Kennyweird Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 This is terrible Once again another historic ride has been claimed by fire. Why does it always seem like this is the most common way that old, well taken care of rides get destroyed? Oh well.. there is still a slim chance they can fix it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrekmizen Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Thank you "Lord Kotowa" for that info about thorpe park i do remember those rides very much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Just added a couple more photos from this article: http://eastcliffrichard.blogspot.com/2008/04/dreamland-dreams-go-up-in-smoke.html --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Wow, this is really sad news, and this is probably the final nail in the coffin for this park. Since there was so much trouble to keep the park open, I'm sure the owners will sell the land, and soon, the land will be redeveloped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCody Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Wait, so this coaster was SBNO leading up to this? That's almost as sad as it burning down. What a beautiful ride. What kind of a-hole decides to torch a historic roller coaster? Do they hate fun? If you're going to be a thug, at least stick it to the Man and burn down an office park or something! Maybe it was an accident and they were cooking meth in the station or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spangle Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Dreamland Just some more info here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeelTheFORCE Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 That's a shame. Especially since it's so old and has so much history. I always hate seeing things like these happen to coasters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fallen Heretic Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 This is so sad. That coaster was going to be central to the heretage park thing that I had heard about. I wonder what that means for the future of that plan? Its deffinately suspicious, and its not been operating so no electrics would be active to catch fire. Also, its not hot enough here to suddenly start fires like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon2000 Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 I'm so sad right now. Am just down the road at the University of Kent, Canterbury and have never got to ride this historical attraction. Extremely suspicious, especially when you consider that we had heavy snow yesterday, with snow cover remaining on the ground today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MG Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 If you're going to be a thug, at least stick it to the Man and burn down an office park or something! Maybe it was an accident and they were cooking meth in the station or something. This wouldn't be the first time in the UK that someone has destroyed a beautiful building or object. It is usually developers trying to build on a piece of land without caring for anyone elses points of view. Tesco do it all the time. More notably in history was the case of the Firestone building, where the owners demolished the Art Deco frontage to the building the night before a preservation order was going to be placed on the building. People can be such scum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaWhippet Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 There's a nice toasty place in Hell for jerks who get off by committing crimes against history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreatOne Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 This is sad...but pretty much inevitable. Fires at dormant parks aren't all that uncommon. Many people like to hang out and smoke in abandoned buildings inside the parks and it's lead to fires before. In an unrelated note...a guy was arrested Friday for arson and arraigned for burning down Conneaut Lake's Dreamland Ballroom. As a traditional park and classic woodie junkie, these things are incredibly disheartening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnage Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Wait, so this coaster was SBNO leading up to this? That's almost as sad as it burning down. What a beautiful ride. What kind of a-hole decides to torch a historic roller coaster? Do they hate fun? If you're going to be a thug, at least stick it to the Man and burn down an office park or something! Maybe it was an accident and they were cooking meth in the station or something. The coaster enthusiast in me is horrified about losing a classic wooden coaster. The desk jockey in me is horrified to imagine my cubicle burning down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dleo Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 What a hit to heritage and the history of leisure and past time. It's very sad to hear this news. Wonder if they would even consider restoration... even then it wouldn't be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterking2981 Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Damn that really sucks. Arson without a doubt. I really hope for the park's sake that maybe Six Flags or Cedar Point buy the park and rebuild what remains of Scenic. Or just that the park can rebuild Scenic. Either way, it may not be the same, but at least hopefully there will be some remains of the orginal ride. It's tragic that a piece of roller coaster/theme park history may be lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy T. Koepp Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 If you're going to be a thug, at least stick it to the Man and burn down an office park or something! Maybe it was an accident and they were cooking meth in the station or something. I get the idea that this wouldn't be the work of a thug. As sad as it is to say. It seems more on the lines of a land owner that didn't want to have his property annexed for historical purposes. He probably thought if there was no historical attachment to it, then he could