The Pull-Down mk III: Skid Bits

I couldn't leave this topic without a quick look at The Skid that was pulled-down to be moved into the corner vacated by the Rodeo Switchback at Dingles. This marvellous machine, built in 1937 by Lakins of Streatham, has seen  number of changes over the years, with new rounding boards, trellis and flights all featuring wonderful artwork by Hall and Fowle. I missed most of the pull-down but there was still the centre of the Skid to be dissembled on the Sunday of Operation Rodeo Switchback weekend. This made for a good comparison with Jimmy's trailer-mounted Skid centre.

The skid centre is shown here with the paybox removed. There are fourteen sections, each with a pair of wheels to support the cog; one vertical wheel that supports the cog from below and one horizontal wheel that runs on the inner surface of the cog. The raised platform section covers the drive mechanism, and the huge, red motor can just be seen to the right, with the top of the pulley wheel that is driven directly by the motor poking up behind the raised platform section. The curved green structure to the left of the raised platform is normally fitted over the top of the pulley so that all moving parts are covered.

From another angle, the control system can be seen. The motor and main pulley wheel are on the right, while the red box with the perspex front is the bit that the ride operator uses to control the ride.

Control system - left; drive mechanism - right

The red handle is attached to the knife - when the handle is pushed inwards, the knife engages with the contacts, the ride is powered up and the motor gets to work. The wheel to the right of the knife is used to adjust the regulator. This is basically a large-scale rheostat with ten settings, each setting delivering more power to the motor. The ride is always started with the regulator set to "one" as the power drawn from the generators by this ride is quite something! Top speed for us is setting five, although if the ride is full, then a bit more power may be needed. The pole in the middle supports the roof structure, of course, but the green panel with the ammeter and various knife switches is just for decoration these days.

Now at this stage of the pull-down, Jimmy's skid has the motor, drive mechanism and control mechanism all arranged so that they stay in place. The sides of the centre platform fold upwards and the framework for the cog's support wheels folds underneath to create a towable trailer. The Skid at Dingles has to be completely taken apart. You can certainly see why Jimmy took the time to trailer-mount his ride - the control box is a heavy piece of kit, and the drive motor and mechanism are immense! Time to get the tractor back...

There are three attachment rings on the motor/mechanism sections of the centre frame, and a purpose-built set of chains to lift the machinery up while keeping it more or less horizontal. In this case, all we had to do was move the structure into the corner where the Skid was due to be rebuilt. That was hard enough - I tried to imagine this as being the last stage of the pull-down at night, in the pouring rain on a grass surface. Good call, Jimmy! The rest of the centre framework was then removed, and all we were left with was the bobbin. This is the centrepiece of the Skid from which the whole ride is built. You'll note the piece of carpet on which the bobbin rests.

All the supports that are in contact with the floor are resting on pieces of carpet in a bid to reduce the noise levels that The Skid generates - especially important seeing as the ride is in an enclosed space. With the ride now operating in the corner of the building instead of the middle, the noise intrusion is now a little less than it was before, but with steel wheels clattering around the steel plates, this is always going to be a noisy blighter of a ride, and we wouldn't have it any other way...