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New news from Pleasure Beach, Blackpool.

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Anonymous

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I got this off the official website's blog.

The iconic Big Dipper station has received a £500,000 upgrade for the 2010 season. The refurbishment has been sympathetic to the original design of the ride station, which dates back to the 1930’s. New murals have been created for the walls, a new fountain has been added and the classic tower and dome have been renovated.

Screenshot:
http://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/images/blog/2010/jan/Onion_Fountain1.jpg

I was aware of the Big Dipper accident of 2009, but could this be another reason why Big Dipper is SBNO?
 
Thanks for the link and info.

The station looks great, thats one fountain they have put in that looks good.

Big Dipper was only shut after the crash and that was near the end of the season.
 
To be honest, I'd rather put a fountain in place of Big Dipper, or anything else to replace it. God, I loathe Big Dipper.

I guess I'm obliged to say hooray for a new station, hooray not knocking down a historic ride blah blah blah.
 
/\ I agree, Bring the old trains back I say, they added an edge to R.c

But Big Dipper desperately needed something done it it, especially Big Dipper's tower, which looks incredibally dated these days.
 
So have they actually done this yet? That photo seems to be a cgi mock-up.

It's good that they're giving it some attention though. I always thought of the station as looking a little bit shabby.
 
It is a cgi mock up. I know that the station will be completed in 2010. And I also know that work hasn't started yet. I just hope they don't start work in July, because I'm going there then, and I love Big Dipper.
 
Amanda should just sell all the rides and fill it all with fountains... then she'd be REALLY amazing, rather than just slightly amazing. She spites BPB so much <3 <3.
 
martyevans said:
It is a cgi mock up. I know that the station will be completed in 2010. And I also know that work hasn't started yet. I just hope they don't start work in July, because I'm going there then, and I love Big Dipper.
Click to expand...

The new fountain is already in place for definite - so not sure where the "don't start work until July" thing comes from?

martyevans said:
/\ I agree, Bring the old trains back I say, they added an edge to R.c
Click to expand...

The old trains were sold on eBay. There was a restoration started on one, but the train was literally held together by rust and spit. It was completely rotted through and the guy who bought it is essentially having to rebuild from scratch - including lots of new chassis work. So no wonder they went!

Also, the new trains on R.C. make it a MUCH better ride. It's fast and fun now. The seatbelts/lapbars don't make the slightest bit of difference, but the new trains really improve the ride.

It's a bit like when the nash had the new trains in the 80's which finally added restraints to the ride (until 1980 I think it was, it ran with no restraints). While you may say "it ruined the ride" - in fact the new trains ran faster so the ride offered much more than it did previously. The exciting ride we have now is only possible due to the restraints - prior to restraints being fitted, it was slower and had much less violent air.

So the new trains, in my opinion, are much, much better (on both) :)
 
Oh the fountain is there? I never knew that. Looks like my source from Blackpool is pretty unreliable. Where I understand what you're saying about the new trains, and to some extent I agree, I was just tryingto point out that the ride had an edge, I like a roller coaster where it makes you think that you're actually going to die. Fear is what drives me to ride a coaster half the time. Call it weird, but that's just me.It's not about speed to me, it's about not knowing. :p Each to their own I guess.

The don't start work until July thing is just that I don't want them to start work on Big Dipper in July, because I'm going to Pleasure Beach then, and I want to go on Big Dipper... Cos it's awesome :D
 
A few things need clearing up here I think.

1. Big Dipper had a fountain in its station well before Amanda was in charge anyway, its only been changed.

2. The train on Dipper, is an old train from Dipper, which had been in storage for around 30 years, so they've obviously done the neccesary work on it and its now safe to run it again.

Big Dipper re-opened at the weekend and it was running better than I've ever known it to run. It will return to a two train service from April onwards once a new sensor has been fitted.

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:)
 
...Wow, looks like my sources from Blackpool were really un-reliable. Any news on Dipper's Tower?
 
All that money on replacing the fountain and they couldn't clean the wooden floor by the track? :roll: The fountain looks ok I guess. I still prefer the older one.
 
Still, nice to see a modern flare on a classic ride At least they're thinking about the old thing.
 
So should I presume one of the other trains got too much damage in the accident, so thats why they're now using a very old train?
 
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