Thanks to DAVE HOMER for his permission to publish some of his photo's.  Follow this link to buy your next Fun Fair Video from DAVE HOMER VIDEO.

Special thanks to ROD JESSON for his permission to publish some of his photo's.  Email Rod now who has over 35,000 photo's taken since 1975 for sale EMAIL ROD.

The Waltzer in the mid 70’s

The A&R Waltzer was built during 1971/2 and travelled with the A&R circuit in 1972.  The ride was made by Maxwell’s in Scotland.  Colin and Nelson DeVey travelled up to Maxwell’s to help finish the ride and pack it on to the lorry they had purchased to pull the ride.  Peter the Painter went with them and worked alongside the Maxwell staff painting the final bits of the ride.

It was reputed to be the first Waltzer that ever travelled as one load.  The key to this was the truck which moved away from the traditional paybox on a truck or two wheel trailer.  The truck was designed to carry the platforms, gates, sleepers with the hand rails and shutters packed inside the paybox.  The fan that adorns the principle packed on the roof of the paybox.

Truck design was not like that of today with hydraulics and air suspension.  The front lock crudely connected to a large axle type spring on the front similar to how low loaders coupled their back axles back in the late 60’s early 70’s.  The single back axle was fixed and never came off, instead the wheels were removed for build up and put back again on the pull down.  It is said that the first time the truck was loaded and lowered off the jack’s onto the axle’s the back axle bent due to the weight and had to be replaced.

The lorry that was purchased to pull the ride was an Atkinson 8 wheeler (36LKR), though there are many stories as to its origin many believe it was a London Brick lorry.  It came with a flat bed on the lorry which remains to this day, though somewhat changed.  The frame on the lorry was all bolted together (it was not welded) this was allegedly due to some Ministry of Transport rules that existed at the time or to do with taxing the vehicle.  The lorry would carry the cars, trams, gratings and struts on the lower deck.  Steps packed in the lower part of the Luton and the top deck carried the ceilings (24 whole sections made of ply) the light strips and the quarterings.  For many years the four front handrails were stored at the front of the top deck.  The step brackets were packed behind the cab and in one of the belly box’s.  A single set of back steps was hung from the back doors.

The ride finally left Maxwell’s, many are said to have thought that the whole load would not move due to the weight of the truck in comparison to the power of the lorry.  I think it had a gardener 150 or even a 120 in it.  It is difficult to imagine what conditions must have been like taking a load like that from Scotland to Devon.  There was no M5 then and the journey must have taken days.  The top speed would have been between 40 and 50 mph and that would have only happened on the flat or with a downward slope.  Up hill would have been very slow and downhill just the same as they would take it down hill in 1st or 2nd gear.

The lorry was painted blue and was decorated by Peter the Painter.  When the Ark was put on a truck and transported by another 8 wheel Atkinson the two loads looked impressive.  Build up and pull down’s were slow in the early days. 

The Waltzer load in the yard at Cullumpton in 1978 with the original truck (Photo by ROD JESSON)  Use the following link to EMAIL ROD with your Fairground photo requests.

The truck was jacked up to take the front lock off and then lowered down onto sleepers.  The jacks were then taken to the back of the truck and used to lift the truck so that the wheels could be removed.  The truck was then lowered down on to sleepers with the axle drum just off the ground.  A wooden square was bolted onto the truck and the 24 sleepers levelled off from here.  Gates would go on next with a single strut running between each in the centre of the gate.  The gratings would then come off the lorry, they were pink and purple in pairs of colours e.g. 2 pink 2 purple.  At this time the 2 large gratings and the two that went behind the back of the truck were stored on top of the truck where also the 2 large blue gates were stored.  The first time I was passed down one of these large blue gates at 14 years of age I dropped it. 

With the gratings on, the trams would go on and be bolted together (2 bolts in each).  The platforms were unpacked next from the back of the truck.  They were off loaded using a gib mounted on the paybox and in the early days a chain block and tackle was used until an electric winch was purchased.  The top 12 platforms and girders had to be turned 180 degrees before being lowered into position.  The bottom 12 did not have to be turned.

With the platforms on the shutters would come out of the paybox and followed by the uprights that were stacked on the front and back of the paybox.  The quaterings would go up next followed by the lifting of the principle that spanned the front of the ride and was carried on the side of the lorry.  The light strips were made of steel and were heavy these went up next before the ceilings were fitted.  12 of the ceilings had to be turned 180 degrees before being fitted.  The ceilings were very heavy and often needed 2 men on the large end.  The first time I pulled down I carried the small end, by the time the last one came off my arms were dead!

With the ceilings on the fan would be fitted to the principle and then the cars would be off loaded.  Putting cars on rather like platforms is all down to balance and having the right people doing the jobs.  With the cars on the steps would be next, all the steps and brackets were made of aluminium with wooden kickboards.  Lastly the speakers went up (in those days a record player used to hang from bungee springs) and the light bulbs were put around the paybox windows.

10p Each - That was cheap when I was a boy!

