been carried out by Pleasure Beach Resort’s in-house team, consisting of mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, painters and artists, a project manager, and the director of engineering.
An engineer from S&S, the ride’s manufacturer, also flew over from the United States to help oversee the cylinder’s installation.
Amanda Thompson OBE, CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, said: "This year we are re-opening the park even earlier than usual in time for February half term, so our talented teams have had an even smaller window of time to execute something incredible.
"As usual they have risen to the occasion, and incredible it certainly is.
"We’ve previously spoken about this era being a period of evolution for us, with a focus on renewing our ride offering.
"While Launch Pad is only the first chapter of a much longer story, it’s exceptionally exciting to see this first milestone happening before our eyes."
An official opening date for Launch Pad is still to be confirmed, but is expected to be early in the 2025 season.
The Nickelodeon Land area of the park, which is aimed at families and younger riders, is open now for February half term until Sunday, February 23, with tickets priced at £25 when booked online.
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