MattyD
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Posts
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Posts posted by MattyD
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^For me the railway lost it's purpose when they took out the farm so I'm not that upset to see it go.
I agree with you about the need for more relaxing and family attractions in the park but maybe with the train out of the way it will open up some of the remaining pockets of land for Thorpe Park to build more family rides on? Although ultimately Larry has hit the nail on the head, with Chessington and Legoland in relatively close proximity they're aiming for a different market now.
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^Agreed, as the old saying goes; any publicity is good publicity! Plus; both the artist and the park are getting publicity so everyone's a winner!
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^Sorry Chuck, I did see that in Robb's post, I was trying to say I felt it had more to do with him publicizing himself than him having any links to Legoland!
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Just my opinion but I'm not sure Lego/Legoland do have anything to do with it. On a bit of further investigation Ego Leonard appears to be the alter ego/chosen name of a street artist from Holland who uses lego figures as a motif in his art. I think this was a publicity stunt on his behalf to get more interest in his art and the dutch street art movement he is a part of.
That seems to be the opinion of the papers over here in England too:
Although you never know, maybe he is linked to Lego or Merlin in some way...
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On a positive note; some of the rides Henk Bembom has/had a Loudoun were once at Dreamland, Margate and the Save Dreamland people are in contact with him about the possibility of some of those rides making a return when Dreamland re-opens so you never know, hopefully some of them could get a new lease of life in Margate!
I don't know if I've posted enough to be able to link to it but I would recommend checking out the Save Dreamland campaign, they're are doing a lot of good work saving old rides from around the UK!
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A magikal parcel has arrived...
What's this I see amongst the usual junk mail... could it be a parcel from the great Prince Desmond Himself?
Hmm... best do what it says; I don't want to anger the spirit of Mujabubukins!
It's such a shame, I was engulfed in a cloud of nigerian majik as I opened the envelope but it didn't come out on film!
Thank you Prince Desmond and your servant Rubb Ulvey for this kind gift, my table has been blessed by the light of 34,780 Suns and my life feels more fulfilled!
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My table will be blessed with the warmth of 34,780 suns... and some nice coasters - AWESOME!
Thanks Prince Desmond for this kind gift!
MattyD
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/\ I've always appreciated your sense of humour... now I've just got to grow those balls!
Seriously, the humour and sarcasm on these boards is what brought me here in the first place, I only had a vague interest in parks and rollercoasters and TPR was something I started looking at to pass the time and put a smile on my face at a job I hated. Now I read it pretty much everyday and my interest in parks and rollercoasters is far more than it ever would be without this site.
Robb has brought a hell of a lot to the coaster community - most importantly for me; a sense of humour, something that is lacking in a lot of other enthusiast groups! These people just need to accept that if they don't understand Robb's humour (or have a sense of humour for that matter!) TPR is not the place for them - leave quietly and don't let the door hit you on the way out!
My thoughts are with you Robb, no one should have to put up with this crap, enjoy your cruise and keep up the good work!
MattyD
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Is the red dot the point from which all measurements for the ride are taken? I'm sure I've seen that on plans etc before that you measure all distances from one point so that everything lines up nicely.
Nice dirt piles and another good report, cheers Robb!
Matt
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I can't believe nobody's gone for the obvious...
I NEED MANY HELPERZ WITH MORE PICKMEUP TRUCKS...
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I go to this place fairly frequently (Me and My Dad own a Steam Engine that we run on their miniature railway!) and I never thought to post a trip report!
If I get a chance I'll take some daylight photos next time I am down there, if any one gets the chance it really is amazing seeing all these ancient rides in such good condition and still working and some, like the steam yacht, are actually quite thrilling, I highly recommend Hollycombe!
Matt
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The things men do to get laid [...]
Sure, if she was hot then I would totally trim some foliage under a doomed coaster... but, you know, just why?!
It is sad that this project is so misguided because it is always sad to see an old coaster be ripped down but it's just been one bad decision after another from the word go, it doesn't even seem to be a particularly popular ride to start with so why bother?!
