Drayton Manor Park

[DistortAMG]

There is work taking place inside the Pirate Adventure building and behind the gate by the side of the Bumper cars is what looks like a new pump, old motors which could have been from inside the ride, lots of little wheels and a closed wooden box.


Also the maintenance door was open

Not noticed this thing on the building before

That pump is a river rapids pump, looks like a freshly refurbished one, I know they have spares as they rotate the refurbishment.

Those pumps sit inside these steel tubes as seen below on River Rapids. They are designed to push water up vertically.


The very top of that blue pump, where the cables come out, you can just about see said cables in the photo below, when you look at the tubes from the last photo, from the top. See "Pump Outlets."


Sorry to bust your bubble but those pumps are nothing to do with Pirate Adventure. Even the pump that puts the water up to the top part of Pirate Adventure was tiny, as it only needed to be filled once a year. These pumps are built for continuous, high velocity water flow, perfect for say, a river rapids.

As for the little blue thing, looks like a gearbox of some sort, not to dissimilar from something that would be used on the Mack Pirate kids round ride.

There is absolutely nothing in those photos that suggests any work is taking place and ive explained quite well, why.

I do hope something is happening though, like everyone else. Those pictures are not the smoking gun you think they are, however.

 

[Hid]

That pump is a river rapids pump, looks like a freshly refurbished one, I know they have spares as they rotate the refurbishment.

Those pumps sit inside these steel tubes as seen below on River Rapids. They are designed to push water up vertically.


The very top of that blue pump, where the cables come out, you can just about see said cables in the photo below, when you look at the tubes from the last photo, from the top. See "Pump Outlets."


Sorry to bust your bubble but those pumps are nothing to do with Pirate Adventure. Even the pump that puts the water up to the top part of Pirate Adventure was tiny, as it only needed to be filled once a year. These pumps are built for continuous, high velocity water flow, perfect for say, a river rapids.

As for the little blue thing, looks like a gearbox of some sort, not to dissimilar from something that would be used on the Mack Pirate kids round ride.

What thing have you never noticed on the building, the boat hoist? It has been there since 1990, it is used to take the boats from and put them back into the ride.

There is absolutely nothing in those photos that suggests any work is taking place and ive explained quite well, why.

I do hope something is happening though, like everyone else. Those pictures are not the smoking gun you think they are, however.

If its for the River Rapids that's great might make the rapids flow faster might make you get more wet

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

I heard it may only be on 1 train for the rest of the season

This strategic decision brings Gold Rush in line with the operational parameters of Drayton Manor Park and Zoo's other coasters. It ensures excellent staff and guest familiarity, continuing the standard of single train coasters with shocking throughput.

 

[DistortAMG]

If its for the River Rapids that's great might make the rapids flow faster might make you get more wet

No. 3 out of 4 pumps in the ride are in operation at all times. The ride doesnt run with 2 and it doesnt run with 4. The pumps are rotated in usage however, to give even ware and tare.

They do have a 5th pump that isn't in use or physically on the ride, which is what is pictured here, this is so if any of the 4 pumps in the ride fail, a quick swap can have the ride operational again within hours.

Because even though the ride only ever runs with 3 of its 4 pumps working, there must be 4 non faulty pumps in the ride, at all times. Exactly the same for Alton and Thorpes rapids.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

Wasn’t sure where the pumps are on pirate adventure but I knew they were knackered. They must have the same type of motors that operate on stormforce 10 to get the boats around the circuit.

 

[DistortAMG]

Wasn’t sure where the pumps are on pirate adventure but I knew they were knackered. They must have the same type of motors that operate on stormforce 10 to get the boats around the circuit.

Pirate Adventure used small fan like pumps under the water, to create a flow. You can see one here in Pirate Adventure, the cylinder in the channel. These were placed along the whole ride and pretty much are the only pumps the ride uses. If you look closely you can see another further up, on the turn immediately after the drop.

I am not sure where I got this photo from but it has been on my hard drive for years.


This is very different to the pump systems that the River Rapids and Storm Force 10 use. Storm Force 10 uses a giant screw pump to provide most of the channels with their water, seen below.



Then on Storm Force 10's upper section. The boats are driven by the following drive tyres submerged. There is a tiny bit of flow, not enough to move the boats, just enough to allow the water to spill down the drop. Hence why these wheels are needed.


That enough talk of pumps, drive systems and my mechanical knowledge for one night.

 

[flyingguitar]

If its for the River Rapids that's great might make the rapids flow faster might make you get more wet

No. 3 out of 4 pumps in the ride are in operation at all times. The ride doesnt run with 2 and it doesnt run with 4. The pumps are rotated in usage however, to give even ware and tare.

They do have a 5th pump that isn't in use or physically on the ride, which is what is pictured here, this is so if any of the 4 pumps in the ride fail, a quick swap can have the ride operational again within hours.

