Oakwood Discussion

[Rob]

I've seen a lot of suggestions that Speed could be sold, but I really can't see any park being interested in a ride in this state (photo taken last year).



A shame as it's a brilliant layout, but the track, trains and lifthill are knackered.

Yes that looks dirty and worn, but far from a state of disrepair. A clean, paint and possibly new brake fins would dramatically change that photo!

I'd say Speed would be in contention to be moved to another Aspro park or sold.

 

[MaxPower]

It wasn't too long ago that Rita's track looked like that.

They'll refurb it and send it off to another park within the Aspro group.

 

[JamesP]

Yeh the columns looked just us bad until recently, then it looked pretty smart again after the repaint. For a coaster of its age I imagine it has comparatively little wear due to Oakwood's reduced hours of operation and reduced hourly throughput compared to most theme parks.

The only complication and subsequently added cost of moving Speed is removing the supports. Unlike most coasters where the columns are bolted to the footings, the columns on speed are actually cast into the footers. So to remove each column you have to break out each concrete footer. I’m sure it can be done, but would add to the labour cost of disassembly considerably.

 

[Coaster]

Speed didn't feel healthy in the last few years I rode it. The lifthill crashed as the car engaged, then ran at less than half the speed it used to do whilst making some awful crunching/creaking noises. In the front, you could see the joins in the track looked slightly out of alignment in places, and the train wobbled as it went over the top.

You can see the huge difference in how it runs here:


From: https://youtu.be/37Q2DIqO92I?si=9xoOQmAl63eRsauE


Compared to when it was new (particuarly the lifthill and lack of clanging noises as it goes round):


From: https://youtu.be/_LykKJeX3k0?si=9wPeVOpDKt8Fs54Y


I didn't feel especially comfortable on it last year.

 

[MaxPower]

It was making a loud knocking noise as it hit the bottom of the drop on my last visit aswell and that was some years ago. Can't imagine it got any better.

 

[Enter Valhalla]

It’ll go to another Aspro park. Speed is one of the most likely of Oakwood’s rides to receive relocation. I know Oakwood didn’t look at it’s best cosmetically under Aspro, but there’s still plenty on that site that’s salvageable.

 

[flyingguitar]

Speed didn't feel healthy in the last few years I rode it. The lifthill crashed as the car engaged, then ran at less than half the speed it used to do whilst making some awful crunching/creaking noises. In the front, you could see the joins in the track looked slightly out of alignment in places, and the train wobbled as it went over the top.

From the video, the engagement doesn't look too bad similar to saw, the smiler (the one I ride more often) also jolt a bit at engagment.

The clunking to me sounds more like the anti rollbacks, the brush either side of them pushes up a small bar that prevents them from contacting the rack when moving forwards which prevents the noise, it is possible the bush has worn out a bit and are allowing the ARB's to contact the rack.

the sound at the top of the lift hill, and slow speed are concerning, as the sound I have no idea why it would be making that sound, the slow lift hill could be they have replaced the lift hill motor with a weaker one or they could be trying to prevent an issue, not the best either way.

It was making a loud knocking noise as it hit the bottom of the drop on my last visit aswell and that was some years ago. Can't imagine it got any better.

that isn't too bad, depends what type of knocking, if it is one *clunk*, the smiler dose that as well, I think it is the catch dog on the car dropping down.

 

[IDB]

Speed didn't feel healthy in the last few years I rode it. The lifthill crashed as the car engaged, then ran at less than half the speed it used to do whilst making some awful crunching/creaking noises. In the front, you could see the joins in the track looked slightly out of alignment in places, and the train wobbled as it went over the top.

We had to laugh last year when we rode it and there was an engineer underneath the station whacking something with a big spanner as we were locked into our restraints. Didn't particularity fill you with confidence.

 

[Enter Valhalla]

We had to laugh last year when we rode it and there was an engineer underneath the station whacking something with a big spanner as we were locked into our restraints. Didn't particularity fill you with confidence.

In fairness, the section under the ride is part of Speed’s maintenance shed, so it may not have had anything to do with the ride that you were actually on at the time. Engineers often work down there while the park is open, just doing routine maintenance jobs. Nothing wrong with them doing that, from a H&S point of view, and it saves them having to stay at work late into the evening if they can get those routine jobs done while the park is still open.

 

[IDB]

In fairness, the section under the ride is part of Speed’s maintenance shed, so it may not have had anything to do with the ride that you were actually on at the time. Engineers often work down there while the park is open, just doing routine maintenance jobs. Nothing wrong with them doing that, from a H&S point of view, and it saves them having to stay at work late into the evening if they can get those routine jobs done while the park is still open.

Thanks, maybe so. But they were having trouble with the restraints locking and ride staff were conversing with the hidden voice from below. Then after a few false starts there was a "don't touch anything" and we got a green light to dispatch

 

[Coaster]

Thanks, maybe so. But they were having trouble with the restraints locking and ride staff were conversing with the hidden voice from below. Then after a few false starts there was a "don't touch anything" and we got a green light to dispatch

I had issues with the restraints too, they seemed to have to keep opening and closing the airgates.

