DaptoFunlandGuy

Just in case we didn't read that the last 40 times you posted it.

I don't take that conclusion from what you posted.

Could we see removal of the castle for something more functional? Perhaps a reworking of the troughs that were reworked to fit Storm Coaster?

I'm not 100% here, but i think theres a decent gap between the belt and the mesh panelling.

You're basing this on the fact that you think you saw a full length adult body on the conveyor? #fail Nearmap suggests the slats are about 75cm apart. Given that the raft is about 2.5m across, this would make sense, as you would need at least 3 slats under the base for it to be stable in normal conditions. If the spacing were as wide as you suggest, there would be the potential that the raft would come up on a single slat, potentially tipping the raft either forwards or backwards. To answer your other question, I believe there is a grating underneath the conveyor, and below that is the conveyor return. As you can see from the picture above, the water trough only starts about three metres before the conveyor ends - but if you fall through, and are conscious, you would land on the grating. I don't believe there is much clearance between that and the conveyor though.

I wouldn't be so sure. The last thing you would want to do is cast dispersions towards what has been your flagship for 12 years. You don't want people regarding it as the poor cousin to the new kid on the block. Superman has earned its reputation as best in it's category by many, and many would also say best in the country. I wouldn't want to leverage marketing off that sort of reputation - it can flop in so many ways.

That's not how I read it. I read it is - once Craig has a plan developed, they can reopen.... not once they have executed that plan. Developing that plan won't take very long.

I'm quite surprised nobody has pulled you up on this yet. They do not share reservoir infrastructure.

I think the 'big expansion plans' were always intended, but the proximity of the local residents prevents sprawl in the logical directions - which is why we're seeing the park expand forwards, reclaiming carpark and nature strips instead.

Snowy River Rampage was originally designed with an unload point before the conveyor. The problem with an unload point below the conveyor is that when the pumps shut down, the water level rises above the level of the unload platform, and what sits underwater for 12+ hours each night ends up getting incredibly slick and slimy. Yes you can go on and on about rubber matting or metal grating or whatever but it becomes very industrial and cold - and even then - still doesn't guarantee a slip-free environment. Wonderland resorted to top station unloading almost immediately after opening... and that was the 80s. You'd never get that sort of system built these days - too much risk. I also don't think a 'solid' conveyor (rubber belting) as I think constant dunking in the water would be too slick for the flat bottom rafts. Take a look at this type of ride all around the world - and notice that every single one of them uses wooden slats. Of course - the others use MORE slats - but I think this is literally the only necessary change to the physical construction of the conveyor that is required. There is plenty of other modifications required even before we get the results of the investigation, but thats the only mod i'd make to the conveyor and unload system. The rest would be computer controls \ redundancies

Thanks to everyone who has shared, donated or both. The original $20k target has been smashed and it currently sits around $49k with a new target now $100k http://www.smh.com.au/national/community-raises-thousands-for-canberra-family-affected-by-dreamworld-tragedy-20161028-gsct8b.html

the difference being vital infrastructure that, up until the incident - had no issues - can continue to be used unless immediate, or subsequent adverse findings reveal faults. You can't just shut down a road 'in case' it was the cause, unless you have good indications it was. A pleasure activity - something people don't NEED - doesn't need to open until it has been cleared, especially where there is any doubt as to the activity safety... for the same reason Rocky Hollow was shut down because some dildo can't remain seated.... Simply, it's NEED vs. WANT.

I wonder if Tommy Boy would still be saying the same thing if one of the families said that they'd never be ready and demand the whole place shut for good. Ridiculous statement. The park should open as quickly as they can, whilst having regard to the ongoing investigation, the sensitivities of the situation and any legal and compliance obligations. Hundreds of staff out of work, thousands of ticket holding guests... as we've heard, it was recommended that 'getting back to business as usual' was the best thing that they could do. it is the same for anyone involved in a critical incident - acknowledge the event, but get back to normal routine as soon as possible. The longer that takes, the more everyone has to dwell, and the greater the impact the event has. As a former sufferer of critical incident stress i've seen what dwelling, and lack of regular routine can do to your mind. it isn't pleasant, so I understand perfectly why the consultants have recommended a quick reopening.

News.com.au has a free version of the same article on their main page. likewise the paywalled courier mail article about the dreamworld contractor making jokes about the incident can also be found on news.com.au for free.

Yep - old news and definitely not a reaction to the incident, but one wonders whether they could have considered postponing the AGM until the dust had settled. ANYTHING they did, whether it was on the agenda prior to the incident or not would always be regarded by those watching as being reactionary, and it does make it look like they were trying to distance themselves, even though we know already that the change was planned long before this week.