get top dollar (or pound, or euro as the case may be) for it. Torch it! Collect the insurance money. Demolish the rest. Build condos on the site. Double your money. Corporate scum! Guy "Easy, Breezy, Japaneezy!" Koepp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam06pr Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 I always saw pictures of this ride and I wanted to ride just because how old it was, and I imagine all the history behind it. I wonder if they could build an exact replica? I just don't think it would feel the same. I guess putting a new ride there would be heartbroken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 I think someone really did do it. Theres no way it would suddenly implode. My guess is that it might have been by accident almost like Thorpe Park. When some people goof around with fire in California look what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Damn!!! I knew I left my cigarette somewhere. In all fairness I could've give a toss about this ride. Granted i've never been on it, and yes it is history for the UK, but in reality it's a failing amusment park that needs gutting and i'm sure something much more useful than a themepark can be put in its place. The general public really don't care about old rides anymore. Personally i'd much rather see some cheap flats put inthere than a themepark. (the UK needs some cheap first buyers housing fast!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam_C Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 It's very sad to see a traditional coaster go like this! But am I to believe that Dreamland was shut down? Or just failing? Also, although the coaster thing is sad, I looked online at photos of Dreamland.... what a crappy looking park... it looks like a ghetto car-park travelling funfair, and even the "New Pleasureland" in Southport looks better. Perhaps a more popular theme park may take the unusual step of rebuilding it at their park, as a nod to the old coasters, maybe paint it in the traditional style, signage etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the sound Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Pretty Stupid that thugs would light up a roller-coaster of all things. Jeez, Roller Coasters are fun, why don't you go and torch a school or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verticalzero Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 I'm so shocked to hear about the fire on this wonderful ride, I feel like crying. Roller-coaster's do not just catch fire, I recon someone or a few people soaked the station n lift-hill with petrol before lighting it and running away. Everyone has their memories of this great ride and it will remain with us forever I just hope someone can get sent to prison for Arson and they should get fined for the cost to re-build it. Ive only ridden it once in the early 90's and it was an unique experience. Let's hope "Blackpool" have better security as losing the "Nash","Wild Mouse", "Rollercoaster" and " Big Dipper" is just unthinkable. 5 ride-able woodies left in the UK. RIP SR and thanks for the rides ---------------------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 These are some pretty chilling photos: http://www.markproctorphotography.biz/gallery_136536.html I would say that ride looks finished. And I have just added a video to the first page that shows the lift hill collapsing. --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spangle Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Damn!!! I knew I left my cigarette somewhere. In all fairness I could've give a toss about this ride. Granted i've never been on it, and yes it is history for the UK, but in reality it's a failing amusment park that needs gutting and i'm sure something much more useful than a themepark can be put in its place. The general public really don't care about old rides anymore. Personally i'd much rather see some cheap flats put inthere than a themepark. (the UK needs some cheap first buyers housing fast!) I think you will find the general public do give a toss, i dont think you have a connection with it as 1) you have never been there by the sounds of it - or never been on it so you state and 2 you are too young to probably remember it in its hay day, for many there are lots of memories. Margate could do without more flats. Dreamlad was going to be opend in 2009 for historic rides. The amusment park was closed so it wasnt failing (ok so it may have been failing just before it was closed! ) Years ago it was the place to be, just sad that people can do something like this and not give a toss about the knock on effect. There have been a few arson attacks in Margate recently, this just looks like another casulty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verticalzero Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Damn!!! I knew I left my cigarette somewhere. In all fairness I could've give a toss about this ride. Granted i've never been on it, and yes it is history for the UK, but in reality it's a failing amusment park that needs gutting and i'm sure something much more useful than a themepark can be put in its place. The general public really don't care about old rides anymore. Personally i'd much rather see some cheap flats put inthere than a themepark. (the UK needs some cheap first buyers housing fast!) I bet you could not give a toss if Blackpool wooden coasters burned down either. All coaster rides no matter how small, big, give a rubbish or fantastic ride are important. It's the very old ones which were built before 1940's that need looking after the most. From your comments above, seems like you don't understand the "historic" value which the Scenic Railway gave the coaster community, the people of Margate and the people of "Save Dreamland" campaign. The campaign was going to purchase some old rides inc BPB "Whip" and "Turtle" rides, the Scenic Railway was going to be a focus point for the park. I'm sure it could be re-built if someone or a group wanted to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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