Ocean Beach, Rhyl

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Ocean Beach
Ocean beach fun fair site rhyl dec 2007.jpg
Slogan -
Location Rhyl, Wales
Owner Rhyl Amusements
Opened 1954
Closed September 2, 2007
Operating season Easter to October
Rides
Total tbc
Roller coasters 4
Water rides 1
Website -
-

Ocean Beach was an amusement park in Rhyl, North Wales which operated from 1954 until September 2, 2007.

History

Rhyl began to take off as holiday resort following the opening of its train station in 1848 and the amusement park at Marine Lake was seeing thousands of visitors annually. It relocated in 1954 and was based at the West end of the promenade.

Demise

The town and the park declined in popularity since the 1960s and there had been very little investment in new rides or attractions in its final years. It closed for the final time on 2 September 2007.[1] Plans to build a retail and leisure complex on the site of the old Ocean Beach site, known as Ocean Plaza due to commence building in May 2009 have been delayed.[2]

Accidents

An accident on July 31, 2005 with five injuries, none serious, was reported as the "first accident in 40 years", suggesting the park had a very good safety record.[3]

Notable Past Rides

Opened Closed Ride Name Manufacturer Notes
1980 2007 "Jet Stream" Pinfari Z64 Rollercoaster. Previously operated at Battersea, London and Belle Vue, Manchester. Replaced earlier and smaller "Cyclone" Rollercoaster. [4]
1975 1979 "Cyclone" Pinfari Z40 Rollercoaster.
1986 1988 "Looping Star" Anton Schwarzkopf Silverarrow Rollercoaster. Located on the car/coach park. Relocated to Camelot Theme Park as "Tower Of Terror". [5]
1989 2007 "Pepsi-Cola Loop" Pinfari ZL42 Rollercoaster. [6]
1960 1975 "Big Dipper" Former German travelling wooden side-friction rollercoaster.
1985 2006 "Runaway Train" Schwarzkopf Alpenblitz II Powered Rollercoaster. Operated at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach during the 1984 season. [7]
1961 1972 "Mad Mouse" Wooden wild mouse rollercoaster.
1990 2007 "Nessi" Cavazza Diego Super Nessi Junior Rollercoaster. [8]
1972 2007 "Water Chute" Leslie Joseph Formerly operated at Kursaal Gardens, Southend from 1958 to 1971. [9]
1979 2007 "Dodgems" Reverchon Industries Replaced an older set of Dodgems.
1975 2007 "Waltzer" Maxwell Many other Waltzer rides operated on site previously. Damaged by fire c.1985 and rebuilt by H.P. Jackson.
1980 2007 "Star Wars" Sobema Swingaround ride, previously named "Thriller".
1980 2007 "Terminator" Reverchon A Matterhorn (ride).
c.1960 2007 "Ghost Train"
1994 2007 "Sizzler" P.W.S. A Twist (ride). Previously operated at Central Pier, Blackpool.
1972 2007 "Giant Slide" Ivan Bennett Astroglide.
1979 2007 "Ski Jump" Pollard Flying Coaster ride.
1970s 2007 "Junior Gallopers" H.P. Jackson Junior set of Gallopers.
1959 c.2002 "Gallopers" Savage Previously operated at Marine Lake Amusement Park across the road.
1980s 2001 "Mystical Mine Ride" A tracked Dark Ride.
2001 2004 "Monster's Revenge" Maxwell/Tivoli U.K. Owned by Tommy Boswell. A polyp ride, previously operated at Seaburn Amusement Park and Spanish City, Whitley Bay.
2000s 2004 "Barracuda" A.R.M. A Kamikaze (ride), owned by Tommy Boswell.
1994 1996 "Tango Sensation" Sobema A Breakdance (ride). Moved to South Pier, Blackpool, where it still operates.
1986 1992 "Octopus" A.R.M. A Polyp ride, moved to South Pier, Blackpool.
1986 1988 "Enterprise" HUSS Park Attractions An Enterprise (ride).
1976 1995 "L'amour Express" Modern Products A modern Caterpillar (ride). Replaced older version.
1948 1975 "Caterpillar" Traditional caterpillar ride, owned by Benny Sedgwick.
1986 mid '90s "Viking" Helmut Hauser A Pirate Ship (ride).
1977 1987 "Orbiter" Tivoli UK Moved to Clarence Pier.
1975 1991 "Skydiver" Ivan Bennett A Lifting Paratrooper (ride), owned by Ronnie Weston.
1978 1983 "Meteorite" Cadoxton Engineering A Round Up (ride)
1955 1955 "Dive Bomber" Lusse Previously operated at Marine Lake Amusement Park, Rhyl.
1980 1983 "Tip Top" Tivoli UK A Tip Top/Force 10 ride.
1976 1987 "Easy Rider" Maxwell An Ark ride, Relocated to Ocean Beach, South Shields.
1960s 1970s "Psycho" Supercar A multi-level ghost train.
1978 1992 "Cyclone Twist" Pollard A twist ride, replaced an older version. Owned by Ronnie Weston.
1964 1977 "Twist" Ivan Bennett A twist ride.
1950s 1979 "Rotor" Orton & Spooner Traditional large Rotor (ride).
1965 1965 "Satellite" Ivan Bennett The first of 3 Trabant rides to operate at the park.
1968 1977 "Satellite" Ivan Bennett The second of 3 Trabant rides to operate at the park.
1989 1989 "Satellite" Ivan Bennett The third of 3 Trabant rides to operate at the park.
1963 1974 "Waltzer" H.P. Jackson
1940s 1978 "Dodgems" Lakin Replaced by a modern Reverchon track. Owned by Webber.
1980 1983 "Rock-O-Plane" Eyerley or Eli-Bridge A Rock-O-Plane ride.
1980 1980s "Cinema 180" Omnivision A 180 degree cinema.
1977 1977 "Scat" Fairplace A scat ride that operated for one season in 1977, and then another in 2001.
1956 1970s "Austin Car Ride" Supercar A tracked children's ride.
1983 1980s "Super Loop" Larson International An American Super Loop ride.
1995 1990s "Giant Wheel" Helmut Hauser A large ferris wheel, owned by Gore & DeKoning.

Video footage

Some video footage from the defunct rides does exist on YouTube

External links and references

  1. ↑ End of an era for Rhyl's funfair
  2. ↑ Plaza hit by delays Rhyl Visitor newspaper website
  3. ↑ First crash in 40 years bbc.co.uk
  4. ↑ http://rcdb.com/908.htm
  5. ↑ http://rcdb.com/2820.htm
  6. ↑ http://rcdb.com/909.htm
  7. ↑ http://rcdb.com/1938.htm
  8. ↑ http://rcdb.com/2821.htm
  9. ↑ http://www.joylandbooks.com/themagiceye/articles/vikingarslaststand.htm


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