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Seems a few local experts have been wrong about the popularity of Neon Nights and Cosentino.

Hi guys- happy Sunday!! Just perusing Youtube and saw this excellent video on Scenic World and of particular interest to me, the never opened Orphan Rocker. The poster does a good job of giving a great over view of the entire ride as it currently stands and does a bit of urban exploration around the site. In this we see: The resting place of the previous Scenic Railway ( replaced by the current one in early 2013) The resting place of the 2nd Scenic Skyway ( replaced in 2017) He walks quite a good part of the existing Orphan Rocker track and we also get to see the trains up close, which is very interesting. He also explores a disused path ( in thongs!!!!!!!😲- make that of what you will ) to the nearby Orphan Rock feature to which access has been closed to since the '50's He also gets some great footage of the Scenic Railway as it journeys down near the Orphan Rock formation. We all know that the Orphan Rocker has never opened and this video really puts the final nail in the coffin to the question COULD it ever open. Sadly, with subsequent additions to the Scenic Railway and the Skyway, the loading station for the ride has since been removed as has also several pieces of track along the course. This ride will forever go down in Australian amusement park history and indeed the world as one of the biggest "what if's" that never reached fruition. Scenic World appear quite content to leave whats remaining of Orphan Rocker to slowly decay and fall apart , which is of course a massive shame. I do remember seeing an interview article with Anthea Hammon , the current Managing Director of Scenic World ( and daughter of Scenic World founder , Phillip Hammon) where she explains that the the Orphan Rocker "just doesnt fit in with the current direction of Scenic World" . Any hopes for any revival of this ride in its current form or even a new refurbished form are virtually nil. Here is the second video posted by Gareth that focuses on Scenic World and its other attractions- its also good viewing. Here is also the link to the most current article on the Orphan Rocker from the Daily Telegraph in January 2019. ( Beware, you may be hit by a paywall here ) https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/scenic-world-md-anthea-hammon-reveals-what-happened-to-the-orphan-rocker-roller-coaster/news-story/40ddd7cf1b0e8570830ab6e67315cec8 In case you cannot see it, I have posted it below for all. The article does have some quite excellent rare pics of the ride in operation and with passengers on board. Scenic World MD Anthea Hammon reveals what happened to the Orphan Rocker roller coaster Nicole Hogan, The Daily Telegraph January 23, 2019 10:21am IT has been the centre of conspiracy theories, rumour and curiosity for over 30 years. The Orphan Rocker at Scenic World in the Blue Mountains was dubbed ‘the world’s scariest rollercoaster’ by enthusiasts and ‘dangerous’ by online theme park forums. It started in the 1980s as a passion project for Scenic World owner Harry Hammon and his son Phil. In 1985, Harry told the media, “It’s a frightening ride ... it really will be bit of a horror”. The Orphan Rocker at Scenic World in the Blue Mountains The 840-metre steel coaster was anticipated to be the first of its kind — an Australian-made and manufactured thrill ride — with carriages like coal mine carts, darting through the forest, plunging down tunnels and towering 200-metres above the rainforest floor. Over time, theories would surface grasping to explain delays in the ride opening. Some would say the coaster was unsafe, claiming sand-filled test dummies were hurled from carriages zipping around cliffhanging bends. Others reported locals didn’t want the noise associated with a thrill ride; others would hypothesise the ride was built incorrectly, by unqualified engineers, and some speculated it was the local council who wouldn’t approve it. The Rocker was the brainchild of Phil Hammon “We don’t generally comment on the Orphan Rocker,” says Anthea Hammon, the third generation family member to manage the major tourist attraction. “To be honest, it is what it is. I am happy to grow and evolve Scenic World and the Rocker didn’t fit with what we were doing. So, I wasn’t particularly heartbroken by it.” Which is surprising as Ms Hammon admits she was so enthralled by roller coasters as a youngster, she wrote to American theme parks to ascertain how to build them. The 840-metre steel coaster was anticipated to be the first of its kind “I just loved roller coasters,” says Ms Hammon. “I