• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Future of the Congo River Rapids

havaska said:
To be honest, they’re clearly working on them and expecting to get them up and running.
Click to expand...

My concern is that when it comes to "complexity" of theme park rides - a Rapids ride like the towers variant is pretty simple. Pump large volumes of water up, turntable to unload / load / release boats then a conveyor lift at the end. Even the waterfalls only add on a couple of extra high-volume pumps (doubtless very similar to the main ones on the ride). Complexities such as the wave machines & random-spray jets were turned off years ago. If Towers cannot keep a relatively simple ride running promptly after closed-season maintenance, it does not bode well.

There are more complex Rapids rides out there - think Popeye & Blutos Bilge Rat Barges - that use underwater "gates" to introduce an element of block-controlling / ensure spacing of the boats. Given the speeds that Popeye boats go in places, this is understandable - is partly for boat spacing and to ensure synchronisation on some of the soak-effects.
 
Kraken27 said:
My concern is that when it comes to "complexity" of theme park rides - a Rapids ride like the towers variant is pretty simple. Pump large volumes of water up, turntable to unload / load / release boats then a conveyor lift at the end. Even the waterfalls only add on a couple of extra high-volume pumps (doubtless very similar to the main ones on the ride). Complexities such as the wave machines & random-spray jets were turned off years ago. If Towers cannot keep a relatively simple ride running promptly after closed-season maintenance, it does not bode well.

There are more complex Rapids rides out there - think Popeye & Blutos Bilge Rat Barges - that use underwater "gates" to introduce an element of block-controlling / ensure spacing of the boats. Given the speeds that Popeye boats go in places, this is understandable - is partly for boat spacing and to ensure synchronisation on some of the soak-effects.
Click to expand...
The waterfalls haven’t been used in years due to the Drayton Manor incident. General maintenance isn’t the issue.
 
As we now know at least one side is working, and the new announcement makes clear to expect them, I suspect at this point we're just waiting on better weather.
 
Earthwürm said:
As we now know at least one side is working, and the new announcement makes clear to expect them, I suspect at this point we're just waiting on better weather.
Click to expand...

I wonder whether that's exactly it? The worse the weather the higher the liklihood of guests avoiding the water, so standing and moving in the boat. No-one wants soggy jeans on a cold day, but in the warm sun people aren't fussed. Maybe the water effects are considered safer in the summer.
 
pluk said:
I wonder whether that's exactly it? The worse the weather the higher the liklihood of guests avoiding the water, so standing and moving in the boat. No-one wants soggy jeans on a cold day, but in the warm sun people aren't fussed. Maybe the water effects are considered safer in the summer.
Click to expand...

Seems plausible, and it also occurred to me after posting that running those pumps probably isn't particularly cheap, perhaps attendance picking up as we hit half term could play a role in them deciding to turn them on.
 
Earthwürm said:
Seems plausible, and it also occurred to me after posting that running those pumps probably isn't particularly cheap, perhaps attendance picking up as we hit half term could play a role in them deciding to turn them on.
Click to expand...

Towers used to be on an un-metered electricity supply. Whether such contracts still exist given the energy price rises I don't know.
In the un-metered days, stuff was left on 24/7. Was very normal for heaters in maintenance sheds / Op Cabins to be on all the time in cooler months, with "Do not turn heater off" notes by the plug / switch.

Sure, heaters are small-fry when compared to power-eating pumps / lift motors - but there was definitely a "energy use does not matter" culture out there.
 
If the weather is going to play a part in deciding if the waterfalls are switched on during any given day, then it would have been sensible to have introduced two different audio options for these new announcements.

Not much sense it blaring out ‘prepare to face the waterfalls!!1’ all day if they aren’t going to be switched on.
 
I wish they’d do something with that tunnel, it’s like the Galactica tunnel, so ugly. Some rock work would go a long way to making it look less industrial.

They could even go a bit further and put some wooden planks up to make it look like an actual mine. Would fit the theme of the rapids and rmt well.
 
BigShadowtinytree said:
I wish they’d do something with that tunnel, it’s like the Galactica tunnel, so ugly. Some rock work would go a long way to making it look less industrial.

They could even go a bit further and put some wooden planks up to make it look like an actual mine. Would fit the theme of the rapids and rmt well.
Click to expand...

The tunnel is abysmal, and I imagine just covering the walls in planks of wood, sticking a few leek signs on them in the vein of 'DANGER! MINE!' and replacing the rope light with festoon lighting would be relatively cheap and do the trick. Alas it will probably remain as it is for eternity.
 
I haven't been on CRR for years, is the tunnel materially different than it always has been ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top