Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Wild Mouse at BPB Closure - R.I.P. 1958-2017

dreamland-118_142.jpg
Here it is next to the remains of the Scenic back in 2008 (credit Mark Proctor). I think it made it there safely but most of it got scrapped a few years later when the old owners threw away a load of the Dreamland Trust's stuff just before the Compulsory Purchase Order took effect.
Yeah it wasn't as good as the Wild Mouse but it was good fun, it's a real shame it wasn't saved in the end.
 
Sandman said:
You know what would fit in that exact space though?... ;)

25492489287_e5643a40ff_c.jpg


Construction 2019 topic coming soon.
Click to expand...
You mean the coaster that the only parts remaining are shells of cars that are now used as ashtrays?
 
I know there's a lot of goons on the internet, but I can't imagine it being easy to find 10,000 people who'd be keen to ride KSM again! :p
 
I have read conflicting information regarding King Solomon's Mines. This article interestingly displays the ride being carefully dismantled, apparently heading on its way to Dreamland;
http://www.joylandbooks.com/scenicrailway/images/gallery9.htm

However, I recently contacted Dreamland to ask if they ever planned to bring back the wooden Wild Mouse concept, and received the following email;
upload_2018-2-20_20-48-20.png

Regarding Amanda Thompson's statement in that new article, absolutely shocking. How anyone can praise the way they went about it is beyond me.
 
CoasterJamie1 said:
I have read conflicting information regarding King Solomon's Mines. This article interestingly displays the ride being carefully dismantled, apparently heading on its way to Dreamland;
http://www.joylandbooks.com/scenicrailway/images/gallery9.htm

However, I recently contacted Dreamland to ask if they ever planned to bring back the wooden Wild Mouse concept, and received the following email;
View attachment 2441

Regarding Amanda Thompson's statement in that new article, absolutely shocking. How anyone can praise the way they went about it is beyond me.
Click to expand...
That's actually really surprising, and good customer service, that they took the time to write that for you. I've made many enquiries to parks, with rather mixed success. Disappointing, but again at least they took the time.

I guess the Mouse at Blackpool was also in too poor a condition, and they just decided to demolish it and hope nobody noticed.

Oh well
 
lachlan said:
That's actually really surprising, and good customer service, that they took the time to write that for you. I've made many enquiries to parks, with rather mixed success. Disappointing, but again at least they took the time.

I guess the Mouse at Blackpool was also in too poor a condition, and they just decided to demolish it and hope nobody noticed.

Oh well
Click to expand...
I was surprised to receive such an in-depth reply from Dreamland, even if it does contradict the images of the ride being carefully dissembled.

I think the condition of the ride in October 2017 following two months of zero maintenance is indicative that they never intended to reopen it, or for it to be used by any other park. With that said, I would suggest that if the ride had been maintained as normal throughout the last few months of last season, it could have been in a serviceable condition (whilst probably not easy to relocate!).
24783423507_1429679273_z.jpg


24783423967_1910eebfca_z.jpg


24783421907_0cce7df959_z.jpg


I just think it's such a shame that they have essentially eliminated an absolutely fantastic ride type, without giving anyone else the chance to rebuild it. Corporate vandalism.
 
Peet said:
Here it is next to the remains of the Scenic back in 2008 (credit Mark Proctor). I think it made it there safely but most of it got scrapped a few years later when the old owners threw away a load of the Dreamland Trust's stuff just before the Compulsory Purchase Order took effect.
Yeah it wasn't as good as the Wild Mouse but it was good fun, it's a real shame it wasn't saved in the end.
Click to expand...

Really sad that KSM ended up dumped on a car park and then later scrapped. You say "Most of it got scrapped", I wonder what, if any of it, still remains. . . I enjoyed riding it at Morecambe Frontierland and have a photo somewhere of me riding it. Frontierland didn't have a huge number of rides I liked, but the ones I did I had a lot of affection for: Texas Tornado (Cyclone), Log Flume, the cable cars which bizarrely went out of the park, across the main road and then back in, and of course the Mouse. The ride op (oldish bloke who always seemed to be on) of Log Flume was a legend and often let my brother & I go round again, back in the days of individual ride tickets. What a chap, but no wonder Frontierland was losing money!

lachlan said:
I guess the Mouse at Blackpool was also in too poor a condition, and they just decided to demolish it and hope nobody noticed.
Click to expand...

It wasn't in that bad a condition. Many of us rode it last season on the days we were lucky enough to find it open. Remember that Jamie's pics were after a couple of months of neglect. It would appear that after the incident, combined with the fact that it had supposedly become impossible to insure, the park had simply had enough of the ride.