The ride stayed pretty much as it was for the next 6 years with the exception of the lights being put onto a running light box. I first pulled down the ride in 1976.  The first big change happened in the winter of 77/78 when the centre truck finally had to go.  When the ride arrived back in the yard in Bristol it was virtually scraping the floor as the front axle was so bent.  A new substructure for the truck was required John Allen came in and literally cut the truck away from the centre and welded a new front end with an artic coupling and put in a twin axle at the back.  The wheels were all of a much smaller diameter similar to small low loader axles.  The net result of this work was that the front coupling was much easier to remove and the back wheels stayed in.  However because of the back wheels staying in, the centre was always high when built up.  At some grounds small trenches were dug for the back wheels to drop into helping to keep the ride lower to the ground for build up.  The ride was still lifted and lowered using 2 clicker jacks.  The back of the truck was now very heavy and when lifting would need two men to raise and lower the jacks.  One advantage of the new truck was that all the platforms packed the same way so no more turning.

In the following year the wooden ceilings were replaced with aluminium ones, these were much lighter and could all be packed in one stack on the top deck of the lorry, thus no more turning.  The lightness of the ceiling did have a bad side, they did not like the wind and many times over the following years took off by themselves sometimes taking the light strips with them.  At Yeovil in (1981) 5 ceilings came off taking 4 strips with them, the fair was not open at the time.  We then used to fill water drums up and place them on the ceilings.

Open at Honiton in 1983 with the old paybox.

At the end of the 1983 season the paybox which was wooden had deteriorated and had to be replaced.  Once again John Allen came to do this work and the old paybox including the floor was taken off and a chequerplate floor was put in and a new paybox made of steel with aluminium sides was built on still keeping the oval style shape.  The paybox was decorated by Tim Barker and was re-themed as the “Hell Raiser Waltzer”.  The shutters and the hand rails were also repainted.  A major change was made to the truck in the winter.  John Allen incorporated the addition of hydraulic jacks together with the ability to take out the two back axles.  This made lifting much easier and the ride also sat much lower to the ground with the loss of the wheels. 

The Hell Raiser Waltzer themed paybox.

Other changes but no exact years known:

The light strips were replaced by new aluminium ones but retained the old light bulbs for a few years until the plastic cap type lights were added.

The wooden square was eventually replaced by a fold down steel one which made levelling quicker. 

The load in 1998, the lorry is looking rough (Photo by Dave Homer).

One of the old wooden Maxwell handrails now at Dingles Steam museum 

The wooden handrails were replaced with stainless steel ones with fibreglass middles.

A new front sign with “Hell Raiser Waltzer” was built for the ride(Photo by Dave Homer) 

In the winter of 1988/99 the Atkinson lorry had a major revamp which included extending the top deck over the cab.  This allowed more room for the ceilings and lights strips.  The lorry was repainted and the addition of curtain sides finished the lorry off.  The load looked at its best since the days when it was painted by Peter the Painter in the 70’s. 

The new look Waltzer Lorry 1999 (Photo by Dave Homer).

At the end of the 1999 season whilst on route to a back end fair the Waltzer load was shunted from behind by a tipper lorry.  The accident was very bad and the truck was severely damaged as where the platforms and girders and paybox.  The lorry was slightly damaged as well.

For the 2000 season the damaged Waltzer was completely rebuilt onto an articulated truck by Robert Porter.  The truck has 3 back axles which carry the complete ride in one load.  All the back wheels stay in on the truck when built up.  The ride retains much of the wooden parts like the gates, trams, shutters and gratings and the ceilings, light strips and the cars.  All other parts are new, new fold down bottom, new platforms in chequerplate with girders fixed permanently to them.  New paybox with neon lighting, new uprights, and quaterings.  The next stage of development is to make the top spin and maybe add some rounding boards or wind panels. 

The new look Waltzer in the year 2000.

A new Neon and stainless steel paybox Paignton 2000

Colin De-Vey minding with Kuzz on the dance board Paignton 2000.

The ride is now pulled by a 6 wheel Foden which also has a set on the back.  The ride is now on hydraulic drive replacing the old motor and the gearbox.  The ride still has the principle which is permanently attached to the top of the new truck and just has to be swung out during build up. 

The new Waltzer load at Redruth in 2000 (photo by Steve Andrew).

The new Waltzer artic unit at Honiton 2002

In the winter of 2000/2001 Colin sent the Waltzer back for more refinements.  The top was made to be a fold out and the aluminium ceilings were replaced with a heavy durable tilt.  The top will spin which is helpful during build up and pull down.  For the first time in 29 years this ride now travels with a set of rounding boards these will be painted in the winter of 2001/2002

Open for the first time in 2001 at Taunton with new top and rounding boards

Taunton with new top and rounding boards 2001

In the winter of 2001/2002 the Waltzer had more lights added to the front and a new sound system.  Hopefully it will get painted up next winter.

Honiton with new lighting 2002

The old Atkinson Waltzer lorry parked up at Dingles Steam Museum 2003

The Cars were repainted in 2005

The Waltzer with fully painted rounding boards and new shutters Torquay 2008

Please feel free to email me copies of your pictures of the A&R Waltzer or the Ark.