Also, I think TPR/Prince Desmond/Rob(b) and Wes should totally try and save Eagle Fortress, you can bet your life that they would get ten times the donations Save The Big Dipper have got in the same time span because 1) it's actually a well liked coaster that a lot of people would probably like to save and 2) they'd actually do some proper marketing/business plans/surveys/costings etc. so that it was actually a viable option people could invest in!
Matt
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ILoveRides latest one is by far my favourite and this has got to be the best TPR Photoshop contest ever; which is saying something because they are always hilarious!
I don't know whether it is already the plan but I definitely think the winning design should be available on the TPR Store!
Matt
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^Two colours??? Damn, I used three!
I thought maybe my last entry was too colourful, even for Prince Desmond, so I kept it simple this time - gets the message across I think!
...and yes... I am bored!
Matt
Keep it simple!
...and another one for luck!
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Ok, so this was what I came up with when I originally saw this thread, however, after laughing my ass off for a good half hour I don't think I can really compete!
Matt
I like the bright colours and professional graphic design.
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^ You will only find the cream of enthusiasts on Theme Park Review... take that as you will!
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Now I am sorry, but 'Enthusiasts Around The World' are boycotting Robb and Theme Park Review? Considering how large the membership of this site is, the fact that we come from all over the world and we can primarily be classed as enthusiasts and since they posted that I bet hundreds of people have posted to the forums on here... I'm going to go with 'a SMALL Group of enthusiasts with nothing to better to do' as a more appropriate statement!
Honestly, on occasion I have seen posts by Robb that have seemed a bit harsh, maybe there have been times when I wouldn't agree with Robb about things but I think anyone who has actually taken the time to read half of what is on TPR and knows what the site is about can work out that he is genuinely a nice guy with a good sense of humour who is giving a heck of a lot to the enthusiast community through trips, videos and this site. These people should give him a break, considering he goes to work, looks after and spends time with his wife and kid/s and does all the normal stuff as well as running this site and everything that goes with it, really he deserves a bit more respect than flame posts and low digs about his family - shame on them!
Not that you're worried by all this I am sure but I really want to show my support and say: Keep Up The Good Work Robb (And Elissa and the Mods!)
Matt
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Robb, Wes and Everyone involved,
I laughed so hard thanks to Prince Desmond and this thread will definately go down in TPR Legend. As others have said, well done for ending it where you did, you didn't let it go on too long and made some very sensible points along the way, everyone should donate to CFF instead, much worthier cause!
I do think, however, that the .org people have missed a trick here. With very little effort and money Robb and Wes have created a massive amount of hype and interest in a ficitional character and parody website... maybe if they had asked really really nicely Robb and Wes could have passed on some professional advice so they could create the same kind of presence and following for themselves but by being too stubborn and not taking anything from the experience I am afraid this is unlikely to ever happen! Oh well, hopefully they'll live and learn... again, unlikely!
Thanks for the laughs guys,
Matt
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Already loving this thread!
29. Family Guy Pope!
Cardinal: Pope! Time to get up and put on your hat.
Pope: It's a stupid hat.
Cardinal: Pope!
Pope: Okay, okay. God!
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I am sure I remember being shown how some of these fractures are only visible on XRay before they actually break completely and no park is going to XRay their trains, that's just ridiculous.
Actually, it's not ridiculous at all. Sending out the trains for X-Ray or using mobile scanning units to test the track for stress fractures or other issues is actually a common practice. Most parks do this at least once per year for each coaster.
EDIT - sorry this info was already posted on the previous page. I do think it's important to point out though that we should all be VERY careful posting such information as "no park is going to X-Ray their trains" unless you really know for sure...because EVERY PARK actually does X-Ray their trains!
I know I am a quite a few pages too late (I went away for the weekend) but I just wanted to make an apology to everyone on here for speculating like that and being completely wrong, It's just out of interest in this event and wanting to know what happened, I wasn't trying to cause any offence or problems amongst us, I was actually more trying to ask if any one had anymore information and I didn't really word that very well! - I did post afterwards to say thank you to someone for correcting me where I was wrong as I really did appreciate the extra information provided!