 

[Enter Valhalla]

I had issues with the restraints too, they seemed to have to keep opening and closing the airgates.

On Speed, every time the restraints are unlocked, the airgates have to be opened and closed in order for the restraints to be locked again. This is the case on all Eurofighters I believe.

 

[Jb85]

I've seen a lot of suggestions that Speed could be sold, but I really can't see any park being interested in a ride in this state (photo taken last year).



A shame as it's a brilliant layout, but the track, trains and lifthill are knackered.

Nothing a good clean wouldn’t sort

 

[Matt Creek]

Out of all the rides they have, I’d say Speed has one of the higher chances of being relocated. Whilst it needs some TLC, it’s a large (but not necessarily a massive) coaster. It could work well as a headline coaster for a smaller park (not necessarily in the uk). Afterall, a lot of parks in the 2000’s received relocated scheartzkopf’s and the like of a similar age.

It’s crazy to think that Speed was still one of the park’s newest additions 19 years, perhaps a summarisation of just how neglected Oakwood was through Aspro’s ownership. Most (if not all) Never Land rides were relocated and the Creepy Crawler coaster was also second hand.

As mentioned above I expect several rides to be asset-stripped
and moved to other Aspro properties (maybe Walygator or Boudewijan Sea Park) and others sold to different parks. However not everything will be salvageable either through condition or practicality. The tracked rides, train ( maybe minus rolling stock), Treetops (possibly) and unfortunately Megafobia are the most likely to fit in this bracket.

Unless the site remains a theme park/attraction premise, where the operator intends to feature some rides. I fear for Megafobia the most. A relocation seems unlikely and I dread to see a situation where it just stands there for years until authorities have to pull it down as a result of being a safety hazard.

 

[owenstreet7]

Out of all the rides they have, I’d say Speed has one of the higher chances of being relocated. Whilst it needs some TLC, it’s a large (but not necessarily a massive) coaster. It could work well as a headline coaster for a smaller park (not necessarily in the uk). Afterall, a lot of parks in the 2000’s received relocated scheartzkopf’s and the like of a similar age.

It’s crazy to think that Speed was still one of the park’s newest additions 19 years, perhaps a summarisation of just how neglected Oakwood was through Aspro’s ownership. Most (if not all) Never Land rides were relocated and the Creepy Crawler coaster was also second hand.

As mentioned above I expect several rides to be asset-stripped
and moved to other Aspro properties (maybe Walygator or Boudewijan Sea Park) and others sold to different parks. However not everything will be salvageable either through condition or practicality. The tracked rides, train ( maybe minus rolling stock), Treetops (possibly) and unfortunately Megafobia are the most likely to fit in this bracket.

Unless the site remains a theme park/attraction premise, where the operator intends to feature some rides. I fear for Megafobia the most. A relocation seems unlikely and I dread to see a situation where it just stands there for years until authorities have to pull it down as a result of being a safety hazard.

With Treetops, I'd say that a lot of Zierer Tivolis regularly get relocated to different parks so it might have a decent chance of getting relocated.

I think Megafobia is the wild card which it'd be difficult to relocate however it's not impossible. Whether Aspro will do it is unlikely.

Who's to say that GCI or Gravity Group won't work with a park to relocate Megafobia elsewhere. It'd be a Thoosies' dream for it to turn up at Thorpe Park in 2026 or beyond

Creepy Crawler however whilst it could be sent to an Aspro park, on the travelling circuit or in the other side of the world, I think the best place for it is a scrapyard

 

[rob666]

Megafobia...It was purpose built to fit the landscape.
It would be cheaper and easier to start from scratch with a new ride, than cut and alter something else.
Stay where it is and run, or matchwood.

 

[rctneil]

If the park does not get purchased by someone else, I sincerely hope at the very least that Bluestone buy Megafobia and add it to their offerings somehow.

Yes it's not a total compliment to their existing attractions but considering it's location and proximity I believe they could make it work.

Maybe then have it as an activity for Bluestone guests, but they could do what ZDT's did with Switchback and offer a Megafobia ticket that would allow people who just turn up to have unlimited access to Megafobia and nothing else for a day.

With ZDT's, a group of 4 of us turned up an hour before closing, bought a Switchback ticket each and rode it a bunch of times, bought a souvenir of the park and headed on our way.

I'm positive they could figure out a way to add it to their offerings in some shape or form.

 

[owenstreet7]

If the park does not get purchased by someone else, I sincerely hope at the very least that Bluestone buy Megafobia and add it to their offerings somehow.

Yes it's not a total compliment to their existing attractions but considering it's location and proximity I believe they could make it work.

Maybe then have it as an activity for Bluestone guests, but they could do what ZDT's did with Switchback and offer a Megafobia ticket that would allow people who just turn up to have unlimited access to Megafobia and nothing else for a day.

With ZDT's, a group of 4 of us turned up an hour before closing, bought a Switchback ticket each and rode it a bunch of times, bought a souvenir of the park and headed on our way.

I'm positive they could figure out a way to add it to their offerings in some shape or form.

It would be amazing if Bluestone did run Megafobia or even set up a small fairground/park from what remains of Oakwood.

The area does lend itself well to Bluestone even if most of the park would be activities and accommodation.