went to all the ones in Queensland and there was one at Wonderland in the 1980s. I first went on one when I was about eight, we went to Expo 88, and that’s what really started it for me. “I went on the really cool suspended coaster they had, I can still vividly remember it because it made such an imprint on me. “During high school I wrote to a few roller coaster companies in America and asked ‘What sort of engineers do you employ? Because that’s what I want to be’ and that is what drove me to study mechanical engineering.” The Orphan Rocker had rocking carriages like coal mine carts Ms Hammon adds that the demise of the Orphan Rocker and the incessant conspiracies clouding it are tedious. “Honestly, it is a pretty boring reason why it didn’t open, and that is, we had so many visitors that my father needed to dedicate his time to building the cableway and creating different attractions for the site. “I think when there is a really boring story people fill the void with something that is more interesting. Darting through the forest “We were pushing a million visitors a year off the back of a wave of Japanese visitors in the early 90s and Dad knew the sort of attraction they wanted, which was another cable car and to get better access into the back of the valley. “He spent six years, more than six years developing that, so by the time he planned it, got that through council, got it built and opened it in 2000, he had to dedicate all his time to that. “When you are in business, you need to build a business strategy that is going to support the market that you are delivering your product to,” says Ms Hammon. Plunging down tunnels While not heartbroken the Rocker never officially opened, Ms Hammon says her obsession with roller-coasters has transformed into something else. “Yes I have a fascination with roller coasters, but equally now I have a fascination with cable cars. I want to go to Switzerland one day to work on cable cars over there,” says Ms Hammon. “I think the roller coaster obsession was a teenage thing that I moved past. I love rides now, but it’s not a fascination I have anymore. Towering 200-metres above the rainforest floor “I am really happy to see the way Scenic World has evolved to where it is and building the new train was just an amazing experience and is probably better than any rollercoaster we put in because it is our hero product.” Hammon adds, “Whatever we build at Scenic World needs to fit with our customers and what they are telling us they want, and the demographic of the people we have visiting — which is why we just upgraded the Skyway — putting 30 per cent more capacity in that because that’s what people want to go on. Parts of the abandoned rollercoaster remain in place at the site. Picture: Facebook Engaging visitors is a high priority and Ms Hammon has an intuitive vision of what Scenic World is, and what it isn’t. “We are a funny mix of an attraction — we are not an amusement park, we are not a theme park, but we aren’t just a board walk, we are not rides, but we are a bit history, we kind of fit into quite a few boxes — which gives you that authentic mountain experience,” says Hammon. “We are not trying to be a theme park, it doesn’t fit the environment that you are in — theme parks are normally in a created space, whereas we have a natural environment — this beautiful backdrop to work with makes it much easier to provide that authentic experience — rather than saying ‘here is the environment!’ and ramming that down people’s throats.” Today some parts of the structure are still visible, overgrown with vegetation, discoloured and lying abandoned. ‘I WAS EIGHT WHEN I TOLD STAFF I WOULD RUN THE PLACE’ Growing up in a natural wonderland definitely had its perks for Anthea Hammon, but how does a girl grow up to run one of NSW’s most successful tourist attractions? “My dad used to work six days a week, Sunday through to Friday and I had the great joy of coming to work with him most Sundays, from about the age of five, until I moved away for university. “Initially when I small I would follow him around and do everything he did and that’s where I got my love of engineering from, following him around when he was working on rides or pinball machines or maintaining the boilers. Managing Director of Scenic World Anthea Hammon sits on the remains of the Orphan Rocker. Picture: Adam Taylor “I have four siblings, but none of them really did that as much as I did. That was my time with dad, as well as the seed for my love of all things engineering. “Old staff members have told me when I was eight years old I used to yell from the platforms that I was going to run this place