Because even though the ride only ever runs with 3 of its 4 pumps working, there must be 4 non faulty pumps in the ride, at all times. Exactly the same for Alton and Thorpes rapids.

yeah,
however counter intuitively using less pumps makes it more intense, as less flow makes it more intense over the obstacles placed around the trough as the increased flow helps "even out" the flow (if that makes sense)

To try to explain this I made a quick diagram, it isn't accurate but you get the idea the lower gradient of the high flow is much less intense

 

[DistortAMG]

yeah,
however counter intuitively using less pumps makes it more intense, as less flow makes it more intense over the obstacles placed around the trough as the increased flow helps "even out" the flow (if that makes sense)

To try to explain this I made a quick diagram, it isn't accurate but you get the idea the lower gradient of the high flow is much less intense

I fully agree with you, what you are saying is true.

As previously mentioned, these rides are designed to be used with 3 pumps at all times. The dormant pump (which can be seen at the end of all Intamin rapids) is there to kick in incase one pump fails. This prevents the exact issue you describe here from happening, a dangerous situation where low water levels could capsize a boat as it goes over a wave making pipe, or down a dip.

Low water levels are an extremely dangerous situatuon for these rides, hence the backup pump. Low water levels were even a major factor in the horrendous accident at Dreamworld on their non Intamin built rapids.

 

[rob666]

...Sorry to bust your bubble but those pumps are nothing to do with Pirate Adventure. ...

...There is absolutely nothing in those photos that suggests any work is taking place and ive explained quite well, why....

... Those pictures are not the smoking gun you think they are, however...

There is nothing we can do logically with those hopeful thoosie vapours...

A door has been opened on the shed.

Pirate Adventure returning for 2026...Confirmed.

Do not try to bring sense or logic into the equation.

 

[Skyscraper]

There is nothing we can do logically with those hopeful thoosie vapours...

A door has been opened on the shed.

Pirate Adventure returning for 2026...Confirmed.

Do not try to bring sense or logic into the equation.

They missed a trick by not placing a can of WD40 by the open door

 

[rob666]

Oh no, the park is letting the hype build.
The can of WD40 in an open doorway will be the official confirmation of the recomissioning.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

Pirate Adventure used small fan like pumps under the water, to create a flow. You can see one here in Pirate Adventure, the cylinder in the channel. These were placed along the whole ride and pretty much are the only pumps the ride uses. If you look closely you can see another further up, on the turn immediately after the drop.

I am not sure where I got this photo from but it has been on my hard drive for years.


This is very different to the pump systems that the River Rapids and Storm Force 10 use. Storm Force 10 uses a giant screw pump to provide most of the channels with their water, seen below.



Then on Storm Force 10's upper section. The boats are driven by the following drive tyres submerged. There is a tiny bit of flow, not enough to move the boats, just enough to allow the water to spill down the drop. Hence why these wheels are needed.


That enough talk of pumps, drive systems and my mechanical knowledge for one night.

What year roughly was them pirate adventure pictures taken?

 

[DistortAMG]

What year roughly was them pirate adventure pictures taken?

At least 7 or 8 years ago I think.

 

[Ciaran]

What year roughly was them pirate adventure pictures taken?

February 2018 I believe.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

At least 7 or 8 years ago I think.

Oh so except the battle scene where the skull was which was starting to fall apart the rest of it looked in still good nick.
I wonder if Space Leisure have any construction pics as I only seen the 2 that was in a book and a brief construction video taken in summer 89

From: https://youtu.be/asQc-jyC_Wc?si=kLstDk-OoO_9iDp-

Go to 3:30

 

[DistortAMG]

Oh so except the battle scene where the skull was which was starting to fall apart the rest of it looked in still good nick.
I wonder if Space Leisure have any construction pics as I only seen the 2 that was in a book and a brief construction video taken in summer 89

From: https://youtu.be/asQc-jyC_Wc?si=kLstDk-OoO_9iDp-

Go to 3:30

Looks can be deceiving. The whole thing was falling apart in 2005.

 

[Rob F]

Well been to Drayton today for the 1st time in 4 weeks.
Anyway Gold Rushes first car Is now behind the maintenance shed. I heard it may only be on 1 train for the rest of the season

In all seriousness this ride has operated for under a year, what the hell happened to the train to need to be dismantled this early ?

 

[AT86]

In all seriousness this ride has operated for under a year, what the hell happened to the train to need to be dismantled this early ?

Intamin.

 

[Themeparksandy1981]

In all seriousness this ride has operated for under a year, what the hell happened to the train to need to be dismantled this early ?

I wonder if that’s the train that’s been causing the problems. Intamin maybe coming to look at the train or could be going back as wouldn’t they have just got it back into the maintenance shed.

 

[DistortAMG]

I wonder if that’s the train that’s been causing the problems.

I doubt it mate. I think they would have left the train that was causing problems on the ride and took the good one off.