• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Favorite control panels

Skyscraper

Skyscraper

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Nemesis
Following on from the discussion in the Oakwood thhread, what are some of your favourite ride control pannels?

To start us off, this is the one on Speed at Oakwood;

image0.png


Note the dispatch button marked "send it"! :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:
 
Last edited:
I feel obliged to contribute after my somewhat tongue in cheek suggestion!

Hope this one isn't cheating, but I will nominate the Turbo Drop at Brazilian Park Washuzan Highland in Okayama, Japan. Unlike all other Turbo Drops (and the S&S manual), this one operates with only one operator instead of the mandatory two, or more often two ops + host. On these rides there is an Op panel in a cabin and a presence panel at the foot of the tower that must be pressed by the second operator to 'send it'.

To my amazement, there is a video of this (with 202 views!). The park has a rather novel approach to operating the ride with a single member of staff.

 
There's no way on earth I'd go on that thing!

IoE do a lot of work for RMC and some of their panels are amazing (if you like that sort of thing).

fzzgmmctahz01.jpg


IOE-control-panel.jpg


I do like the simplicity of modern panels with the touch screen. B&M tend to be a similar style but without any fancy graphics:

DGAvg-IPUAAA24bp.jpg


For comparison, the older panels often used to have loads of buttons! For example, Top Thrill Dragster:

ttd3.thumb.jpg.cc78b5f28dbdfe71145d7a83ddd5c1cd.jpg
 
Got to love a good control panel! I've helped design a few (although not for rides).

My favourites got to be the old Legoland Miniland panels. They were beautifully retro. Wardrobe sized cabinets each with their own map of miniland and LEDs for each effect.

As for rides It's got to be Macks E-Stop, lockout combination panel. Got to love a big red button.
You can see it at 1:16 on the Helix video:



can't find a picture so youll
 
Last edited:
Tim said:
Got to love a good control panel! I've helped design a few (although not for rides).

My favourites got to be the old Legoland Miniland panels. They were beautifully retro. Wardrobe sized cabinets each with their own map of miniland and LEDs for each effect.

As for rides It's got to be Macks E-Stop, lockout combination panel. Got to love a big red button.
You can see it at 1:16 on the Helix video:



can't find a picture so youll
Click to expand...

I also love the fact that there's a joystick instead of a button for dispatch on Mack Launch/Mega panels. :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tim
I'll have to find the photo from our BTS of Helix, but I recall the op chair being rather comfy and the joystick ideally placed. The op cabin and panel were covered in pictures of the Swedish royal family at the time, however...
 
Don't worry, I'm sure this topic will still be going strong when we get to the closed season. There are so many lovely control panels out there.
 
Tim said:
As for rides It's got to be Macks E-Stop, lockout combination panel. Got to love a big red button.
Click to expand...

I've found a pic that shows what you're referring to. There's a joystick on the other side of the seat as well, and pressing them both to the right performs the dispatch. I don't know what other operations it controls but presumably open/close airgates will be on the same switch for convenience.

31487566_2444930302199584_7882940442017267712_n.jpg.d41f012d6ccfbd2e7d7c2a2804ca749e.jpg

[Source]
 
I’ve got to say, I think Wicker Man has quite a cool one, showing a nice computerised overview of the layout. Skip to about 0:34 of this video for a brief look:
 
153797257_4978591618877909_3041019881158939246_n.jpg

Shame the image is cropped but you can just see the top of Assistant Operator "Mr Brick" at the bottom, his job was to hold down a button, a role he took very seriously until the very end. That is the sign of a quality control panel
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top