one day,” says Ms Hammon laughing, “But I grew out of that, I think as a little kid you always want to do what your parents do, yet I always wanted to be an engineer. “I decided I wanted to build roller coasters, so most of my high school years were driven by that. I did all those types of subjects to achieve it. I did my thesis on things up here at work and that meant being involved back in the business. Theories surfaced grasping to explain the rides demise “At that time, after a break going to Sydney for university. I thought I want to come back. We were doing a lot of redevelopment at the time, we were rebuilding the Skyway in 2003 — we have just rebuilt it again — so that really got me interested. I thought ‘I don’t want to go and work in a car factory’, I would really love to come and work here and at that point in time dad needed help, so I stepped into the business.” Ms Hammon says the family ties to the business are deeply entrenched. “My grandfather was working in the business until he was about 90 and my great aunt, used to work in the ticket box. “We would go out walking our my mum on weekends, and we’d walk down the Furber Stairs and catch the train back up, but my aunt wouldn’t let us out of the train without a kiss on the cheek — that was the ticket price for the ride. I have really beautiful memories of growing up within the family business. Some said the coaster was unsafe, claiming sand-filled test dummies were hurled from the carriages “My brother worked here as well, as joint managing director for five years. He has an economics and commerce background, so he and I had this excellent complementary set of skills set that when we started running the business together — me with engineering and him with the finance side of it — was brilliant when we were undertaking $30 million dollars of investment in the new scenic railway.” efties make about as much sense as a goose’s fart Ms Hammon explains this was very much a legacy left to her by her Dad, Phil. “When I started, dad was already undertaking the redevelopment of the Skyway — he had rebuilt the main building — I came in and took a load off his hands managing the maintenance team and organising all the maintenance for the new rides. Initially I was more of a project engineer and over time took on more.” Anthea and Phil Hammon The constant cycle of upgrading and reinventing the attractions cemented Ms Hammon’s future in the business. “With the new train in 2013, it just got to the point where like every 20 years we have to refresh the rides because that’s the design life. It was like we have the choice of either buying a new gear box and motor, or building something new, something that’s really going to engage with our customers and be what the next generation of customers expect. “We put in the changeable seats with the cliffhanger and laid-back options and created a bit of interactivity, which is what the customers are really telling us they want. “Was it daunting? Sure, it is always daunting. Rebuilding your main attraction and we had negative feedback from people saying ‘how dare you change the ride, we loved the old train’ and I agree the old train had its glamour, but it had its challenges and unfortunately with things like this you have to move with the times and keep upgrading.” Scenic World attracts millions of visitors a year SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY As a way of formalising the Hammon’s generosity in supporting the Blue Mountains community, the family recently launched a new program, sharing what they do with locals. “Last year we launched the share program — a philanthropic program where we give three per cent of our profits back to the community,” says Ms Hammon. “ We have partnered with the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute, Schools Plus, the Foundation for Rural and Original Renewal and Western Sydney University, to help education at all levels. Scenic World is home to world’s steepest railway “It’s really about building within our community, better skills, and better school finishing rates so that we can create more skilled people who then contribute back to our community up here. “This all links back to those family values of getting people to work and live in the Mountains and be part of the community." So that appears to be the final word on Orphan Rocker- RIP. It would have been an absolutely AMAZING ride if it had opened and it would have attracted hundreds of coaster enthusiasts from around the world to come and ride. What a shame that it is nothing now but a case of what could have been and consigned to being just a footnote in our amusement park history.

