The Belle Vue BOBS on YouTube

[Gary]

New on YouTube: a remarkable slice of coaster history...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TIjI2jzfuXw

Magnificent!!

[EAS]

Wonderful stuff!


...

Added: 05 April 2008
Filmed in December 1970, this is almost certainly the last ever footage of the world famous Manchester Belle Vue BOBS roller coaster in action. I have referred to George Drew's excellent article on the BOBS (see link below) to establsh some of the facts for this description.
The Amusement Park had closed for the season at the end of October 1970. This would be the last time that the BOBS would be open to the public (although this was not known at the time). Shortly after this came the shock announcement that the BOBS had now closed for good. So there was no opportunity for the public to even have a farewell ride. The footage filmed here was a special last run in December 1970, to enable BOBS world record holder Vance Tutton (seen here drinking tea on the BOBS) to ride the BOBS for the last time. At the end of January 1971, the shocking destruction of the BOBS began, which as George Drew notes in his article, was the huge nail in the coffin which surely signalled the end of Belle Vue. And sure enough, seven years later the end did come with the closure of the Zoo.
The Belle Vue BOBS, built in 1929, was one of the famous Fred Church designed roller coasters. You can read George Drew's fascinating first hand account of the Belle Vue BOBS at this site (4 pages):
http://www.joylandbooks.com/themagice... (less)
Added: 05 April 2008
Category: Travel & Events
Tags: Belle Vue Manchester Zoo Amusement Park Zoological Gardens Circus Miniature Railway local history nostalgia memories

[furie]

Absolutely superb - that's really made my week!

I've always wanted to see a POV of the Bobs (it was demolished two years before I was born), but never thought I would.

Belle Vue was the first park I ever went to, and the Water Chute is probably the first 'Coaster' I ever rode too (it's a toss up between that and Zipper Dipper).

Brilliant stuff all round. If you look at new rides like Troy in Toverland:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aOg76BK93PU

You can see where they have taken their ideas from. Okay, so Troy is precisely engineered using specific modeling techniques to make a perfect coaster, but the layout is so very similar to what was being done 80 years ago.

Personally, I love the rattle of an ancient woody and the character of it's lumps and bumps, but I don't mind if people want to 'build them like they used to' - but with a modern twist

[troy]

Wow. What a great find Gary and thanks to whoever put this clip up. I have only ever seen stills of Bobs at Belle Vue and wondered why everybody raved about it. I now know why !!

[mesmoland]

All these years of wondering now I have some idea of what it was like.I thought it was going to like megafobia but I don't think so after having my first ever virtual ride. A fantastic insight