The Beserker Fairground Ride

There always seems to be so little time available to build each new model from scratch, so it’s not surprising how often as I start dismantling any one model, that I decide to take advantage of a head start and think about converting it into a new one.

In this instance my Mind Blaster fairground model slowly gave way with only the eight long arms that supported the carriages being the most significant part which survived from the original rotating structure.

Four of those arms were attached to four flanged rings and secured strongly in several places. Between them I built a supporting unit in which four new large carriages would sit and rotate while the new model is moving.

The carriages were built using four circular plates (part no. 146) and boast seats and back supports for between three and six riders. They were placed with four long threaded pins, so they rotate while in movement.

These passenger units needed to be strongly supported by using a long axle across from the inner hub to stop the carriages from wobbling and firmly secure them to the base.

Been in a tilting position, the carriages with their own weight distribution will keep rotating to create an exciting, if head spinning, sensation for its riders.

In the remaining four arms I decided to fix four seats for more passengers, but these don’t move or rotate.

The front arc and entrance were totally dismantled to give way to the building of a large bridge which was supported by two towers. Extra steps and side barriers were added.

As a last-minute whim, I decided to add a separate idea that I had had about a small model with four dancing men which I was also simultaneously building at the time, and infused them both into one model. The finished result is four rather frantic dancing men on top of the bridge of the fairground attraction as a kind of extra kick of mad energy for the front of the ride and these were geared with bevel gears and attached to a separate motor.

I also used the light unit from the previous model but redesigned and with extra support.

The new rotating unit is quite heavy and slides into the central axle from its main motor. I did have to reinforce its supports but I had the idea of changing this axle for a heavy duty one so it would be even more secure and would correct any unwanted wobbly movements. However this would have been a really tricky operation requiring a lot of dismantling to do, so in the end I took the risk of not doing the extra work and will have to see how long can it cope.

In the short term I have tested the model and it runs to my satisfaction and so I hope to keep it without any real need for further modifications, but we will have to watch this space...

The rear of the base has been also redesigned, removing some heavy parts to reduce weight and main motor attachment, and part of the steps were already built and salvaged from the Mind Blaster model, but everything else was put together and fine dancing tuned in just four frantic days, fully tested, and meeting and surpassing all the necessary regulations — well for the meantime anyway.

The Beserker — The fairground’s answer to what’s driving you mad!