Here is a great article on Tony Maloney ,from late last year. He is currently serving as the chief ride mechanic and Maloney's Corner was eponymously named after him. Luna Park mechanic who knows every nut and bolt still on the job JANET FIFE-YEOMANS, The Daily Telegraph November 17, 2018 12:00am Living in Sydney has been a merry-go-round for Tony Maloney. The 71-year-old started working at Luna Park as a wide-eyed 13-year-old and he is still there. He literally knows every nut and bolt of the heritage-listed fun park, having numbered, dismantled, removed, refurbished and then rebuilt every ride twice, in 1993 and 2000. After keeping the park safe for generations, the master mechanic tried to retire a few years ago but couldn’t leave the magic behind. Tony Maloney checks up on a merry-go-round. Picture: Justin Lloyd After a few weeks away from the fun park that has been his life, he was on the phone to the park’s managing director Peter Hearne. “I rang Peter, who said ‘why don’t you come back two or three days a week’,” Mr Maloney said. He has been on every ride in the park countless times but Mr Maloney remains a rollercoaster tragic and looks back with nostalgia on the days of Luna Park’s wooden rollercoaster, its original Big Dipper. “We used to have to walk the whole ride every hour because the rails would move,” he said yesterday. Tony Maloney is the longest-serving employee at the park. Picture: Justin Lloyd There was a narrow boardwalk the mechanics used while the trains were going — and for the record there were three carriages carrying up to 72 people at a time. Mr Maloney has since ridden some of the world’s biggest rollercoasters but nothing can scare him. “I love coasters, it’s the adrenaline rush,” he said. The 83-year-old park has had its own rollercoaster of a history. It closed after the fatal Ghost Train fire in 1979, opening again in 1982 only to close again and reopen in 2004. Mr Maloney wasn’t at work the night that a father, his two sons and six school students died when fire destroyed the wooden Ghost Train building, but he still felt the impact of the tragedy. Firemen battle the blaze at the Ghost Train ride on a tragic night in 1979. Luna Park’s Ghost Train building as it appeared in the 1940s. Inquests have since failed to determine a cause, ruling out an electrical fault and reports of arson and finding that, on that night, there was no attendant patrolling inside the building “in case of fire” as had been the practice. Mr Maloney grew up in Milsons Point, not far from Luna Park, and his grandfather drove the steam trains that dropped off passengers to catch ferries before the bridge was built. He remembers when huge queues waited to get into the park and the first 500 kids into the park got a bag of lollies and free tickets to four rides. “We used to go swimming in the morning and then to the park to spend Saturday afternoon and it was fantastic,” he said. The dance hall and bandstand from the 1940s at Sydney’s famous attraction. Sliding thrills at Luna Park in the 1950s. Luna Park Udrive and Coney Island kept them queueing in the 1960s. He was almost a “Luna Park baby”, following his parents Joan and Alan Maloney working on sideshows such as Hoopla and the Laughing Clowns from the age of 13. He started full-time as a fitter in 1961. Mr Maloney met his wife, Wendy, when she worked as secretary to Ted Hopkins, the showman who transported the original Luna Park rides from a failed amusement park in Glenelg in South Australia to the former bridge work yards. The couple’s three children worked at the park and there is even one site, Maloney’s Corner, named after Tony. The original face was painted by artist Rupert Brown around 1935. The park’s fifth face, designed by artist Arthur Barton, circa 1950. The face of Luna Park catches a ride during a 2001 re-fit. Children ride the Wild Mouse after the 2004 re-opening. NSW / Amusement Centre Lefties make about as much sense as a goose’s Mr Maloney knows all the tricks and secrets that make the rides a thrill but his “baby” is the Wild Mouse rollercoaster, which arrived the year before he did. For years he took it to pieces and rebuilt it at the Easter Show, when the show was held at Moore Park to the background of singing by three brothers better known as the Bee Gees. Mr Maloney has overseen all types of dismantling, such as this one in 2003. Picture: Scott Hornby Jordan Stenmark and Dancing With The Stars partner Jessica Prince went on Luna Park rides for Jordan to overcome dizziness. Katy Perry tries a Luna Park dodgem. Night-time magic at the timeless fun park. Mr Maloney loves hearing customers come back and reminisce. Picture: Justin Lloyd He even took the Wild Mouse up to Brisbane and on a train over the Nullarbor to Perth. Mr Maloney is unashamed about his love of the whimsical amusement park and even its old daggy rides such as the River Caves and Noah’s Ark. “I love seeing people coming back. They go on the slippery dips and swear the slides were much higher and longer when they were kids,” he said. Now required to get development approval for new rides, the park is lining up some Christmas specials including the Power Surge and the Wave Swinger, which have a perfect spot in Maloney’s Corner." What a great article on such a living treasure as Tony. His memories and experiences for the park are priceless and I am sure he could tell some great stories!! Characters like these are now found few and far between- its great to see LPS still utilise his experience and expertise in operations. What a great poster child for the older generation still working and contributing significantly to society. Here is another very interesting article that shows the worth of the amusement park to the local economy. Dating from late last year, it was published in the height of the DA application standoff with the state government that has since been resolved in the parks favour. Luna Park worth $683m to economy over five years NEW data has revealed the massive worth of Luna Park to Sydney’s economy as the iconic harbourside attraction faces as uncertain future. Independent research estimates Luna Park will contribute $120.6 million to the Harbour City’s economy this year and $683.4 million over the next five years. Sydney Business Chamber executive director Patricia Forsythe said the embattled park was more than just a place for fun rides and fairy floss. Sydney Business Chamber’s executive director Patricia Forsythe. “It also employs about 1000 people a year in a wide range of positions including in the amusement park, catering staff functions and events roles,” Ms Forsythe said. “It actually plays a big role around business events. From a business point of view, we’d be lost without the sort of space it has to host the large corporate events for thousands of delegates.” The latest data on the park’s economic impact follows a recent Land and Environment Court ruling which threatens the long-term viability of the attraction. Luna Park, a harbourside institution since 1935 which attracts a million thrillseekers each year, will now have to seek lengthy planning approvals for every new and moved ride and attraction as local residents gain a greater say in the process. Luna Park is a big money spinner for Sydney’s economy. Ms Forsythe this week reinforced the concerns of the park’s operators where it could get caught up in red tape. “Luna Park plays a really important role in the overall Sydney visitor economy,” he said. “It has been there, dare I say it, longer than almost any local resident. Too many people take it for granted. “It already conforms to standards that have been developed with the neighbourhood in mind (since it reopened in 2004). This was a way to respond to residents’ concerns. “The park is too important, and the NSW government has got to resolve this issue as soon as possible.”