It won't. As mentioned by someone else, I didn't take that from reading the article. A lot of parents who have GC trips planned for the summer will have had these same thoughts. Many would be considering changing their plans. This article reinforces that the parks all take safety very seriously, and also quotes a few statistics - Halfway through reading it I was already thinking "the plane flight to get there is more dangerous than the rides" and then she said it in the article... and it's true. Parents will be reading these blogs. My wife does. And if this gives them a little more faith that everything is as safe as it can be, convinces them to keep their travel plans unchanged, it will help the entire tourism industry on the gold coast rebound from what will be a serious impact to them. There is a lot of information out there and a lot of it may or may not be true. If the details about the pump failing are correct, and the water level had dropped enough for the raft in front to 'bottom out' on the guide rails, then rotating platform or not, this potentially could still have happened. As @djrappa mentioned, an E-stop engages all safety systems and stops all mechanical components immediately. However - for a ride of this type, although the conveyor would stop immediately, after the pumps stop it would take probably 10-20 seconds for the water level to drop in the station area, and up to a minute for it to drain out the entire ride. From all I have read \ understood so far, the flip took only a moment. nothing would have seemed out of place until the raft hit the one in front, and the conveyor would have only needed 3-5 seconds to flip the raft, depending on a number of factors which I don't think we need to detail. An operator's reaction time depends on a number of things, but even if they need to see it happen on a monitor, recognise a problem, look at the control panel, identify the E-stop and punch it, thats a couple seconds. Obviously it's very different, but I did driver training for the work I did during G20. We tested braking reactions and our minimum response time was around 1.2 seconds... and this is when we were told beforehand to expect an emergency brake situation. I'm quite familiar with the Wonderland version. Wonderland's version crested the upper wall, and then dipped downwards significantly. The run off from the conveyor (as you can see in the video) is a mesh grating that mirrors the same angle. I believe TRRs conveyor runs virtually flat at the top, once it crests the upper wall it continues to travel for a few metres, before dropping the raft off the edge. There is a change in angle at that point, so it differs to the Wonderland conveyor in that the guide rails underwater on TRR do not sit at the same level or angle. And as rightly pointed out - the slats are continuous, not gapped as the TRR version is.

I think, if they make the decision that it should not reopen, it would open the door for development of gold rush country. One of the reasons previously cited for not demolishing Eureka was that it was over the ride envelope of an active ride (thunder river) - so if TRR is not to reopen, they could easily shutdown all of GRC (with a small path leading to Buzzsaw) and completely redevelop it. I still say that this sort of talk is premature, but if it be the case... thats my thoughts.

I said I personally find them to be a waste, but am not saying anyone has wasted their money, and indeed i also said i would have done it anyway, had i been able to get to the park. I didn't create the fundraiser. My friend's mother did. She is associated with the Dorsetts, which is 3 out of the 4 victims. I have no further comment to add.

I frequent a series of websites known as 'not always'... I came across this gem this morning. I'm sure we can guess where it is: https://notalwaysfriendly.com/

I must say I find flowers a touching sentiment, but overall a waste. I look at the situation we had after the Lindt cafe siege, where half of martin place was covered in them - even if you say each bouquet was $15 - that was THOUSANDS of dollars spent on something that is swept into the garbage in a week, and the only one benefiting from it really is the florists. Please don't misunderstand me - if you want to, or have placed flowers at Dreamworld, i'm not saying that you wasted your money, or that you shouldn't have done it. I myself would have done so if I were able to get down to the park. The community outpouring we have seen is something that has stood the families in good stead through these times. I know that those touched by this directly have seen both the physical tributes as well as the messages on line, and they appreciate them very much. If you want your message to last longer than a week before it makes it into the bin, please see the fundraiser thread. You can even write your thoughts and messages on the fundraiser page when you make a donation.

Hi All, First of all - I have cleared this with @Richard and at this stage he has approved this to be posted. I didn't know the Dorsett family personally, but I am good friends with the Brookfield family, having known one of their sons for 16 years. Sandra Brookfield is a lifelong friend of Kim Dorsett. They went to school together. Luke and Katie grew up in Penrith - where the Brookfields (and I used to) live. I give this background as an assurance to everyone reading this that this isn't a publicity stunt. Nobody here is looking for exposure or kudos, and their intentions and thoughts are all about the care and support of the families involved. Funds are banked to a new trust account set up for the family and approved by Kim Dorsett. If you do not feel comfortable making a payment through the mycause site, and you would like to make a deposit directly into the trust account, please PM me for details. Whilst I acknowledge that ultimately Ardent Leisure will contribute towards financial matters for the family, these are things that take time, mainly for legal reasons. In the meantime the family have immediate matters to deal with, and that is what this fundraiser is about. If you wish to make a donation - the link is below. If you wish to leave a message of support to the Brookfields and the Dorsetts, I can assure you that everything in this thread will be passed onto the family. If you disagree with this cause - don't comment, and just scroll on by. https://www.mycause.com.au/page/140360/dreamworld-australia-tragedy-memorial-fund

I quote

The problem there is that there is a fall risk to the front of the train. Where there is a risk of fall from height they need travel restraint or fall arrest, or a railing. I have seen it done with single op operation as described above.