Dreamworld's New Look Train

[Brad2912]

2 hours ago, jjuttp said:

Is that supposed to be the story line given?

First I’ve heard of it but sounds coherent with the haphazard and confusing theming all over the park 

[aussienetman]

Haha I don't know for sure and always assumed... but I did some googling and found this logo on wikipedia so maybe I'm right 🤔😂. 

 

[Slick]

On 4/7/2022 at 8:59 AM, aussienetman said:

Did you know that Gotham Town Hall at Movieworld isn't the real place? Also, I know it looks super realistic, but dolphin cove at Seaworld is actually man made? Ohhh and don't forget the giant drop at Dreamworld - you are not actually a drop of oil. 

 

Discussions about something 'fake' in a themepark make me yawn. Find something else to whinge about. 

The success of Disneyland (and by extension, Dreamworld's initial years of success) was because immersion was taken seriously when no one else cared (and to a deep extent was actually contemptuous of the guest experience e.g. "they're in a theme park, it's all fake, who cares."). Those who have watched The Imagineering Story on Disney+ will be super familiar with the four levels of details that unlock that difference - here's it paraphrased from this blog:

Quote

1. When you approach a town, and you can see the tallest buildings rising above the trees. 
2. When you are in the town, and you see the different buildings, what color they are, how big they are next to each other, how wide the street is, what the town smells like. 
3. When you walk up to a building, and you can see the paint chipping, the detail in the door, what’s in the windows. 
4. When you grab the door knocker, and you feel the temperature of the knocker, what it’s made of, how it’s been worn down from being used.

With that in mind, folks care about the difference between steam and not steam because it removes a pretty critical component of the magic of that attraction that contributes to the greater atmosphere and immersion of the park. Sure, switching from steam to diesel in isolation is one small cut (and Disney did this in Hong Kong) but combined with dozens of other cuts in aggregate (Sky Voyager's facade, replacing Main St Emporium's doors with automatic sliding doors, flattening the Ice Cream Parlour's facade etc. etc. etc.) results in the "feel of the place" to change in a quantifiable way.

With all that said, Dreamworld is a totally different place to what it was in the 80's, and as you pointed out, the train's going to fly past a bunch of gravel, a black tin shed, and some yellow track. Having a steam train back is one of many layers they'd need to consider in restoring Dreamworld to a previously high level of immersion and detail.

[joz]

Tractor ride is better than no tractor ride by some margin. I think a lot of the moves the park are making are the right ones, so I'm not coming at it from a 'DW sux!!!' perspective, but steam train is better than combustion engine train. Same how practical effects are better than cgi in a movie.

[Slick]

52 minutes ago, joz said:

Tractor ride is better than no tractor ride by some margin. I think a lot of the moves the park are making are the right ones, so I'm not coming at it from a 'DW sux!!!' perspective, but steam train is better than combustion engine train. Same how practical effects are better than cgi in a movie.

100% - I'd take the way that it is now over more shaded seating areas. And their effort shouldn't be discounted either - the stations are looking the best they've been in several decades. The new carriages are great and the fact that both carriages and stations are proactively disability friendly is the kind of thing that makes Dreamworld Dreamworld.

The chagrin comes from the perspective that for most of Dreamworld's history, that level four detail (steam engines) was a noticeable part of the Dreamworld experience. That detail (the steam train) now sits out of the front of the main station, practically taunting guests about a unique feature that's no longer part of the ticket price.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

1 hour ago, Slick said:

The chagrin comes from the perspective that for most of Dreamworld's history, that level four detail (steam engines) was a noticeable part of the Dreamworld experience. That detail (the steam train) now sits out of the front of the main station, practically taunting guests about a unique feature that's no longer part of the ticket price.

Earlier this year, the Baldwin was parked out front of Main Street Station with signage that it was undergoing refurbishment and would return. Is that signage still there? could this be why the spur track on the other side of the crossing was built? so one loco could park while the other operated, etc?

Are we completely writing off any attempt at a steam locomotive (and has the park done so too) ?

