Puffin' Billy

Whittaker Brothers Stand, Amusement Trades Exhibition - The Coin Slot, February 1975

This sweet little cartoon-style steam engine was released by Whittaker Brothers in January 1975, replacing their earlier Santa Fe Express.  The ride was originally sold in either red or blue and yellow with a caricature-style face on the front.

There was a push button inside for a whistle sound effect.


Knights Amusements, Bexhill-on-Sea, May 2017

The unit seen in the video above has been at Knights Amusements since I was a child (and probably much longer!)  On my previous visit to Bexhill before filming this video, all of the rides I remembered from my childhood had been in storage, so it was a pleasant surprise to find Puffin' Billy back out and earning his keep in the arcade!  His coin slot was initially jammed with lots of 1p and 2p coins but fortunately the arcade owner managed to get him working for me.  A lovely trip down memory lane.


Roxy Amusements and Cafe, Bridlington, June 2014

I came across this ride in Bridlington back in 2014.  I'm sure I read about Whittaker Brothers selling a "Thomas the Train" at some point, but have been unable to find the evidence to back me up since then.  (Maybe I imagined the whole thing!)  Whether an original Whittaker design or a more recent refurbishment, "Thomas" is obviously Puffin' Billy in different paintwork so I've popped him onto this page until I find out more.