I find it very odd how people behave. For many months there's rarely been any significant queue for any rides at Dreamworld, obviously because a lot of people chose not to visit the park. Now there's a night event, it's popular, so there's queues, and people complain! I just don't get it! (Yes, AlexB, I am aware that explains a lot to you).

The uniqueness of it is what makes it popular. It’s every second weekend it loses its appeal, especially during winter. It also can’t happen at the expense of day trade. Summer holidays, sure stay open until 10 every week, but many of us have been calling for late trade during summer at all the parks for years

It wasn’t really successful anyway. Check dreamworlds Facebook and people are complaining about how they only could fit in one ride and we’re told to leave after queuing because the rides had to be shut by 10 pm without being told prior.

Nearly every ride has a wait time between 30-60 minutes, great to see the park having queues like this again. And it’s great to see they are making use of the big white side of the SV building for projections and laser effects

This takes me back to the days when there was someone on here who was obsessed with the counterweight. Great find Jobe, thanks for sharing.

Shanghai is inherently more challenging to visit with it being main land China and all that goes with that including language. Just something to think about.

Great post but PLEASE NOBODY EVEN THINK ABOUT REPEATING THE ACTIONS OF THE GUY IN THE VIDEO. If there is any mention of such things we will have to remove this thread.

Short memory you have. First one last year was successful.

Is it safe to say they saw this idea mentioned on parkz? You are welcome Dreamworld.

OMG WOW! tonight was so packed 😮 new thought that Dreamworld should really consider. Every second Friday or Saturday open from 4pm > 11pm (still 7 hour day👍). It is really proven that all the GC parks fill to capacity now no matter what night event it is. Many U.S parks have caught onto the trend of closing during the day and operating at night.

Couple of quick updates- today marks 15 years that Luna Park Sydney reopened in 2004 after having Big Dipper removed and a very doubtful future. 15 years is a great achievement and has gone very quickly. Now we are in 2019 and we have seen the start of a ride reinvestment program that should see the park grow and update to be bigger and better than ever! With the success of Volare, we are all excited to see what the next 5 years brings for LPS. Its great to see a historical amusement park like LPS not only survive but now begin to thrive! From all of us here at Parkz, we all share in the celebration of this achievement and hope for continued success for the park! The next update is a little older in scope but it has not been mentioned before on the boards. Belated congratulations to LPS for winning an award at the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia for Best New Initiative Large Scale Venue. This award celebrates the hard work and excellence that LPS brings to their functions and venues and it remains a highly sought after venue location. It also highlights the importance that the Big Top, Crystal Palace and Lavender Green outdoor event space is to the overall continuing successful operations at Luna Park Sydney. Its this successful reinvention to a historical amusement park and mixed multi purpose function/venue centre that has been integral to LPS firstly weathering the storm of resident and noise disputes and now thriving over the last 15 years!! Great job!

Yeah you are, it was a fantastic ride. Yes it wasn’t doing as well in its final years, but when it was running at full capacity and it did all its tricks and flips... amazing. I unfortunately didn’t first ride it until around 2014, soon after it’s major refurbishment but I would’ve loved to have ridden it in its early years. Such a shame to see it ago, but in reality it would’ve cost millions more to rebuild it from scratch it get it properly running at normal again

Okay, noted. I got caught up in the emotion of this thread and I apologise if I've come across as rash and rude. @Richard I highly respect the work you do for the Australian theme park community and I'm disappointed in myself for letting emotions get the better of me instead of furthering the discussion that you've striven to create. I was frustrated at the stance many people take towards Dreamworld. It's entirely justified and fair that people have this stance because they genuinely haven't shown any interest in improving their property outside empty promises. However, I have a personal attachment towards that park and you could say it makes me bias. It's not my responsibility to help people think of Dreamworld in a different light and I'll leave that to their PR team. Even though this community can sometimes seem like the front lines of a war zone, I know that there are genuine individuals willing to further add to the discussion and excel the conversation. If there are any stances or points that you don't agree with that I haven't provided a sufficient response to just let me know and I'll clear it up. I realise that this thread will probably show me in a certain light. I won't take back what I've said, but I will learn from it.