Scenic Rebuild

[porterm]

Hi all

Came across some wonderful old Festival of Britain shots featuring the former famous London Battersea Funfair. (Might need to "paste" the links together though!)

The first could be inspiration for Margate's Scenic Railway rebuild; http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/day-ou ... 0a010a1fb4

Here's an aerial shot of the former park; http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/day-ou ... 0a010a1fb4
(Anyone recall the apparent ride to the right of the Big Dipper where the former Water Chute used to sit roughly?)

Reminiscent of Margate's Scenic; http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/day-ou ... 0a010a1fb4

Four in a row on the Caterpillar!; http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/day-ou ... 0a010a1fb4
and; http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/day-ou ... 0a010a1fb4

Early "Flyer" type ride??; http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/day-ou ... 0a010a1fb4

That's probably enough for now, hope you enjoy the shots.

Martin

PS Nick; maybe some images could be used in your book on this former park? (not sure if it has been finished yet)

PPS I don't think the above links worked how I wanted; you'll probably have to scan through the photos as they all seem to display the Caterpillar shot. Sorry!

[SuburbanHomeboy]

Thanks for the links - some lovely pictures there!

The Flyer ride you mention is an Eyerly Fly-o-Plane. Only two left in the World now - one of which tours with Mason's.

Rob

[woody]

Thanks for the links - some lovely pictures there!

The Flyer ride you mention is an Eyerly Fly-o-Plane. Only two left in the World now - one of which tours with Mason's.

Rob

masons is the ride from the festival of Britain

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Hi all

Came across some wonderful old Festival of Britain shots featuring the former famous London Battersea Funfair. (Might need to "paste" the links together though!)

I rode the Battersea Big Dipper once, and only once, just a day or two before the Big Dipper Disaster, strictly against my mother's instructions, she was convinced it was dangerous, I was 13 and knew it all so I went on it anyway. This would be 1972.

The same weekend five children died when a train became disengaged from the pull-up cable and rolled back into a train waiting at the station. I seem to remember that Battersea were using an ex-Dreamland train and it wasn't compatible with the track.

[vann98]

Wasn't that the disaster that later led to the majority of wooden coasters being demolished for H&S reasons. In other words, Dreamland was partly responsible for the lack of woodies in the UK today.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

I believe the Battersea Big Dipper accident was what led to the formation of ADIPS (Amusement Device Inspection Procedures Scheme) and that a number of wooden roller coasters were demolished shortly after this, partly because many were in poor structural condition and partly because of a decline in their popularity caused by the accident which was (and still is) the single worst roller-coaster accident in history.

I don't think you could say that Dreamland was responsible though, other than that one of their train sets was involved. Looking at Google, reports say that the pull-up cable snapped although I seem to remember from reading about the inquest at the time that this didn't happen but that the cable grip at the rear of the set failed to engage correctly with the pull-up cable, so that when the front of the set went over the pier at the top of the pull-up and the front cable grip disengaged (as it should do) there was nothing holding the set to the cable and it rolled back.

Like the Scenic Railway the pull-up was fitted with an anti-rollback system but the Big Dipper's wood was so rotten that it was just ripped to pieces under the weight of the train.

This thread has really brought back some memories for me, I grew up in south-east London and remember the shock this accident caused.

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

Hard to believe the click-click-click anti-rollback device had not been installed.