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Drayton Manor Park

One thing you will notice, or I certainly notice anyway, at some of the bigger names is that they’re often clever enough to put scenery and walls away from guest reach in queue lines.

In Universal Orlando, for example, the scenery in the Harry Potter ride queue lines is kept out of reach of guests, for the most part, and they still look immaculate up to 14 years on from being built.

To evidence this point, you might notice that possibly the cleanest section of queue line in Alton Towers is Thirteen’s indoor queue line. That still looks practically immaculate and untouched 14 years on… and is also either completely out of guest reach or hidden behind a metal mesh.
 
Tbh it was a somewhat rhetorical question. I think the reason those parks aren't damaged is because they are overwhelmingly frequented by families rather than groups of teenagers, as opposed to them having particularly poorly designed queue lines.

Though one could argue the atrocious throughput of The Wave leaving customers standing stationary for 10 minutes at a time doesn't help matters.
 
Bowser said:
Tbh it was a somewhat rhetorical question. I think the reason those parks aren't damaged is because they are overwhelmingly frequented by families rather than groups of teenagers, as opposed to them having particularly poorly designed queue lines.

Though one could argue the atrocious throughput of The Wave leaving customers standing stationary for 10 minutes at a time doesn't help matters.
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Drayton Manor is also frequented overwhelmingly by families, though, and the recent evidence posted in this thread would suggest that that has not stopped graffiti in their ride queues.
 
Bowser said:
Tbh it was a somewhat rhetorical question. I think the reason those parks aren't damaged is because they are overwhelmingly frequented by families rather than groups of teenagers, as opposed to them having particularly poorly designed queue lines.

Though one could argue the atrocious throughput of The Wave leaving customers standing stationary for 10 minutes at a time doesn't help matters.
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This is absolutely the case, the throughput definitely causes more damage to the queue line, they really need that second train now it’s 1.2m!
 
Relife said:
I think the second train argument for the Wave very much depends on how long they see the ride lasting for. Optimistically it probably has another 10 years so it depends if the park wants to spend the money.
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I believe that The Wave's longevity was looked into when the new trains were being looked at.

I had been to a recent enthusiast event and the park have said the track could last another 15/20 years with the right maintenance.

Second Train is certainly a potential.
 
Have Drayton Manor Park and Zoo ever run a coaster, excluding #NewCoaster / Gold Rush, with a two train service? I'm aware that Shockwave had two trains, but as far as I'm aware it was only ever operational with one train on the track at a time. Troublesome Trucks, the best Gerstlauer in the country, is a single train lapper. Jörmungandr only has one train too. Accelerator, being a boomerang, only operates on one train. G-Force, famously, never got its second train.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
Have Drayton Manor Park and Zoo ever run a coaster, excluding #NewCoaster / Gold Rush, with a two train service? I'm aware that Shockwave had two trains, but as far as I'm aware it was only ever operational with one train on the track at a time. Troublesome Trucks, the best Gerstlauer in the country, is a single train lapper. Jörmungandr only has one train too. Accelerator, being a boomerang, only operates on one train. G-Force, famously, never got its second train.
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I believe Shockwave did for years (correct me if I'm wrong). It was recent years when it was a single train and that was mainly so one can be used for parts to keep the operating one going.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
Have Drayton Manor Park and Zoo ever run a coaster, excluding #NewCoaster / Gold Rush, with a two train service? I'm aware that Shockwave had two trains, but as far as I'm aware it was only ever operational with one train on the track at a time. Troublesome Trucks, the best Gerstlauer in the country, is a single train lapper. Jörmungandr only has one train too. Accelerator, being a boomerang, only operates on one train. G-Force, famously, never got its second train.
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Early on, shockwave regularly ran two trains, and it meant you rarely had to wait more than half an hour to ride, even in the summer holidays.
 
The History of Drayton’s multi train coasters
Jumbo jet not 100% but it could have operated with 3 trains but from pictures and videos from other parks it’s operated at it had 2 trains.
Python operated on 2 trains as it had separation load and unload station.
Shockwave it operated with 2 trains to they took off the red train and use it for spares.
Klondike Gold Mine originally when it opened it operated with 3 trains but was reduced down to 2.
Then nearly 30 years later Gold Rush was added.
 
Bobsleigh at Parc de la Vallee retains 2 trains even now
Tren Minero at Serena Aventura is down to 1 now I believe, most likely sold to Funland with 2 trains and part of 1 remains as a planter
Python may or may not have been a pre-themeing Klondike as the dates match up
 
What is it with Staffordshire parks and closed Vekoma Madhouses at the moment? I’ve turned up to Drayton this morning and it seems as though The Haunting is closed today!

Accelerator is also closed today, so maybe Vekoma are here doing work on all of their installations at Drayton?
EDIT: I think that may have been for yesterday, actually, as a man has just taken it off the “rides closed today” sign…
 
I’ll do a longer review later, but I’ve had my first ride on Gold Rush… what a fab little family coaster!

Given some of the muted initial reviews, I went in with quite low expectations, but on first impressions, I thought it was great fun! It’s definitely not the most intense coaster, but it’s got some fun twists and turns and some surprisingly vigorous sections, it’s a long ride, the theming is lovely, and overall, I just thought it was really good fun and I think it suits the park down to the ground!

I also struck very lucky riding it when I did, as when I tried to go around for a second go straight after, it broke down and they evacuated the queue!
 
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