Spotty

Rode it today, the ride was running really smooth. I did notice though coming around the corner after the first brake run it did go quite fast compared to normal so maybe the brakes stopping it there were causing it? I did also notice in the heartline loop a lot of what appeared to be rust coloured track. However that's probably from the recent work so maybe that could even be contributing to it. The smell was certainly coming from the back end of the train though (around row 7 onwards)

Not since the Arkham upgrade. It uses eddy brakes (magnets) on the main brake run, and the old clamp style on the transfer brake and the station.

In other random maintenance news, TailSpin has had limiters put on the wings so you can barely even move them now making it next to impossible to actually get the ride flipping. Wipeout will only allow a maximum of 20 riders at a time (which funnily enough is how many they need to even run the ride)

If i'm not mistaken (and this is going back on my old manuals too...) Originally the ride had the following positions *Entry 1 (main entry) *Entry 2 (Backup entry / locker issues) *Sorter *Load 1 (First 5 rows left side) *Load 2 (First 5 rows right side) *Load 3 (Last 5 rows left side) *Load 4 (Last 5 rows right side) *Unload 1 *Unload 2 (Simply to stand on the other side to make sure no one got off on the wrong side) *Control Supervisor *2x break staff. That was back in the glory days, and I remember the queue taking up the first whole half of the building and waiting only 20 mins. However the sorter would stop guests before the ramp up to the load platform. This was changed due to many complaints about even slower load times, and staff complaints too (mostly because guests were getting angry at us) And running 2 trains with no sorter is a fair workout! Kinda miss the days

Physically not possible due to the block systems and controls. It would require a full overhaul of the mechanics to allow this, for minimal gain. When the ride runs 2 trains, the capacity is more than sufficient. If they had a second storage / maintenance bay it would be possible to have a 3rd so they could always have 2 running but it's just not going to happen.

That building has 100% been repainted, it used to be a cream color with a orange / brown color around the posters. I guess it goes with the theme but if they are keeping the outside of the building the same I think the old color scheme looked nicer.

Interesting line up this year...No limit doesn't appear to be going, along with Space Roller. Strange seeing the Hurricane going this year though.

The EKKA had a incredibly poor line up this year too if you ask me. At least the Gold Coast show has some of the classic rides to go with the newer ones too. And trust me, this is a MUCH better line up than it would have been if the Showmens Guild didn't get back in on the show. Give them a few years back there, and I'm sure the ride lineup will get better again like it used to be.

Just from my previous experience as a ride operator (for theme parks and travelling rides), you were required to sign a log book first thing in the morning (and at the end of the night), and if it wasn't signed off by maintenance you couldn't operate the ride until it was. Travelling rides were much the same, checklists needed to be completed each day before operating. Training at Village Roadshow was very thorough, and you would not be signed off until you (and your trainer) felt competent that you could work by yourself. And when working on travelling rides, I was never left alone until I felt that I was comfortable with what I was doing. So a lot of these things, operators and theme parks were already doing anyway.

Sweet Treats doesn't, Deli is often closed by 3pm and Ben and Jerry's always has a massive queue which would turn people away. There's no point having drink stations if they are never open. In fact i'm really surprised they haven't done what a lot of the cruise ships do with the bottles and have a NFC chip that has to be pushed down to activate the soda pumps. I mean they have the tags already at the counter outlets, so why not roll it out to the drink machines as well to stop people refilling without paying.

Well, that just confirms a rumour that I'd been itching to find the answer to for years. Appears that Dreamworld used to have a Paratrooper ride, just looking at those photos I can confirm that the ride is still in QLD operated by Trindall's Amusements.

Showmen's Guild supplied the rides most of the time, there was a few years (2 or 3 I think) when an external company (KayDee promotions) supplied the rides to the show. Fairly sure that all changed when the show was moved to the turf club instead of the parklands.

No post mix machines behind the counter, they were removed when the self service machines were put in at Gotham. What is even crazier is the one at the newsstand they keep closed until around 4pm and then open it up for only a hour... I honestly have no idea what they are thinking that achieves at all but whatever.

It's on at the same time as the Adelaide show, so rides like Space Roller and XXXL will not be there as they will be in Adelaide. I don't have a full ride lineup, but this year the Showmens Guild is providing the rides so it will be a much better lineup than the last few years with independent operators providing the rides. Will also be free entry, so certainly worth heading down and showing your support and having a good ride (or 5)

One thing that I thought was downright pathetic was the Gotham City drinks station being closed in the middle of the day. Want to buy a burger meal with a soft drink, that's all well and good to buy it. But oh wait, you need to go across the road to the bar to fill up your drink cup...Unless it's after 2pm, then you have to go to one of 2 food outlets still open (bakery and newsstand, and wait 20 minutes to be served). Good job guys...