October 22, 20159 yr comment_221770 While it might be open again apparently it's still having trouble parking and zeroing Just get a new one thorpe.. cmon...
October 22, 20159 yr comment_221771 Was indeed open today from 11. But watching it bounce and slowly turn for 90 seconds when it needed to park was painful to watch.
October 24, 20159 yr comment_221917 Can't they just go back to random parking not each pod into the right positions.
October 24, 20159 yr comment_221943 The pods find zero pretty quickly, it's the main arm Which struggles.
December 8, 20159 yr comment_224436 This photo has been uploaded to Ride Rater's Facebook page: It shows a Topscan up for sale which is definitely Samurai in the picture - could this mean that Thorpe have put it up for sale or just that a picture of Samurai is being used for another Topscan?
December 8, 20159 yr comment_224438 I'm pretty sure that comes up every single year? It'll just be a stock image that they use.
December 8, 20159 yr comment_224443 Yeah, as Ryan says, this happens quite often, at all different times, on all the forums: http://forum.maniahub.com/topic/3156-samurai/?p=141946 http://www.coasterforce.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=33243 http://forum.towerstimes.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=115&t=36548&p=635207 it's just the stock image that the 'Ride Traders' site uses.
December 8, 20159 yr comment_224447 Ah, I knew the one from LWV was up for sale but didn't know it was that one - a shame as Whirlwind is the perfect example of how a Topscan should be run.
December 8, 20159 yr comment_224452 ...and selling it before it's knackered is a continuation of a perfect way to run one. Wise move.
March 30, 20169 yr comment_230812 Went past this thing today and it looks completely lifeless. The reason I'm posting is towards the end of the day an engineer (or someone of the sorts) came over to the ride and started taking all the signs down. They took down the electronic queue board and also took down the signs stating safety information, height restrictions and opening times of the ride etc. In exchange for removing these signs they replaced them by attaching a sign to the fence saying "Samurai will be returning for the summer of 2016" indicating it will be closed for another few months. Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk
March 30, 20169 yr comment_230814 Was told today that Samurai is functioning but Merlin have not given permission for the park to run the ride. No idea why...
March 30, 20169 yr comment_230815 Wasnt this down for over half of last season, maybe more? When it was fixed it lasted a few weeks before dying again. It was also stripped down completely at one point and again lasted a few days before dying again. Seriously think they need to give up on this particular top scan and think they should either replace it with a new model or a completely new ride.
March 30, 20169 yr comment_230820 If the Slammer scenario over the past few seasons has taught us anything, it's that Thorpe will do everything and anything to keep their rides working. I'd rather see them give up the ghost with this and just cut their losses, but if Slammer ends up having a good season this year and beyond, then maybe all the effort they put into this is worthwhile.
March 30, 20169 yr comment_230823 Samurai needs to be either be replaced or removed tbh. It seems to be unable to operate for a few weeks with out closing down and needing lots of maintenance. It still remains to be my favourite flat on park, even though I haven't ridden it in two years! Hopefully they can get it working for the summer and then for the rest of the season. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
March 30, 20169 yr comment_230825 I think Samurai is now at the stage where it just needs replacing or removed completely. It's probably the most unreliable ride on park currently having only worked for about 1/3 of 2015 and not doing much greater seasons before hand. It hasn't seen the year out for at least 4 years and in monthly rehabilitations seems to last days before suffering more large breakdowns. Somehow it makes even rides like Slammer & Colossus look reliable. Despite it's still apparent popularity (which gets 45-60 minute queues at times), Thorpe just need to put this poor ride of its misery as it shouldn't continue to endure pain and work ( which could be spend on better parkwide projects). If this was Chessington or Towers, the ride would've probably been ripped out at least 3 years ago.
March 30, 20169 yr comment_230826 I agree that they need to get rid of Samurai and replace it with another top scan as it is a popular ride but is clearly knackered and walking past a ride that a great deal of the time is unavailable is frustrating. There is only so much fixing of a ride they can realistically do before giving up on it and actually invest some goddam money into something new. I get that they have invested a lot in Slammer with it being the only remaining sky swat and its popularity but I would say that Samurai is more popular than Slammer with the general public. Slammer they can't replace with a new model but they could do with Samurai. Won't hold my breath for a summer reopening of it - would be nice if it did reopen but it may as well be SBNO considering the amount of time it's out of action
March 30, 20169 yr comment_230849 Right now Samurai feels like one of those patients you see on Casualty who is clearly dead but one of the doctors is refusing to stop resuscitation.
March 31, 20169 yr comment_230905 Proof in the pudding via Xplorer Central. Looks like Thorpe has another ornament until May/June. If this isn't a sign to replace/remove, what is?
March 31, 20169 yr comment_230909 I mean I understand circumstances were a little different with Zodiac but they proved with that ride that they can and will swap a like for like for reliability. Will they care about the theming? Clearly not because Zodiac is still looking distinctly plain. Can't imagine Samursi being much different should they buy in a newer model. Even worst if it were ex-fairground just leaving all the bulbs and colours the same. It'd be like Samurai took a trip to Pride... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
March 31, 20169 yr comment_230911 Ah the original Zodiac looked SO much better with the lost city theming! Am I right in thinking they got the current Zodiac from Drayton Manor (I may have dreamt it). Just wondering what they would class as "summer" - because if it's August that's a tad late and you can pretty much guarantee it'll be knackered in time for Fright Nights. Ugh that board is just depressing
March 31, 20169 yr comment_230913 Just get rid of the thing! It runs awfully anyway these days, haven't had it on a good setting for years.
April 1, 20169 yr comment_230968 kind of shows why I haven't ridden samurai since my first ever visit to the park in 2012, despite having been around 10-15 times since...
April 9, 20169 yr comment_231920 It would be my favourite if it ever opened for more than a day a season.
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