What's new
By:
FORUMS - COASTERFORCE

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Small News From The Theme Park Industry

Peet said:
This reminds me of a bit of a mystery about the fate of the Alton Towers Corkscrew's trains. After the ride closed in 2008 there was an auction for one of the front cars, which I remember well being in the local news, and it's still viewable on BBC news: here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7859000.stm
It sold for £7,200.

However it's also common knowledge that Corkscrew's trains were sent to Heide Park and have been running on Big Loop since 2010, as mentioned on rcdb and elsewhere:

Big Loop - Heide Park Resort (Soltau, Lower Saxony, Germany)

Looking for statistics on the fastest, tallest or longest roller coasters? Find it all and much more with the interactive Roller Coaster Database.
rcdb.com
I checked my photos from my visit in 2014 and it definitely had 2 trains (and they both had a front car!).

What's going on here? A few possibilities:
1) They bought the car back from the family that won the auction
2) They sourced a new front car from somewhere
3) Was the auction just for a loan of the car? But that would be a lot of money to pay for a loan.
4) Somebody jumped to the reasonable conclusion that Big Loop's trains came from Corkscrew but actually they are not

Possibilities 1 and 2 actually seem unlikely to me - I mean why would they auction off one of the cars if they were going to re-use the train? So is it actually fake news that the Corkscrew's trains went to Big Loop? I put this to the collective wisdom of the Coasterforce community!
Click to expand...
Perhaps Heide Park only had one train from Alton Towers and sourced a second train from elsewhere?
 
ECG said:
Really? 🤔
Colossus, Flug, Krake, Desert Race, Scream... All rides that are more than worth a visit IMO. It's been some time since my last visit, but ops were good, and the staff was very friendly. Guess things have really changed.
Click to expand...

I was there less than a year ago and I loved it, great rides, great operations, great staff, great food. No complaints, really and just like JoshC I certainly enjoy it more than Hansa. Hansa as better theming for sure but the ride hardware itself isn't much to write home about besides the secret thing on Kärnan.

VonRolland said:
If you love seeing vast areas abandoned, its the park for you
Click to expand...

I feel like sh*te is harsh for Heide, yeah they have empty plots of land here and there but they at least keep them neat and tidy (when I was there last they were weed whacking the old Schwarzkopf Monster's plot for example). Heide does seem to split opinions pretty harshly though, before my first visit in 2019 multiple enthusiasts told me to skip it completely even though I was nearby for Hansa Park anyway and I'm glad I didn't.
 
ECG said:
Really? 🤔
Colossus, Flug, Krake, Desert Race, Scream... All rides that are more than worth a visit IMO. It's been some time since my last visit, but ops were good, and the staff was very friendly. Guess things have really changed.
Click to expand...
I would argue it’s actually been improving a lot lately. The abandoned areas are still there, but operations and maintenance have gotten a lot better since the current manager came onboard. My visits in 2024 and 2025 were both really solid for those reasons.

Feel like if Merlin was willing to give them the funds to replace what they’ve lost (and improve public transportation to and/from the park) it could be a strong third in Germany behind Phantasia and Europa.
 
Last edited:
It was maybe five years or so ago that I went, but I certainly didn't hate it and I don't particularly remember there being a lot of abandoned land. Maybe the bit around Desert Race was a bit odd, but otherwise it was fine and I enjoyed my day there.

I think the main issue is they're missing a real standout attraction, particularly not having got anything interesting for 12 years (!) at this point. They have a decent collection of good 'coasters, but they're missing a headliner - their Kondaa, RtH, Zadra, or Taron. So, whilst I enjoyed going, there's little that'd persuade me to return quickly either.
 
cookie said:
Surprised it took them this long given how quick they were to get rid of Wild Train. Maybe legal proceedings after the fatality prevented them from touching it.
Click to expand...
Did some digging and it was apparently the Looping Group that made the call to demolish the ride rather than re-open it. Gilles Campion (the former owner of Parc Saint-Paul), meanwhile, was sentenced just this past November to three years in prison for manslaughter over his role in causing the accident. He’s also been barred from doing business in the amusement industry for five years.

https://france3-regions.franceinfo....-d-une-femme-ejectee-d-un-manege-3251005.html (article in French)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top