Terror’s Ark Fairground Ride
Built by Santiago Plicio in October 2011
Sharing much DNA from another of my Meccano models, this new re-working might be considered the darker side of the Disc-Comforter, its evil twin. But where the Disc-Comforter’s aim was just to unsettle its passengers, this new design’s intent is solely on terrifying.
Terror’s Ark shares much with its mechanical sibling including most of the original base, framework, tower and heavy duty axle. Many modifications have been made though to the structure that may not seem immediately obvious and these include reducing the back and sides to making the base more compact. Changes were also made to the supporting legs and to the wheels at the base of the model, resulting in a more streamlined refined structure.
The top of the tower now also differs, having been dismantled, redesigned and constructed to achieve better use of the lighting it houses and a wider more satisfactory illumination of the model has been achieved.
The ticket kiosk sits further back on the narrower base and lower queuing platform, accessed by centrally placed steps. Some further adjustments are sure to follow as I seek to finalise the model’s appearance.
I have kept the rotating wheel part of the Disc-Comforter model which can be added to this model as an interchangeable ride experience with virtually no adjustment other than slipping on and securing onto the axle.
But what really sets the Terror’s Ark apart from its brother model is the completely different passenger vehicle and the nature of the passenger experience it offers. Where one model’s heavy duty axle drives the separate carriages of a contemporary Ferris Wheel descendant, this model’s axle sports an ark-like vessel mounted on one end of a long arm over 4’ in length. The arm is counter balanced at the opposite end, ensuring a very smooth and steady rotational movement of the arm and helping to ensure a precise operating speed. The ark’s traditional appearance is in stark contrast to the connecting arm structure that was designed to resemble the shape of Concorde and give the ride a more dynamic look.
In this Ark passengers are boarded and strapped to their seats to experience their terrifying thrills together. The Ark boasts seven rows of seats whose safety bars imprison their riders tightly whilst hurling the captive screamers through 360° rotations, experiencing the unnatural sensation of weight shifts in the body as well as the ordeal of being turned upside down at speed and huge heights.
‘Terror’s Ark’, a ride to the brink of oblivion!