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The Flume- Memories of a classic Towers ride

Matt N said:
I might have got the exact details wrong, but I remember reading something along the lines of The Flume and Logger’s being closed due to some post-Smiler H&S issues surrounding their drops that required a lot of money to fix.
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I think it was more financial than anything else. There may be some truth to both needing some sort of over zealous H&S upgrade after the crash and both were reaching end of life. The fact that they did operate briefly after the crash points to their hastened demise being a cost cutting measure. The Flume was going to be retired soon anyway, so they boarded it up early to save immediate cost and shoved up some SW8 signage to pretend it was closed for immediate replacement, even though the site sat derelict with no work happening for ages.
 
Matt.GC said:
I think it was more financial than anything else. There may be some truth to both needing some sort of over zealous H&S upgrade after the crash and both were reaching end of life. The fact that they did operate briefly after the crash points to their hastened demise being a cost cutting measure. The Flume was going to be retired soon anyway, so they boarded it up early to save immediate cost and shoved up some SW8 signage to pretend it was closed for immediate replacement, even though the site sat derelict with no work happening for ages.
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It was only SBNO for a year, in fairness, and I’d imagine that that was due to the last minute transfer of SW8 to the Flume site rather than Forbidden Valley. Had that been their original plan, I’d wager that 2016 would have been the big construction year and Wicker Man would have opened in 2017.

The Flume was alleged to be on the chopping block pre-crash (the LTDP, released in 2010, cited it as a ride that would be removed during the 2010s), and there being some sort of required H&S upgrade would not surprise me at all (it would certainly explain why both Mack log flumes shut; if it was merely cost saving, something else could surely have been chosen within Thorpe).

From what I’ve heard, I think they did originally intend to implement the H&S changes to reopen Logger’s, but the money got diverted towards DBGT’s 2017 rework, and the efforts to reopen went a bit pear shaped after that. Flume was never destined to get this work done due to its age and the state of it at the time, and Dragon Falls received this work in anticipation of the Tiger Rock refurbishment in 2018.

I’m not denying that there could have been some convenient cost saving involved as well, however. Merlin certainly needed to recoup money after the amount they lost as a result of the crash, and I’d imagine taking both rides out of service would have saved quite a bit.
 
I only managed to do The Flume once, and have fond memories (awkward at the time, mind) of my shoes acting like sponges and clogging up with water as soon as it went down the first drop, meaning I had soaking wet feet for the rest of the weekend!
 
Rob F said:
Tbh Darren brown’s ghost train wasnt worth having 1p more spent on it …
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DBGT is perhaps, IMO, Merlin's biggest blunder and I suspect there are some within the company who now look back on the attraction as old shame and rather forget it ever happened.

Have to wonder of both that attraction and the Smiler crash never happened of how things might have been different for the park in which the Flume might have still lasted for a few more years albeit just barely. Alternate history anyone?
 
New to posting, so hello to all! I have very fond memories of The flume from my childhood and teen years. I mostly remember riding on school trips, spotting other members of my year group on adjacent boats and being very excited about the whole thing. Couple that with the incessant drips on the head in the queue line under the final drop, and jumping out my skin at the big duck (forever a duck fan). Also, that theme music! It was quite the jam if I'm honest, and I miss it. I think we all understand why The flume had to go, though, and Wicker Man is a very, very worthy replacement.
 
Flambo said:
New to posting, so hello to all! I have very fond memories of The flume from my childhood and teen years. I mostly remember riding on school trips, spotting other members of my year group on adjacent boats and being very excited about the whole thing. Couple that with the incessant drips on the head in the queue line under the final drop, and jumping out my skin at the big duck (forever a duck fan). Also, that theme music! It was quite the jam if I'm honest, and I miss it. I think we all understand why The flume had to go, though, and Wicker Man is a very, very worthy replacement.
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I am either imagining this or correct… you can still hear the theme music without the duck quacking at Thorpe on their Depth Charge water slides.
 
Yeah, last time I went (Oct 22) it was certainly playing there. Not uncommon for Merlin parks to share music from that particular era - seem to recall Rumba Rapids playing Chessington's Vampire theme one Fright Nights, Chessington's old theme also being used at Heide Park, and that park using some of the Mutiny Bay audio.
 
I miss the flume.
Am I making it up, or was there a section that took you into the woods with... Dinosaurs?
 
Well, dinosaurs in a log themed log flume was definitely the last thing it'd think of for a Log Flume, well, this was the 80s, so I can't say I was surprised.

Man, just thinking about the Flume makes me wish we'll get more traditional log flume rides like the flume, not those mini flumes like the ne wine at Chessingtons or Thomas submarine splash. Ones like Loggers Leap, Niagra Falls, Dragon River, and this, The Flume. I know it'll be very unlikely we will ever get the old school ones ever again...
 
AT86 said:
I believe the dinosaurs were originally their own walk through attraction on the Black Hole\Smiler site in the early 80s.

When the Black Hole was constructed they were moved to the Log Flume.
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Correct, the top bit where the loos are I think.
I even did the crazy golf and toboggans.
 
I liked the log flume, regardless of the weather you always went on the log flume! The station always confused me as it never looked finished without a roof!

Recall going on when a chap at the top of the last drop would hand you a ticket for your ride photo with you had to quickly put in your pocket before it got soaked.

I think every theme park should have a log flume.

I miss the duck!
 
s_g_k said:
How terrifying it must’ve been to venture into that indoor section after all these years to retrieve it.

If I was part of the team on that job I would’ve definitely played a Quack Quack sound on my phone for a laugh whilst in there.
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Let's hope that team got paid well to go in there to get it, I'd be asking for more TBH.

True Alton Towers fans will know that going one on one with the Flume Duck was the final boss battle of Alton Towers.
 
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