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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: 2025 Discussion

The rear bogie embedded in the side skirt of the bodywork
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After a considerable amount of effort, the engineers managed to get the carriage back on the rails and pushed it by hand into the sidings
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The front half was then carefully reversed to meet the remaining rear coach, and the reunited train was backed into the station.

With all that excitement, if you're looking for serenity, the new gardens are coming on nicely:
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Forgot to photo it, but Skyforce appears mostly assembled now. The wings are back on
 
LowCount said:
Sorry, I have lost the link but a derailment on the train caught on video.

Loading ramp seemed to drop after it left the station, driver unaware of people trying to get their attention.

It caught the track joining at the junction causing derailment
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It seems bonkers that something like this can potentially happen at any time. I’m surprised really that there isn’t also a staff member at the back of the train to look out for things like this, even if they can’t have some kind of emergency stop button there, they could at least have walkie talkies or something so they could immediately contact the driver if they spot anything that could derail the train.

Even though it’s only travelling at low speed, it’s still pretty scary to think that train could end up on its side with everyone thrown out. It’s a bit crazy that the driver has no idea what’s going on behind him unless he looks over his shoulder. I know they do this from time to time anyway, but it seems that this obstruction didn’t come to his attention in time.
 
Dipper_Dave said:
It seems bonkers that something like this can potentially happen at any time. I’m surprised really that there isn’t also a staff member at the back of the train to look out for things like this, even if they can’t have some kind of emergency stop button there, they could at least have walkie talkies or something so they could immediately contact the driver if they spot anything that could derail the train.

Even though it’s only travelling at low speed, it’s still pretty scary to think that train could end up on its side with everyone thrown out. It’s a bit crazy that the driver has no idea what’s going on behind him unless he looks over his shoulder. I know they do this from time to time anyway, but it seems that this obstruction didn’t come to his attention in time.
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It looks as though the trains are either vacuum or pressure braked (you can see a couple of air hoses on the ends of the carrages) so a small valve which would open this line to atmosphere (applying the braked) could be added similar to how guard coaches worked before multiple units. although I don't work with narrow gauge railways normally I don't think they run with a guard.

I am surprised there are no station staff, I would have expected a station staff with a radio allowing them to warn the driver, as people tend to do stupid stuff (try to jump on it when leaving, etc when a train is departing)
 
Clearly I have absolutely no experience or insight into the incident (other than a lot of rides in the train itself). That said, this does look like just an accident. I don’t think I’ve ever thought there was need for a guard in the platform and the drivers are usually quite vigilant for looking behind them to watch behaviour of riders. The only slight surprise, given what I’ve just said, is that the driver didn’t see or hear the people trying to warn them, but we only have a relatively short video to go off.

Perhaps the fix is to relook at the locking system for that ramp on the disabled carriage. I hope the park’s best ride is back up and running soon.
 
venny said:
Clearly I have absolutely no experience or insight into the incident (other than a lot of rides in the train itself). That said, this does look like just an accident. I don’t think I’ve ever thought there was need for a guard in the platform and the drivers are usually quite vigilant for looking behind them to watch behaviour of riders. The only slight surprise, given what I’ve just said, is that the driver didn’t see or hear the people trying to warn them, but we only have a relatively short video to go off.

Perhaps the fix is to relook at the locking system for that ramp on the disabled carriage. I hope the park’s best ride is back up and running soon.
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Thing is though, at least on larger railways (although probably here as well) looking back your view is quite obscured, especially near the back of the train as the carriages and people will block your view, for probably like 3/4 cars it would be alright, but their train is quite long, I am quite surprised their insurance doesn't demand either a guard or station master (I would probably reccomend a guard as they could better watch the passengers on the route, and easily stop the train)
 
At a time where BPB are shuttering rides so they don't have to pay running costs, I don't see them willingly adding another staff member to a ride that hasn't needed it until this point.
I would guess they'd look at the disabled ramp and come up with a different solution instead.
 
Fuct said:
At a time where BPB are shuttering rides so they don't have to pay running costs, I don't see them willingly adding another staff member to a ride that hasn't needed it until this point.
I would guess they'd look at the disabled ramp and come up with a different solution instead.
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I was more thinking interms of insurance, running a railway without a good method of checking if the passengers aren't mucking about itsn't that good of a way of opperating things
 
pjanvil said:
It's more likely they would just shut the ride aka Wild Mouse if insurance start demanding things that double the running cost.
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there is also the cost of diesel and maitanence (which probably isn't that low) and adding one staff, in relation the the cost of operating any of the rest of the rides is little, also the use the express for maitanence of some of their rides.

I think this is also part of the problem with pop, with PPR you only need a few people per hour to cover the cost of operating, the rest is profit, but with pop you need a ton of people on park and it is better to have fewer rides as your costs decrease. They have taken a park that is designed for PPR and used POP in addition they have failed to keep up with modern technology in a lot of rides, increasing insurance and maitanence.
 
A lot of those trains though are smaller than the pleasure beach express, only being a couple cars.

it is a complex thing determening it, however the length of BPB's trains I think should lean towards getting a guard, or station staff (station staff could also inform guests of when the train is, information/history etc)

most the problems happen at the station, with people running to catch a train rather than wait the extra couple of mins
 
They'll "solve" the issue by keeping it locked and not letting full time wheelchair users get on.


Was a strange thing at Europa that only one of their trains seems to have disabled carriage access and the ramps were also broken on my visit. Maybe they'd had a premonition?
 
Big Dipper is now back open, despite it having "weekday closures".
Also off the closures page.
Big one shut though.
Not that I do ridetimes.
 
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