Figure Eight Coaster on the Pier at Weston Super Mare.

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Figure Eight Coaster on the Pier at Weston Super Mare.

Postby furie » 08 Jan 2009, 22:33

The Uncle on CoasterForce wrote:It wasnt a kiddie type coaster and it was actually called The Figure Eight.
I`ve also deduced when it was built from records of the first fire on the Grand Pier in 1930.
The pavillion at the end of the pier was reopened in 1933 housing a funfair instead of a theatre and is quite a large building.The Figure Eight must have been built between 1930 and 1933 and opened in the summer of 1933.
The ride occupied the full height of the pavillion and from my memory one half full side.It had two circle ends joined together by a figure eight.
I would guess it to be about twice the size of a Wild/Mad Mouse and about the same height.It was made entirely of wood.

I Just hope someone can remember it.
Or maybe (yeah right) I am the last person left alive to have ridden it.


This gentleman is struggling to find any evidence of this coaster. I've trawled the internet, and lots of image sites with old photos of Weston, and can't find anything relating to this at all.

There's a small footnote on RCDB that there may have been a wooden coaster inside a building in the 60's. There's nothing anywhere else with regards this coaster.

Does anyone else have any knowledge of a figure eight coaster, inside the pavilion at the end of Weston's pier?

Looks like it may be a lost ride...

I've already checked, and it certainly wasn't the Switchback at Birnbeck, and it was definitely inside the Pavilion.

Any help would be much appreciated :)
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Postby Gary » 09 Jan 2009, 08:13

I had several holidays in that area as a child..must have been 1968 - 71 but don't remember any type of coaster - Unless it was before 68 or I just don't remember.

I do remember a rather large Helter Skelter at the back, (I remember thinking "How the heck did they get that in here?") a Crazy Cottage, Ghost Train, Dodgems...and my mind now goes hazy..The Pier Bus taking you down the pier to the Pavilion (More like a Golf Buggy??) was driven at tremendously fast speeds as I remember the wind in my face and not being able to get my breath..

..But that's it..That's all I remember.

Hopefully someone else will be able to solve the Misty Eyed puzzle.

Gary
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Postby mesmoland » 12 Jan 2009, 00:34

Sorry before my time but.... I'm wondering who remembers the fantastic roller coaster that was on the very end behind the pier in the late '80's.I think it looped but I have a vague memory of it.I remember you went around twice,I put my mother on it (in her 60's) and it sorted her bad neck out.I think it was only there for a few years,and fitting it on the end was an engineering marvel.Sorry it dosn't help your quest,but I felt it worth a mention. :D
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Postby furie » 12 Jan 2009, 11:06

There are some fantastic photos here I dug out:
http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/conte ... hotos.aspx
Well worth a look if you like old photos.

Still no sign of anything, other than one or two comments in passing.

Would be great to get even a snippet of a photo of the ride.

The steel coaster on the pier was "Blizzard":
http://www.rcdb.com/id3629.htm

Photos of the same ride type:
http://www.rcdb.com/ig3417.htm
http://www.rcdb.com/ig3981.htm
http://www.rcdb.com/ig3909.htm
http://www.rcdb.com/ig849.htm
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Postby mesmoland » 12 Jan 2009, 11:46

Great photos :D So it didn't loop shows how memory unchecked drifts off track.I bet health and safety would never allow bumper boats now ! Electric over water eeeek.Also in the 1960s photo you can just see in the back right of the pier the old hall of mirrors which was made into the castle of doom.
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Postby Gary » 13 Jan 2009, 18:37

mesmoland wrote:...Also in the 1960s photo you can just see in the back right of the pier the old hall of mirrors which was made into the castle of doom.


In another life I would like to have been be a gentleman sitting at the end of a pier in a paybooth of an attraction that was called The Castle of Doom.

I would get to read a newspaper in the quiet moments and capture images of the other rides with my Super 8 Cine Camera.

All this and no credit crunch.
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Postby mesmoland » 16 Jan 2009, 18:27

Castle of Doom video in widescreen HD: (and not cine 8 lol) :D
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf8H0gHZF ... annel_page
Heres one of the big wheel:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8_oE9jIWU_w
And inside the pier:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LvfSkPTSE ... annel_page
All were filmed on the Saturday before the fire, all are widescreen HD and could be the last ever filmed :shock:
You tube are allowing the higher format now so here is the best quality I can do for your enjoyment !
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Postby Gary » 18 Jan 2009, 14:33

Great to see a video of the Castle of Doom. I remember in the seventies having to put 5p in the turnstile to ride the then Ghost Train.

Up until the fire it must have kept its original track configuration.

Cheers!

Gary
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Postby mesmoland » 18 Jan 2009, 17:45

Gary wrote:Great to see a video of the Castle of Doom. I remember in the seventies having to put 5p in the turnstile to ride the then Ghost Train.

Up until the fire it must have kept its original track configuration.

Cheers!

Gary


The Ghost train you are thinking of Gary in the 70's was in the center back of the pier with the entrance facing seawards,it had many panels with skeletons painted on. Anyone with photos ?
The Castle of Doom back then was the Hall of Mirrors,they kept the front shape and refurbished it.However many of the ghosts were moved into their new home,and the original trains were used (ahh all past tense now!)
I remember the old ghost train well and as a small boy was scared to go in,so the attendant turned all the lights on for me.Happy memories.
Glad you liked my video :D
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Postby Gary » 18 Jan 2009, 19:07

Ah..apologies!

Misremembering again! :-)

On the two occasions we went to WSM we were staying at a caravan park at Breen Sands.

There was a small park we visited that had a kiddies wheel and trampolines and a miniature railway travelling around its circumference.

Is this anything to do with the park that is now Breen Leisure Park?

I've not visited the area for over 35 years!!

Cheers

Gary

PS..Still rate your video of BPB's Wild Mouse the best I've seen to date.
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Postby mesmoland » 18 Jan 2009, 19:37

http://www.brean.com/ funny enough we had our family holiday at warren farm in Brean every year throught the 1970's.
That leisure centre has The Best ghost Train I have ever been on !
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Postby furie » 20 Jan 2009, 14:09

Off topic, but I went to Brean last year and had a great day. Nothing spectacular there, but the weather and company was good :)

Ghost Train was shockingly disturbing - one of the best I've ever been on!
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