Big Dipper Blackpool. Track removed.

[uvegotmale2000]

Alot of fans seem to think that the Dipper is having the same FATE as Cylcone at Pleasure Land Southport, Please dont worry, The Big Dipper is going no where, Its just having a few alterations due to the new Coaster foundations being very close.

Chairman of Club Pleasure Beach says '' Foundations for the SLC - they're very close to the BIg Dipper, hence the removal of track. It won't alter the turn that much. There has even been talk of making it enclosed again"

[EAS]

Yeah well - Amanda assured everyone Cyclone was just being made safe for the winter!

[furie]

Just a note,

I've heard many times the Whip at Blackpool was the last one in the UK but that is simply not true.
Carters Steam Fair that tours the South East has a fully retstored one.

Not wanting to be bitchy, but this is another classic example of BPB Ltd digging holes for themselves.

The have made it clear in the past about the history of their rides. 'This is the only remaining', 'one of the last', 'a survivor from'.

However, scratch beneath the surface and you do tend to find that they're actually very wring a lot of the time. It would appear that the Whip is once again a product of their "sparkling advertising". Thanks for the info Marky66

Yeah well - Amanda assured everyone Cyclone was just being made safe for the winter!

And this is the natural progression from the little white lies... The great, big ones.

I can't think of any reason why BPB would want to destroy Big Dipper at the moment, so I believe it is retracking (though that adds further problems and isn't just a few alterations).

However, Amanda is leaving a track record of lies and deceit, so it's difficult to believe anything that comes from BPB management.

[RJW]

Just a small comment - Carters have a nicely-restored Skid ride, but not a Whip.

The Whip has the two straight sections between the pulleys at each end, and the car swings outwards as it accelerates around the pulleys.

The Skid has a circular track, and the motion of the car is controlled by the rider pressing and releasing a brake pedal.

I believe there is a smaller Whip ride at Adventure Island, and there is a kiddie Whip in Beaver Creek.

Cheers,
Rob

[EAS]

I agree with Furie - the history of the site and the rides cannot be believed from either the websites or on-site plaques at BPB and Plaeaureland.

Fantasy Island describes both!

And so yes - a world of misinformation...

[Marky66]

You are right, if that is the difference then yes it is a skid but as long as I can remember I've always known these rides to be known simply as whips. The Carters ride is owned by Russel Cook form Shropshire and not the Carter family.Here's a link to a picture of it

http://oxon-fairs.fotopic.net/p23367244.html

I had forgotten about the one in Southend though, I'm sure this one is def a whip and not a skid.
I'm also sure that I remember one (possibly at Gt Yarmouth) that I rode as a child that had a rope you pulled on instead of a pedal to make the car "whip."

[kevin]

The whip at adventure island is a childrens version similar to the one in Beaver Creek. Along with the crooked house and the jigsaw train it is an original ride from when the park opened.

The whip where you pull a rope to swing the cars was called Ben Hur, with a heavily Roman theme, and was at BPB in the mid 80's. It was an updated version of the skid and the rope took the place of the pedal. It was a pretty tame ride in comparison, particularly as the cars did not run on wheels but were pivoted and suspended from the rotating center of the ride. I don't think it lasted more than a couple of years at Blackpool and I do recall seeing it at another park, possibly Great Yarmouth but more likely Morcambe or Southport as they used to get Blackpools cast offs.

[AJ]

I don't think it lasted more than a couple of years at Blackpool and I do recall seeing it at another park, possibly Great Yarmouth but more likely Morcambe or Southport as they used to get Blackpools cast offs.

There was one at Dreamland during the 80's