Sorry to be a party pooper but the Figure of 8 loop was not actually of Schwartzkopf design. Although it doesn't make it less coolmetalhead7 said:^^ Haha GASM is also gone, they didn't really pick rides that lasted long.
Here is a pic a found awhile ago of an old Schwarzkopf concept coaster
Source: http://schwarzkopf.coaster.net/faqHF.htmThe story of the figure-8-loop coaster is a bit strange. It was not designed by Schwarzkopf. This mistake appears often in books or on websites. This causes maybe in the fact, that the model looked really like a Schwarzkopf coaster!!! The concept was designed by a german showmen, Mister Pötzsch - he owns the patents for the two figure-8 elements, the standing eight and the laydown eight. It was calculated by Werner Stengel but wasn't built due to the high forces. A model of the ride has been displayed at some trade fairs at the Zierer booth. Zierer has no own track fabrication for tubular rails, so I think that maybe BHS was planned to produce it. But Anton Schwarzkopf worked some time for BHS as a consultant
roomraider said:There are of course a ton of old Switchbacks from around the UK too.
http://www.wirksworth.org.uk/X364.htm
This is a pretty good resource on them with a good list of all the switchbacks from the UK.
This lovely image from the one at Matlock Bath shows the general idea. Built in 1889 it was supposed to be the longest in the country.
Mark said:As a little side note, in addition to the reasons that Phil has cited, there was also the fact that in the 70s Southend Council wanted a change in direction and wanted to become known as a financial hub. They wanted to lose the image as a kiss-me-quick seaside town and as a result, it would have meant that had no real issue with completely redeveloping the Kursaal amusement grounds site. It wasn't by any mean stretch the main reason, but it was certainly another one of those contributing factors. At the time they did indeed manage to woo many financial institutes in. Lloyds, HSBC (as its known know) and Access Credit Cards were all based in Southend... The Access building was actually on land from the same site. I mention it, because 20 odd years on and the council changed tack again - returning to the notion of being a seaside destination town. Had they not had this 'blip' in the 70s I daresay the council would have certainly tried to help the faltering Kursaal Amusement Park.
fretboardpyro said:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoBXrqHlQtU
This is literally one of my favourite video's on youtube and I adored it with "wish you were here" on. Its exactly as I remember Ocean beach being when I was a kid.
Cheers for this upload Furie, its about this time in the morning when I'm a bit lucid I remember how simple things were the most exciting. Whilst its not strictly a coaster vid. Its a fading memory shaker from my ever complicating mind!
fretboardpyro said:Incidentally, where and when is the Splash due to be buillt?
billybobjoebob said:There's one turn on eagle's fortress that looks absolutely rediculously insane, and the rest of it looks fairly tame
furie said:Mark said:As a little side note, in addition to the reasons that Phil has cited, there was also the fact that in the 70s Southend Council wanted a change in direction and wanted to become known as a financial hub. They wanted to lose the image as a kiss-me-quick seaside town and as a result, it would have meant that had no real issue with completely redeveloping the Kursaal amusement grounds site. It wasn't by any mean stretch the main reason, but it was certainly another one of those contributing factors. At the time they did indeed manage to woo many financial institutes in. Lloyds, HSBC (as its known know) and Access Credit Cards were all based in Southend... The Access building was actually on land from the same site. I mention it, because 20 odd years on and the council changed tack again - returning to the notion of being a seaside destination town. Had they not had this 'blip' in the 70s I daresay the council would have certainly tried to help the faltering Kursaal Amusement Park.
It's almost always down to the council pushing. Both Rhyl and Morecambe are derelict now for exactly this reason. At least Southend is commutable from London, so you can see why they may to try and make a change, but other towns it's just a disaster. You can't revitalise a place in the middle of nowhere by adding something people don't have to travel to the middle of nowhere to get anyway - you have to differentiate.
That period was so difficult for most seaside resorts and they needed council backing to help them through, or strong owners (like the Thompsons). It's very easy for a council to mess things up for attractions like this (or to help them "make a decision").
fretboardpyro said:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoBXrqHlQtU
This is literally one of my favourite video's on youtube and I adored it with "wish you were here" on. Its exactly as I remember Ocean beach being when I was a kid.
Cheers for this upload Furie, its about this time in the morning when I'm a bit lucid I remember how simple things were the most exciting. Whilst its not strictly a coaster vid. Its a fading memory shaker from my ever complicating mind!
Glad you like it. Sorry I had to ditch the FLoyded up version, but it was banned in several countries and just a matter of time before it became banned here too. It's a shame my Grandad didn't have much more in the way of holiday stuff on cine. He used to take us to Belle Vue, would have loved to own some footage from there, but I didn't think he got his first cine camera until the late 70's and he never used to really use it. I've got footage of my and my sister mucking around in the back garden and lots of military parades, but that was the only exciting footage I could find. I should go back and look through it all and import it and check - who knows what there is in the years and years of footage he shot?
fretboardpyro said:Incidentally, where and when is the Splash due to be buillt?
Splash?
roomraider said:Something a bit more random.
Parque Japonés was or "Japanese Park" was one of (if not the first) amusement park in South America, Opening in 1911 and situated in Buenos Aries it featured 2 coasters.
As you might expect It's a pretty damn hard park to find pics of. I like my obscure foreign parks so I've looked this one up before.
Scenic Railway known as Tren Panoramico.
The Water Chute
Tumble Bug
The other coaster in the park was a Looping woodie along the lines of the Flip Flap Railway and Loop The Loop found at Coney Island. Apparently the park closed in 1930 although I've seen images dated 1935. As with most parks this age there's a little fuzzyness on the dates. However I believe a fire at Christmas in 1930 destroyed the majority of the rides.
If you look closely here I believe that to be the Looping ride on the left of the image.
fretboardpyro said:The side friction water coaster. Often referred to as The Water Splash ride.
david morton said:Sort of on-topic, there was a BBC news report on TV the other day regarding losing English-heritage stuff ; the first example of which (+some olde-worlde-video) was the roller coaster at Margate;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-19920894