Replica ride for Dreamland?

[Lou]

Obvously would like to go for all the above and more....
but river caves (tubs) were magical

[Strongbow55]

the moon rocket as operated by shaws now owned by howard madden

[Scotchie]

Dreamland's Sky Wheel

Get THE Big Wheel back from Mexico !!

[Alan]

Yes its got to be The Virginia Reel, but do not think its possible as no room for it .


Alan

[Nick]

Yes its got to be The Virginia Reel, but do not think its possible as no room for it .


Alan

There may be room for it. A feasibility study is shortly to be carried out, one of the objectives of which is to determine the amount of land that we need. We have been advised by our heritage lottery consultant that our chances of receiving funding would be increased by starting a worthy project such as the one suggested in this thread. Apparently a replica project would be well received, as long as it sits alongside genuine historic rides (which it would). So if we decide that finding land to rebuild the Virginia Reel is a key requirement, then we would need to include that in the Masterplan that goes into the feasibility study.

[EAS]

Still think a fig of eight undertrack would be good...

[darkrichard]

THE Big Wheel back

[David Ellis]

I agree about the Virginia Reel...I rode this when I was very young, but sadly cannot recall much of the ride experience.

David.

[kevinashe]

the reel was a classic ride sad though it wasnt missed till it was gone,does anyone have any info on how many of these were build or if blackpools was a one off

[JMT]

Kevinashe: rcdb lists seven Virginia Reels built under that name.

It would be fun to rebuild it, but very pricey.

[EAS]

New Book Features Spanish City Amusement Park [7/11/01]

A fascinating collection of photographs and background information about popular seaside resort Whitley Bay and its amusement park, the Spanish City, is now available from Joyland Books. The amusement park sadly closed in 2000, but this history book gives over an entire chapter to the park and its history. There are numerous photographs of the amusement park, including several of the Figure Eight Railway (an early wooden roller coaster), the Virginia Reel and the Water Chute. Click here http://www.joylandbooks.com/books_new/whitleybay.htm

for more information about this excellent book.



From:

http://www.joylandbooks.com/news2001_2.htm

[porf]

Nick, the following are a few replies I got from asking which ride people would like to see replica'd on the ECC list :

Evan wrote :
I'd rebuild the top. Always see this in the old films and cant
imagine how it operated
http://www.pdxhistory.com/assets/images/lu-whip-top.jpg

Terry Lyon wrote :
What about the Virginia reel?
Sorry if that's been covered already.

James Lawrence and Simon Baynham wrote :
**James Lawrence***
What about that Boomerang ride NOT the coaster you know that strange spinner
with the coaster/tunnel end on your old park dvd's which USA park was it at?

*Simon Baynham*
James, 'The Boomerang' was a popular amusement park ride in the days before
Health and Safety Laws took a serious foothold.

The ride was rather like a Mangel's Whip, where several small cars moved in
a circular fashion about a rotating 'carousel'. At one end of the ride was
an inclined path (usually covered). When the ride attendant wanted the ride
to finish, he pressed a button in the operators' booth (a good sense of
timing appears to be essential) and a car would release from the rotating
'carousel' and shoot/freewheel up the ramp and out of sight... the other
cars were released in this way too.

Presumably, the operator would later retrieve the cars and re-attach them to
the revolving carousel before the next set of riders could board... I
believe a few of these rides existed in US parks... I have no idea if they
ever made it to the UK. The example I have on film probably comes from
Euclid Beach (Ohio) or Riverview (Chicago)

BARRY FROST wrote :
On the subject of old rides at Dreamland it would be nice to see the return of the Skywheels which I think was also originally at Battersea before being moved to Margate where it stayed for many years. There was also one at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach at one time too.

[Gary]

I've already placed my vote with the Virginia Reel - definately..

If The Reel does not prove viable how about..A Dive Bomber!


http://www.shef.ac.uk/nfa/history/rides/dive_bomber.php

[porterm]

I'd have to personally endorse a Virgina Reel recreation. I never forget being captivated by the Blackpool version on my inaugural rather wet visit in 1972. It took me ten more years before I was to take my solitary ride aboard it. (If only I had been forewarned that 1982 was to be this classic ride's final outing). I'm sure I'd have taken a good few more rides.

Hindsight is indeed a wonderful thing. I returned to the Pleasure Beach five years later to see some quite vulgar modern attraction on the Reel's former hallowed ground. Even more uninspiring to me is the current Globe Theatre building which has since taken the former ride footprint.

For me a reincarnation of this attraction at Dreamland would be truly magical, and offer an even more contagious reason to visit the park in years to come. Lotto money particularly well spent in my book!

Martin

[porf]

Gary,

A Dive Bomber would be a great ride for the park. I omitted it on the grounds that there are a few knocking around (one not too far from this forum!) so it'd be yet another buy rather than replicate.