[Slick]

I took a photo of the sign, will have to find it - not sure if it was that specific about its return, but I do hope it makes a return. Ideally if the steam train made a return and ran during peak periods and weekends and they used the diesel to augment operations (and the costs) for off-peak that’d be a bloody brilliant outcome. 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

It took me a minute to find, but this was what was posted back in December - is this still the same?

  

On 15/12/2021 at 10:56 AM, New display name said:

'restore it to its former glory' doesn't imply it will run, but I think thats the assumption many of us made. Former Glory is bullshit if its only cosmetic. 

[Proshall Mutta]

You guys should work for a PR firm, then maybe we'll finally get honest communications!

"The Dreamworld Train will be back, but worse than ever!"

[jjuttp]

1 hour ago, Proshall Mutta said:

You guys should work for a PR firm, then maybe we'll finally get honest communications!

"The Dreamworld Train will be back, but worse than ever!"

Nah, they would get fired for being honest.

[RobMac]

The reason why DW will highly likely never have a genuine steam engine again, is because people "ticketed" to drive steam engines are nearly extinct. A handful in railway historical socities and that's about it.

[red dragin]

You can always train people, and no doubt there are current heritage volunteers that would do the same thing for a wage.

It's all the expense of certifying and maintaining a pressure vessel operating at 150psi/1000kpa+, containing water at around 180 degrees. Look up boiler explosions for what it looks like when it goes wrong. QR currently don't operate any services (but are keeping staff qualifications current). 

Then, because of those requirements, you need a skilled and qualified person. You need at least two to cover leave and illness. 

Train crew typically earn $100k-$150k in Australia.

Or alternatively to all those costs you can train someone to operate an amusement ride and have a diesel mechanic. 

[Proshall Mutta]

At the very least, it's nice to have it back again.

[Whombex]

On 06/07/2022 at 7:21 AM, aussienetman said:

Haha I don't know for sure and always assumed... but I did some googling and found this logo on wikipedia so maybe I'm right 🤔😂. 

 

Yeahnah.

 

The room before the ride station was originally themed as an oil rig control room that was experiencing a catastrophic emergency. The story was you had to evacuate on the gondola. 
Not sure if the freefall part was the "failure of the evacuation system", or the "escape to safety".

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

On 10/07/2022 at 7:18 AM, red dragin said:

You can always train people, and no doubt there are current heritage volunteers that would do the same thing for a wage.

It's all the expense of certifying and maintaining a pressure vessel operating at 150psi/1000kpa+, containing water at around 180 degrees. Look up boiler explosions for what it looks like when it goes wrong. QR currently don't operate any services (but are keeping staff qualifications current). 

Then, because of those requirements, you need a skilled and qualified person. You need at least two to cover leave and illness. 

Train crew typically earn $100k-$150k in Australia.

Or alternatively to all those costs you can train someone to operate an amusement ride and have a diesel mechanic. 

Yep. For all these reasons, the Baldwin has probably done it's last run. I took a ride on the weekend on the new carriages and while not as 'roomy' as the old ones used to be, they were nicely appointed, if somewhat smelling of diesel fumes... lol.

The new cameras and other safety equipment were nice, but the operations were disappointing. Despite not running to a timetable, the train spends approximately 5 minutes at each station, and it takes approximately five minutes to move between stations, leaving you with a 20 minute cycle time.

The driver (who appeared to be the only person working the attraction when I rode) does their level best to ensure that as many people fit on the ride as possible - however I feel this is taken to such a degree that the 2 extra laps of the station they do to count empty seats and then seek groups of that size to fill them might be better spent getting the train moving. 

The train is screaming for a station crew - even just one per station - to assist with doors, gates, admitting passengers etc. Central also needs a better set up for the queue as we joined the end of the queue near where the tractor stops, and people were cutting the queue because the entry to the queue was the middle of the stationhouse.

