Eureka Mountain Mine Ride
Encyclopedia
Eureka Mountain Mine Ride is a steel
Wild Mouse
roller coaster
that is currently standing but not operating
at Dreamworld
on the Gold Coast
, Australia
.
as part of Dreamworld new land, Gold Rush Country.
On 7 November 2006, the Eureka Mountain Mine Ride closed for maintenance. At the time Dreamworld stated that the ride would be closed temporarily to ensure the safety of all guests. In 2010, Dreamworld stated that the closure of the ride "basically came down to new ride technology, upgraded safety regulations and responding to what the public wanted. Like the old Thunderbolt Rollercoaster, the mine ride served us well for 25 years and was “retired...” to make way for newer computerised attractions like The Claw, The Motorcoaster and AVPX. In Summary - rides have a life span - like a car - it comes to a time when you need to spend a lot of $$ to fix it up so when it is no longer a very popular attraction sometimes it is better to invest in something newer...... ". The ride itself remains standing to this day with the queue and entrance transformed to house a couple of carnival-style games.
-based company, HyFab. The ride was a Wild Mouse roller coaster enclosed
in Eureka Mountain. The ride would begin with guests entering the Eureka Mountain Mine and boarding on of several 4-seater cars. After being pulled up a chain lift hill, guests would be confronted by an animatronic miner who would light a stick of dynamite. After it explodes, the car would take guests through a variety of sharp, hairpin turns and fast, steep drops.
Eureka Mountain Mine Ride originally featured dual stations which allowed two cars to load and unload at the same time. In 2002, the practice of using these two stations was discontinued. In 2004, the ride system was upgraded.
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
Wild Mouse
Wild Mouse roller coaster
A Wild Mouse roller coaster is a type of roller coaster characterized by small cars that seat four people or fewer and ride on top of the track, taking tight, flat turns at modest speeds, yet producing high lateral G-forces...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
that is currently standing but not operating
Standing But Not Operating
Standing but not operating is a term used for an amusement park, amusement ride or roller coaster, which means it is standing, but it is not operated for various reasons. Reasons might include irreparable damage or simply a lack of funding to operate the amusement park or ride...
at Dreamworld
Dreamworld
Dreamworld is a large theme park situated on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is currently Australia's largest theme park with over 27 rides including 4 roller coasters. The park is made up of several themed lands: Ocean Parade, Kid's World, Wiggles World, Gold Rush Country, Rocky Hollow, Tiger...
on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
The Eureka Mountain Mine Ride opened on 11 December 1986 alongside the Thunder River Rapids RideThunder River Rapids Ride
The Thunder River Rapids Ride is a river rapid water ride located in the Town of Gold Rush section of Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, Australia.-History:...
as part of Dreamworld new land, Gold Rush Country.
On 7 November 2006, the Eureka Mountain Mine Ride closed for maintenance. At the time Dreamworld stated that the ride would be closed temporarily to ensure the safety of all guests. In 2010, Dreamworld stated that the closure of the ride "basically came down to new ride technology, upgraded safety regulations and responding to what the public wanted. Like the old Thunderbolt Rollercoaster, the mine ride served us well for 25 years and was “retired...” to make way for newer computerised attractions like The Claw, The Motorcoaster and AVPX. In Summary - rides have a life span - like a car - it comes to a time when you need to spend a lot of $$ to fix it up so when it is no longer a very popular attraction sometimes it is better to invest in something newer...... ". The ride itself remains standing to this day with the queue and entrance transformed to house a couple of carnival-style games.
Ride
Eureka Mountain Mine Ride was manufactured by BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
-based company, HyFab. The ride was a Wild Mouse roller coaster enclosed
Enclosed roller coaster
An enclosed roller coaster is a roller coaster built inside a structure intended solely for the ride. This structure often imparts a theme or houses special effects...
in Eureka Mountain. The ride would begin with guests entering the Eureka Mountain Mine and boarding on of several 4-seater cars. After being pulled up a chain lift hill, guests would be confronted by an animatronic miner who would light a stick of dynamite. After it explodes, the car would take guests through a variety of sharp, hairpin turns and fast, steep drops.
Eureka Mountain Mine Ride originally featured dual stations which allowed two cars to load and unload at the same time. In 2002, the practice of using these two stations was discontinued. In 2004, the ride system was upgraded.
External links
- Bring Back the Mine Ride Facebook group