CoasterJamie1 said:
I think the condition of the ride in October 2017 following two months of zero maintenance is indicative that they never intended to reopen it, or for it to be used by any other park. With that said, I would suggest that if the ride had been maintained as normal throughout the last few months of last season, it could have been in a serviceable condition (whilst probably not easy to relocate!). I just think it's such a shame that they have essentially eliminated an absolutely fantastic ride type, without giving anyone else the chance to rebuild it. Corporate vandalism.
Click to expand...

I loved the Mouse and will miss it massively, but I'm still not sure you can 'vandalise' your own property. But yes, its clear they didn't intend for it to be used by any other park. Even if they had, if the recipient wasn't able to collect it over closed season, then you can bet BPB wouldn't have wanted it SBNO all 2018. From memory, the Morecambe Texas Tornado was put up for sale for £100,000 and there was no buyer. It would seem since then that they don't even bother trying to sell on woodies. I think I will be heartbroken when I see the void left by my favourite ride on my first visit this season, but I still love the park and think Icon will be great. Also, I plan to ride Streak a bit more this season, as its now the only non-listed woodie. It wouldn't surprise me if this was axed before too long.

I think this will be a great season, but tinged with sadness for Mouse fans. As has been said though, BPB will probably take a (8 seater) boatload of money this season on gate entry, speedy pass, not to mention food & drink and merch (ok, I did mention them), so I think a very small number of disgruntled coaster goons having a moan won't even be on their radar. Its a shame though that after the money, time & effort spent on the magnetic brakes, and even having the second seatbelts fitted, that it couldn't reopen. We can go round in circles about why they shut it and how they went about it, but its gone now sadly, any nobody can do anything about it. Even if a couple of hundred people boycotted the park over it, BPB wouldn't give a monkeys. And lets face it, the vast majority of us won't do that anyway because we love the park too much !
 
Last edited:
CoasterJamie1 said:
Very true, but I'd suggest the holes in the track and rust on the running rails were down to the ride having no maintenance.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, 'cos salt water and air don't usually have any impact on metals...
 
Hixee said:
Oh yeah, 'cos salt water and air don't usually have any impact on metals...
Click to expand...

Good point. I took a zoomed in photo of Big Dipper from the prom last season. Totally unintentionally it captured some quite badly rusted steelwork on The Big One. It didn't for one second make me think that the ride wasn't safe. To be honest, I am far too busy having fun to inspect bits of track & supports. But yeah - wood, steel, whatever, can succumb to the elements to varying degrees over time. For all I know that small defect in the Mouse timber shown by Jamie could have been there the last time I rode it and I wouldn't have even noticed or cared.
 
...and the Mouse couldn't be relocated, it woud be a new ride, and would not meet current H&S standards...as Dreamland referred to in their e-mail to Jamie.
Mouse was in good nick when it shut...running very well indeed.
And lachlan...BPB demolishing it and hoping it wouldn't be noticed?!?
What planet are you on!
 
Hixee said:
Oh yeah, 'cos salt water and air don't usually have any impact on metals...
Click to expand...
No, they do, but I'm saying that if BPB had kept maintaining the ride as normal it wouldn't have deteriorated as much in the final two months of the season.

Hence why the other wooden coasters don't have holes in them!!
 
Quite a few of the woodies have minor bits of rot in them Jamie...if it isn't structural or safety critical it will be monitored, but not removed until the end of the season.
You haven't been looking hard enough...not like you at all!
I heard this a few years ago when making enquiries about scrap wood for my fire...more chance in the closed season...then they said I couldn't take anything from the skips anymore due to the beloved "health and safety policy"...which I really think was just a "sod off freak" polite response.
 
rob666 said:
Quite a few of the woodies have minor bits of rot in them Jamie...if it isn't structural or safety critical it will be monitored, but not removed until the end of the season.
You haven't been looking hard enough...not like you at all!
I heard this a few years ago when making enquiries about scrap wood for my fire...more chance in the closed season...then they said I couldn't take anything from the skips anymore due to the beloved "health and safety policy"...which I really think was just a "sod off freak" polite response.
Click to expand...
Yeah I'm aware they have minor rot in places, but not actual holes in the track - and I'd suggest the running rails didn't look fit for use after two months of no maintenance.
 
Jamie, you' be surprised of the state the RollerCoaster was in in 2009. I don't' know if you were around then but it was removed from the ride line up and officially closed for the season though it did randomly open up when the park was busy, however between these times the rust on the rails was awful, far worse than the Mouse ever was (we are talking months in some cases without it even testing) It's how they go, I believe it's to do with the oil that goes onto the rails, when rain is allowed to stand on it that must be how it looks. Of course when a ride it running daily it prevents that build up, the Coaster went round half a dozen times and it was back to normal.

Now the grass growing up through the track on the drops either side of the turnaround was another matter lol.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top