Does anyone know?

[ricardobugsy]

1. When did the park revert back to pay per ride as opposed to pay per attraction (was it 1996) ?

2. Does anyone have any information on the number of visitors that the park attracted (on a year by year basis, any years between 1980-1999) ?
It would be interesting to see the rising/declining trends.
Were falling visitor numbers the reason behind the Bembom Brothers selling the park or not?
Or did visitor numbers start falling when major rides were sold off?
Or was this part of a national trend?

3. Can anyone tell me how much it was to enter the park when it was pay-on-entry. In 1983 it was about 3 quid rising to 3.50 in 1984. On my last visit as pay-on-entry it was about 7 quid. How much were they charging in the nineties?

4. When was the Big Wheel dismantled and sold to a Mexican park?
Does anyone know the name of the park it went to?

I know the 'original' Looping Star ride is currently at Vidampark, Budapest in Hungary (according to rcdb.com).

5. Any chance of a historical section about all the rides and when they were resident at the park?
I know very little about the first 60 years of Dreamland.
It appears that several major bands played gigs there.
Does anyone have any info? Or info on early rides?

Many thanx in advance

[dreamland]

hello. sadly to say the big wheel went just before the 1997 season in 1997

[AJ]

The Big Wheel was still there for the 1997 season.

[antony]

In response to ricardobugsy, the "charge per ride" system was defintely operating into the early 70s. In the early 60s they started the season with a cut price weekend all rides between 3d & 6d (max 2.5p in decimal!)

I was a regular "seasonal" visitor to Dreamland in the 60s. My mother's family moved to Margate in the late 1920s and my auntie lives there still today.
The rides from the 60s which have magical memories for me are:

River Caves - known locally in those days as "The Tubs" - fronted by a windmill - a grotto like water ride using large tubs with strange triangular seats carried on a "current" driven by a large waterwheel - there were many set pieces in little caves.

Racing Coaster - this ran eerily behind the River Caves mostly in darkness (in the evenings). It was like a "junior" Scenic railway with shorter trains and no brakeman. It appeared to be slowed by an operator in the station pulling a large lever as the train rounded the last bend. The special feature was a tunnel part way round with an exciting "hump back" in the dark.

Whirlwind Racer - this was in the back left corner of the park. Two trains raced each other over a fast double track - a sort of low switch-back

Electric racing cars - Not the usual dodgems but "proper" electric driven cars on an oval track with outside hand brake and STRICTLY no bumping!

Caterpillar - A very old ride like an undulating roundabout with a slightly saucy image. At one point there was an air blower to blow up the ladies skirts. Special feature was the large canvas cover which automatically swept over the riders permitting a quick, innocent moment of imtimacy! Almost as spectacular to watch as ride.

And of course the Scenic. My cousin and I always believed that the yellow train was fastest and would wait to ride it.

I remenber new attractions arriving in the 60s - the petrol go carts which seemed really fast and expensive at 3 shillings for six short laps (!) and some very much "of the time" like the Pscycadelia giving a nod the flower power and the summer of love.

In those days they also had a fantastic firework display every Thursday with spectacles such as "divebombing" the Queen Mary which housed all the amusements through the centre of the park.

Hope this is of interest - I enjoyed remembering!

[ricardobugsy]

Thanks antony,

Aaahh the River Caves... I lucky to ride the River Caves in their final season in 1983.

Also remember the Caterpillar being there in 1980 when I first visited the park. It was featured on the park brochure in 1983 but alas it was not there when I visited that year and so I never got to go on it.

I remember going on the Scenic Railway for the very first time. I was only 12 years old and there were no safety bars at all then. Me and my brother just had to cling on at the side of the cars for dear life!

[Paul]

I only discovered the site a couple of weeks ago and have been hooked on it since.

I made my first visit to Dreamland about 1968 when I was four and visited every year until 1975, as my Aunt and Uncle lived on Euston Rd right next door to the park, they both worked on Dreamland in various capacities for years.

At the entrance to Dreamland on Euston Rd was the station for the train which ran around the perimeter, I remember not being interested in any other ride until I'd been on the train! Does anyone know what ever happened to the trains and all the equipment that went with it

After the train it was the River Caves, they were brilliant with the circular boats. they have the River Caves at Blackpool but the boats aren't round like they were at Margate.

The next time I had the chance to go to Dreamland was in 1981 when the Bembom Bros owned it, the train and River Caves had gone by then, so the park had lost some of it's magic for me.

A big well done to everyone involved with Dreamland in 2004

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Does anyone know what ever happened to the trains and all the equipment that went with it

"Billie", a Barnes Atlantic steam locomotive which ran on the Dreamland Railway is currently in storage at Preston, near Canterbury, Kent.

The bad news is that it is in very poor condition and in need of a total rebuild.

The good news is that it is for sale, see here http://www.prestonservices.co.uk/miniatures.htm


I wonder how much it is?


Vince

[ricardobugsy]

1. When did the park revert back to pay-per-ride as opposed to pay-once-on-entry (was it 1996) ?

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Further to earlier points about the Big Wheel, I was told that when it got to Mexico, it was discovered that, just like Humpty Dumpty, it couldn`t be put together again, and it is still in a dismantled state.

If anyone`s at Dreamland this afternoon, we`ll see you on the Scenic!


Vince, Charlie, Sam

[Paul]

It's nice to see the train still in one peice even if it is in storage. I rather see that, than it having been melted down.

maybe there is a place for it back at Dreamland?