The Wildest Wild Mouse

[SteveC]

chatting generally earlier I was discussing the merits of crazy mouse rides (dark in some cases, spinning cars vs. the likes of the Wild Chipmunk type ) and I vote the Wild Mouse at BPB as the craziest (possibly the oldest in existence) of that style. Anyone else have a favourite of this type - or know of one older??

 

Also does anyone have pictures of the BPB Wild Mouse to post or link too?

 

Many thanks

 

Steve

[CoasterFanatic]

I thought I was going to die on the "Tree Top Racers" at Adventure City

[Musical Pete]

I have some in my various photo collections from BPB (site in signature) including a couple taken from its workshop (and of its workshop!) in the "235 Club - Back to Basics" collection.

 

It certainly is wild, and likely is the wildest in operation, though it's actually a bit tamer these days as the track is smooth (but not too smooth!). It was reworked a few years ago to smoothen the profile of the track back to its original plans, as it had got very rough, according to the words of the late Geoffrey Thompson (whom was a lovely person to talk to!).

 

I'm not quite sure on age regarding whether it's the oldest in operation out of the handful of wooden mice still going, but it's the only one left with the unique bespoke top level, with its big drop and fan turn. It may have actually been one of just two to feature such. The other I'm thinking of was at Queens Park (or Long Beach Pike, etc. - home once also to Harry Traver's famous Cyclone Racer!) and owned by the Valere brothers, whom invented the extra level which Leonard Thompson copied using plans from Canada (I'm not sure whether they were the Valere plans or not), adding it I think in the early 60's to his standard Wildmouse, which opened in 1958.

 

King Solomon's Mine(s) at Pleasureland is a virtual mirror image of BPB's original mouse, before the 60's modification (infact when formerly at Morecambe, KSM/Runaway Minetrain was originally a typical Wildmouse coaster itself before the BPB company's acquisition and rebranding of the park into Frontierland in the 80's - until this year, those original Morecambe mouse car bodies were dotted around BPB, filled with soil and plants!).

 

I know of five wooden mice coasters in operation or existance today - I think there's actually three in Australia, one of which was newly rebuilt in Sydney a year or two ago, and another in Melbourne which only operates for a week or two during an annual fair. The other one is at "Aussie World" I think - check RCDB for more info.

 

In addition to those Australian three, the other two are ofcourse here in England . Ironically, BPB's version even though being extended by roughly a third of the original design, is roughly a third faster overall than the original designs! - A valid reason for its "wildest wildmouse" nature!

 

It's funny however that the first wildmouse coasters were actually steel, before someone decided to build them from the right material . They just weren't tubular steel.

 

I thought I was going to die on the "Tree Top Racers" at Adventure City

Wild Chipmunk at Lakeside is the same model, and is great fun, especially with the funky helix. It's actually a bit tamer than I was hoping it to be (with thick soft inner car padding too), though that's no bad thing. For a really wild ride I only had to go over to Cyclone, for its sublime first half.

 

I had a great mousey idea a couple or three years ago; the Haunted Mouse! - Traditional wooden mouse with tight switchbacks, with some turns (perhaps the 90 degree periphery ones) and drops tunnelled, with spooky quick-fire stunts in the dark tunnels, complete with slam doors. Imagine the greatness of that! - there could be dimly-fluorescent versions of those drop-down dangly upside-downy dead heads with long hair which fall down when you drop in the dark, the hair of which brushes your arms or head - again, imagine that! The stunt possibilities are many and fiendish.

 

If I ever have my own park..

 

Oh by the way, I own some wheels from BPB's mouse - look here.

[Reon]

Ive only been on 2 (SFKK and HP) Out of them, I'd say the later. Theres just something about it being placed on top of the hill with low ground surrounding it that adds to the exitement....

Oh, and PKI (or Coney Island OH) needs a mouse. Preferabbly a spinner, since I havent done one yet...

[What Now]

Wild Mouse at Blackpool Pleasure Beach is one messed up ride. :shock:

[ahecht]

I thought I was going to die on the "Tree Top Racers" at Adventure City

Wild Chipmunk at Lakeside is the same model, and is great fun, especially with the funky helix. It's actually a bit tamer than I was hoping it to be (with thick soft inner car padding too), though that's no bad thing. For a really wild ride I only had to go over to Cyclone, for its sublime first half.

 

I don't know. Wild Chipmunk is the only roller coaster I've ridden recently where I actually was convinced I would die. Nothing like a 50 year old coaster with no seatbelts.

[Musical Pete]

Really? wow. You'd poo yourself at Blackpool then.

 

During a combined ECC ERS with the Nash and Mouse (BPB!) I rode the Mouse seven times in a row, with arms up. I love the thing! (though I tend to keep my arms down on my lap now riding it, as grumpy ops tend to treat you like a murderer for riding arms up)

 

I actually think KSM is wilder than BPB's mouse in some respects - that first large drop is a real bollock killer!

