Derren Brown’s Ghost Train – one of the most hotly-anticipated attractions in UK theme park history – opened this summer, with Simworx working closely with Merlin Magic Makers to make the illusionist’s mind-bending vision a (virtual) reality.
The groundbreaking addition to Thorpe Park, near London, is touted as a ghost train reinvented for the 21st century, with Brown himself claiming the multi-million-pound ride would “rewrite the rules of what a theme park attraction can deliver”.
“I firmly believe that this kind of multi-sensory, mind-blowing attraction represents a glimpse of what the future holds for theme parks the world over,” says Brown.
Simworx played an integral role in the design, manufacture and installation of the complex 13-minute experience, which plays with guests’ perceptions, pushing them to their psychological limits. The ride is Thorpe Park’s largest single investment to date.
Park owner Merlin Entertainments approached Simworx to oversee the provision of the ride systems and various ride elements. Simworx combined VR and AR technology, grand illusion and live action with motion simulation and advanced dark ride vehicles, central to which is a 20-metre (66-foot) Victorian train carriage – seemingly suspended in mid-air.
Simworx worked with Severn Lamb, Figment and HTC on the project, delivering three 58-seat motion-based passenger train carriages and 110 metres (360 feet) of train track. Each train carriage is fitted with 58 HTC Vive headsets, an array of special effects and a vibrating floor. In the pre-ride area of the attraction, Simworx supplied effects like smoke, sound, AV projection, and a groundbreaking motion base capable of a 35-ton lift.
“This is a very different attraction to anything people will have experienced before and is truly a Ghost Train for the 21st century,” says Simworx managing director Terry Monkton. “This was probably our most challenging project to date, with many bespoke elements designed and created specifically for this unique attraction. The technology involved has taken this form of entertainment to a completely new level and we are absolutely thrilled with the end result.”
The theming throughout the ghost train is modelled on a real Victorian train depot near Willesden Junction, with every stylistic and architectural detail recreated by the Merlin Magic Making team.