The End of an Era

scorpionSA · Post by **scorpionSA** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:15 pm

Well officially the Mad Mouse is no more. The signage was removed mid last week and the last parts of the support were removed yesterday - RIP Mad Mouse 44 years young! LOL!

And a month after the show we still have half a skymaster wheel! They have removed the tops off all the carriages about like 4 days after the show but the bottoms have stayed. Hmmmm puzzling.....

Post by **Zamperla** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:52 pm

If you didn't know, the MM has been purchased by an Australian show family - good news that it is staying on our shores.

princess · Post by **princess** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:33 pm

Thats great, but which family.

benclare · Post by **benclare** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:35 pm

Could we perhaps see the Mad Mouse returning to the capital city and perhaps regional show circuit? Good to hear the ride isn't going OS.

HUSSRAINBOW · Post by **HUSSRAINBOW** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:49 pm

Wittingslow still have theirs... it did rye the year of the accident, still popular as ever

benclare · Post by **benclare** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:03 pm

Interesting! I did wonder what had happened to that unit; good to see it is still around.

I was at Luna Park yesterday and their Wild Mouse is also going better than ever and is very popular.

scorpionSA · Post by **scorpionSA** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:44 pm

I think it is somewhere on one of Zamperla's posts but since the incident at the Melbourne show a few years ago, Wittingslow haven't operated it as the safety people said they could only have one car on the track at a time - which unfortunately made the ride unprofitable.

Does anyone know - does Wittingslow still exist as a company in some form? There seems to be conflicting reports.

princess · Post by **princess** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 8:10 am

I am going to be criptic sorry, but there are some interesting changes afoot.

scorpionSA · Post by **scorpionSA** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:12 am

cryptic - thats no fun!

princess · Post by **princess** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 11:44 am

I know sorry

scorpionSA · Post by **scorpionSA** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:38 pm

well then the question would be then - if they were to come back - would they get back as many spots as they used to have? well in fact what do they still have? it seems to get very confused on here as to what actually happened to everything that they had.

Top Gunner14 · Post by **Top Gunner14** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 5:22 pm

Witts are now called amusements australia. They still own breakdance, pirate and apparently enterprise is coming back soon. Good to here mad mouse is stayin. Who's the FAMILY

Post by **Zamperla** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:03 pm

I am not in a position to elaborate, all I can say is east coast. I wouldn't assume it will be travelling to do capital shows either, but certainly a Summer carnival.

princess · Post by **princess** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:22 pm

LOL

benclare · Post by **benclare** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:32 pm

Wittingslow as we once knew it is probably gone forever, despite the new company owning some fairly impressive attractions. The only way it could possibly return to its former glory is if they start importing major thrill rides that haven't been seen here before. They would definitely get prime positions on the capital show midways but that's probably the only way they could do it from now on unfortunately; a pity because rides like the Pirate Ship and Enterprise deserve to be back.

Top Gunner14 · Post by **Top Gunner14** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 2:44 pm

I was told witts will never b the same or as big as they were before. I can't c them coming back to all the capital shows. There could b a chance though

HUSSRAINBOW · Post by **HUSSRAINBOW** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 4:24 pm

the best thiung bout rye carnival is EVERYTHING has the clown, and wittingslow written on it, so it doesnt feel like they have gone anywhere

Top Gunner14 · Post by **Top Gunner14** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:38 am

Ur right Huss. Its good to know they still actually operate and not completly down the drain. But its weird goin to the capital shows and not seeing the familiar clown face on some of the rides

matterhorn · Post by **matterhorn** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 9:58 pm

i can tell you why the skymaster wheel is still up it will be doing the caravan and campng show so insted fo pulling it down its just easyer to leave it up and send 4 guys over the ay before put the tops on and its all ready to go. there is also new cars going on the skymaster wheel and will be staying on the adelade one all the time and maybe even a new drive system but thats a secret

Post by **Zamperla** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 7:59 am

Wittingslow will never be back on the travelling scene like they were - their vaccuum has been filled and the industry has moved on in leaps and bounds since their rides exited the Capitals.

I feel lucky to have grown up in that era - we got to experience some great travelling amusements. I read in a book that in the early 1990's Wittingslow were possibly the largest single owner of portable HUSS rides in the world. (Rainbow, Ranger, Enterprise x 2, UFO, Breakdance, Troika, Pirate)

HUSSRAINBOW · Post by **HUSSRAINBOW** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 4:18 pm

Good to know that Wittingslow still own PIRATE and ENTERPRISE, so im thrilled about that, the pure excitement when I saw PIRATE on the trailers at rye last year, was the best feeling

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:08 pm

In their prime how many and what rides did they use to travel to shows, and what rides did they have in parks around the country.

I have always heard stories about them been the dominat player but havn't found out what they had.

Cheers
Kiwi

Post by **Zamperla** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:10 pm

Very rough list:

Galaxy Coaster I
Galaxy Coaster II (Melb Luna Park)
Mad Mouse (Melb Showgrounds)
Rainbow
Ranger (HUSS)
Ranger (Fabbri)
Superloop
Pirate
Orbitor
Zipper
Spin Dragon / Spaceloop
Breakdance (HUSS)
Breakdance (Sobema)
Merrygoround x 2
Mini Merrygoround x 2
Ferris wheel (resided permanently at Rosebud for years)
Enterprise I
Enterprise II (Melb Luna Park)
Troika
UFO (standup HUSS enterprise)
Dodgems I
Dodgems II
Cha Cha
Musik Express
Scat (Melb Luna Park)
Spider (Eyerly)
Chair Swing
Various Kiddy Rides x 10

There is probably a few more that I have forgotten.

benclare · Post by **benclare** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:22 am

I think you got most of them Zamperla; the only other one I can think of is the Miami, known as Labamba. Wittingslow operated rides at Luna Park Melbourne, Luna Park Sydney, Rosebud and Darling Harbour. Amazingly, nearly all their rides still exist today and the majority are still operating.

Hurricane · Post by **Hurricane** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:40 am

Wittingslow owned a HUSS breakdance? Well... I didn't know that...

Australian Amusement Fanatics

The End of an Era

The End of an Era

Wittingslow Rides