It is great kinetic energy for the middle of the park. It needs a whistle (rather than a bell) for some atmosphere, and with the TOT tunnel gone, the journey around back is far more scenic. If I were given the choice of tractor or no train at all, i'd prefer tractor, and I appreciate their commitment to do something with it (as the Baldwin doesn't look like it'd be an easy thing to get back into operating condition!)

[Slick]

Do folks remember the first time they saw or went on a steam train? And if so, why was it memorable?

[jjuttp]

32 minutes ago, Slick said:

Do folks remember the first time they saw or went on a steam train? And if so, why was it memorable?

I do. Timbertown- the engine is built like a brick shithouse and ran along what i could only describe as a Z gauge track. From a more recent visit, i also recall it being very loud and the smell.

[red dragin]

I was about 4-5, behind the QR Brown Bomber C17 Brisbane to Nambour and back. Found the tickets recently. 

And I've since driven one on a driver for a day experience, which inspired me to get a job in the railways.

Just this big, complicated and simple at the same time machine, that has its own character. The closest I can relate it to is sailing, it kinda just moves along. 

[themagician]

I visited the park today and they were announcing about minding your head before boarding. I also felt the load/unload was very organised considering the train was full nearly every time it departed Central Station. The park have done a great job with the refurbishments, and while not every view along the track is good, where some of the more back of house areas need work, it’s proving to be very popular and worth the investment.

[Tricoart]

17 minutes ago, themagician said:

I visited the park today and they were announcing about minding your head before boarding. I also felt the load/unload was very organised considering the train was full nearly every time it departed Central Station. The park have done a great job with the refurbishments, and while not every view along the track is good, where some of the more back of house areas need work, it’s proving to be very popular and worth the investment.

I think the main area that needs a touch up is right as you leave, between Steel Taipan and Motocoaster. Even if they just add some planters or something there to distract from it just being gravel and dirt'd spice both the train and the walkway to Giant Drop up considerably, plus the perfect time to do so would be now while GD's being renovated and it's the 'off-season', so hopefully they end up doing something there too. Far as the announcement goes, unless if someone hit their head when you went on it, then it must be the case that it's a prevalent enough issue to warrant them retroactively adding it over the PA system (though it seems that's a touchy subject so I won't say more).

Edited July 23, 2022 by Tricoart

[deano554]

2 hours ago, themagician said:

some of the more back of house areas need work, 

Returning to central station, the diesel tank looks SO out of place. 

[themagician]

4 hours ago, Tricoart said:

Far as the announcement goes, unless if someone hit their head when you went on it, then it must be the case that it's a prevalent enough issue to warrant them retroactively adding it over the PA system (though it seems that's a touchy subject so I won't say more).

It has been added to the PA system automated announcements made.

And in regards to tiding up the area leading to and around the Giant Drop, there are plans to once it’s refurbishment is completed. 

[Tricoart]

1 hour ago, themagician said:

And in regards to tiding up the area leading to and around the Giant Drop, there are plans to once it’s refurbishment is completed. 

That's great then, I'll be interested to see what they do with the area, cause that was the only part I felt was lacking.

1 hour ago, themagician said:

It has been added to the PA system automated announcements made.

So it'd have to be somewhat common of an issue, at least enough for them to retroactively add a warning. I wonder if the PA is their permanent solution, or if it's so common that they'll look into other ways as well.

Edited July 23, 2022 by Tricoart

[Whombex]

On 22/07/2022 at 10:05 PM, Slick said:

Do folks remember the first time they saw or went on a steam train? And if so, why was it memorable?

If the Big Pineapple's train in the 80s was steam, it was that.

Otherwise, it was Sea World's. If THAT wasn't steam in the 80's, it was DW's.

I remember going across the bridge near Corkscrew at SW on a train, but this was when I was a primary-schooler.

[red dragin]

1 hour ago, Whombex said:

If the Big Pineapple's train in the 80s was steam, it was that

These were both steam outline, petrol/diesel powered. There was an ex cane loco stored in the workshop area that the ride went through after the main station. 

Not sure about Sea Worlds. 

I never rode behind the Perry or Baldwin. Hopefully get the chance to fire the Perry one day.