 

I wish it had the dark tunnel which it had at Morecambe, and wish it didn't have that magnetic check brake near the end, about where you'd enter the tunnel if it were present. Then again, I also wish it had the big-levered manual brakes that it had all its life at Morecambe, but I won't go on about that..! I'd like to ride the other wooden mice coasters out there, to see how they compare to ours.

 

Something I want to mention which just entered my head, is Dorney's operating rules for their mouse coaster. It's an off the shelf Maurer design I've already got used to at Flamingoland, and Dorney's attitude is amazingly silly to me - no more than two adults per car, and you have to sit one in the front and one in the back, at opposite sides. WHAT? - Flamingoland have no trouble! Silly corporate americans. (So far I've found Cedar Fair to actually be worse than Six Flags..)

[ECZenith]

The old Miler mouse at Funtown Pier in Seaside Heights, NJ is very long and has a few unique features including a long, sweeping non banked rise-n-fall turn into a couple bunny hops.

 

There is also a smaller, more modern mouse with a banked helix at Casino Pier down the boardwalk. Both are great rides... love the Jersey shore.

[verticalzero]

Blackpool has the Wildest Wild Mouse ride ever, but they could make it higher and with more drops..

 

It's insane I love it, every park should have one.

[Fry]

The Blackpool Mouse is the first and last time I've feared for my life on a ride, it's insane. Especially with just a seatbelt, it really is insane.

[OldJJman]

The dilapidated (now closed) Herschel Mad Mouse at J's Amusements in Guerneville, CA., really scared me pretty good. Especially, when the ride op controled the final brakes.

 

However, my vote goes for King Solomon's Mines, over the one at BPB. Wicked, nasty airtime, while sitting about a low as you can go.

 

Loved it!

 

 

JJ

[rollermonkey]

I have to echo the vote for BPB's wild mouse. I had so much fun, I keep in in my top ten woodies!

 

Chris B

[CoasterFanatic]

Just got back from a trip to Hershey, and as far as MODERN mouses go ... that one takes the cake.

[Mind Eraser]

Ted wrote:

 

Just got back from a trip to Hershey, and as far as MODERN mouses go ... that one takes the cake.

 

I found that Wild Adventures' mouse was equal to or wilder than Hershey's. Personally, I enjoy the Arrow Mad Mice most of all (particularly Myrtle Beach's!)

[CoasterFanatic]

^ Agreed. The Maurer at WA is very good, and I really enjoyed the Arrow Wild mouse at Myrtle.

 

I almost want to put the Arrow Mice in a different category.

[Jeezus Juice]

OMG someone else has ridden the Guerneville mouse! My dad still lives there. That thing is pretty scary, it was never formaly fixed in its position so whenever it ran the whole structure would shimmy around the parking lot.

 

I took Monica there last year to get her credit. The wooden block brakes were pretty rotten and falling apart. It doesn't help knowing that the ride is also underwater whenever the river rises.

 

I drive by it every other week, it's still there looking scary as it always has.

 

Maybe I'll take some pics of it tomorrow.

 

Oh, and wild mouse at BPB gets my vote too.

 

-Don

[Musical Pete]

If anyone is interested, I've uploaded full onride videos of both BPB's Mouse and KSM. Click my sig link and choose which you want, top right of page.

 

It's a shame I couldn't film KSM before the magnetic check brake was added before the S-bend (didn't have a video camera back then) as the last part used to be.. well, "mental"! - the final dip track oscillated so much it's surprising it didn't snap. People often grossly exagerate these things, but this really was like the track was actually rubber!

[Stitch]

When I clicked Wild Mouse (BPB) it came up with an error page

[Musical Pete]

Sorry about that, I'd unkowingly added a second h to the http.

 

Fixed it now.

[Stitch]

One word ... Wee! That is such a cool layout, when it took the first turn at the top I wasn't expecting it to go into a drop . Thanks for sharing that video, I have always want to ride Black Pool's Wild Mouse.

[captain]

One simple answer: the Wild Mouse at BPB!

It nearly broke my neck....

[tinhead]

Wild Mouse Blackpool is the shizznizz.

[pianojohn]

Maybe it is not the wildest ride on a daily basis, but I rode Galaxy Spin at Cypress Gardens yesterday. What made it WILD for me was the fact that I rode alone and was forced to sit on the end of the car causing WAY too much spinning for my taste. Also, as soon as I left the station, it started to rain pretty hard.

 

Spinning, dropping, and getting soaked. Not my idea of a good time!!

[disneyfan1313]

Primeval Whirl is pretty darn wild!

[cfc]

Of the old wooden mouse coasters still operating, I'd say Blackpool's and Aussie World's. But the single most horrifying Wild Mouse I've ever ridden was the one at Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk. The cars really used to lean over on the turns, and there were two drops and hills that made you think you were going to be catapulted into the Pacific. It was scarier than the Giant Dipper.

 

It ran from 1958 to 1976.

Edited February 23, 2013 by cfc