Just wanted to say a big thank you to Robb for letting me know about parks X-raying their trains, I never knew it happened, and now I do, that's kind of why I am on this board, to be informed, educated and entertained, and also to say thank you for providing information direct from the park as that is what I really wanted ultimately, I just wanted to know a bit more about what happened!
Also, want to say sorry to Robb and Elissa as I know my comments were at the beginning of this thread going off the rails (no pun intended) but I genuinely didn't mean to be a part of that, I generally don't like getting involved in that kind of thing on here, I try and make positive/useful comments wherever possible! You guys do a lot to keep the boards going and keep people on topic and I really do appreciate that, even when you have to play 'Bad Cop' to get us back on track!
Glad to see this thread getting back on topic and I will be interested to hear any more REAL INFORMATION when it becomes available, and less of my speculating... sorry guys!
My Apologies,
Matt
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Actually, non-destructive testing is fairly standard in the amusement park industry. For instance, Skycoaster Inc. requires that all their scissor lifts undergo yearly NDT weld analysis. Now, I don't know much about Expedition Geforce's wheel assemblies, but I'd have to imagine they take a lot more stress than a Skycoaster scissor lift. If Holiday Park wasn't performing regular NDT on the assemblies, they could be found negligent.
I stand corrected, I knew that the rides obviously had to undergo various tests and maintenance just wasn't sure how indepth they were, thank you for the extra info!
Matt
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I hope I am not repeating anything that has already been said here, but is it possible it could have been a metal fracture in the wheel assembly somewhere?
Don't want to speculate too much but if I remember my A Level Physics, and please correct me if I am wrong, there are two main types of metal fractures, Brittle and Ductile, and neither are necessarily that obvious to the naked eye, small hairline cracks in the surface etc, so niether intamin, the maintenance guys, or the god Gary Sinise himself could have spotted them.
I am sure I remember being shown how some of these fractures are only visible on XRay before they actually break completely and no park is going to XRay their trains, that's just ridiculous.
I think my point is just that it is possible that no one is to blame in this incident, these things can happen and luckily there are safety systems in place to prevent disasterous results, it is possible no one could have possibly forseen or prevented this. I was just trying to use some physics to back my ideas up!
Ultimately I hope they can determine the cause soon, get the ride back up and running and that it doesn't reflect too badly on the park or Intamin.
Matt
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This is a very sad and tragic event, but ultimately these things happen, the trainer would have known the risks and until there is more information you can't blame the whale, if the trainer fell in the tank it could have been confused, frightened or just wanted to play, we can't know for sure but I am sure killer whales don't intentionally kill people otherwise there would be way more incidents like this!
Also, on a side note, I can see what Robb and everyone is saying, SeaWorld educate people and look after their animals very well and in that sense they are good people, but I can't help thinking, no matter how big the tank, does the whale not think of freedom and the open seas? For example, if you were told you were to live in an expensive hotel suite with one friend for the rest of your life, free meals, plenty of space, comfy beds etc. but you were never allowed to leave, sure it would seem great at first but after a while wouldn't you want to go outside again and see other people? Just my thoughts on that... I am not an animal activist by any stretch of the imagination, just putting it out there!
Anyway, I agree with Adam, let things lie for a little while!
Arguments aside, nothing has been announced as to what will happen with Tilly. Let's save the "why he should have been put away" fight until after a statement is made saying he will stay with SeaWorld as a part of the showMatt
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I didn't know Dick Kinzel was in the magazine business...
This is not an entry, just thought it was funny...
TPR Front Page RE-Design Contest!
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
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ILoveRides - you keep sweeping over your design making little changes but I think you've finally hit the nail on the head, every revision I've still had comments I could make but with this last one I can say nothing!
Also, thanks for lining up the bottom of the updates with the bottom of the facebook feed, that was my one major problem up until a few revisions ago, this really looks amazing, good work!
Matt