The Flume (Alton Towers): Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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In 1980, Alton Towers opened the ride [[Corkscrew (Alton Towers)|Corkscrew]] along with a few other amusement attractions. Alton Towers gained popularity so for the 1981 season they decided to open a [[Log ride|log flume]]. Construction started in late 1980 to open the ride for the 1981 season.{{Citation needed|date=December 2015}} the park's first major scale engineering project including purpose built reservoir sunk into a former field. The 5.5 |
In 1980, Alton Towers opened the ride [[Corkscrew (Alton Towers)|Corkscrew]] along with a few other amusement attractions. Alton Towers gained popularity so for the 1981 season they decided to open a [[Log ride|log flume]]. Construction started in late 1980 to open the ride for the 1981 season.{{Citation needed|date=December 2015}} the park's first major scale engineering project including purpose built reservoir sunk into a former field. The 5.5-acre site was bordered on two sides by the Park Railway. initially access to the new ride was via a railway bridge over the tracks, by 1982 the Railway had been shortened to allow easier access for the popular new ride. <ref name="towersstreet.com">{{cite web|url=https://towersstreet.com/theme-park/ride/the-flume/|title=The Flume - The Park of the Past - Your premier Alton Towers guide|website=towersstreet.com}}</ref> |
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In 1981 the 'White Water Flume' opened to the public as the world's longest log flume with |
In 1981 the 'White Water Flume' opened to the public as the world's longest log flume with its 2600-foot waterway themed around the Canadian Falls; by 1983 the ride had acquired its traditional and more popular name of 'The Log Flume' and for the next 23 years operated as such. Between 1984 and 1995 it also featured props from 'Dinosaur Land' which had been closed the previous season to make way for The Black Hole, including a prehistoric family inside the tunnel section of the flume.<ref name="towersstreet.com"/> |
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In 2004 the ride was re-themed to 'The Flume' with a bath theme, as sponsored by a soap manufacturer; new 'bath' boats replacing the logs, new lining, maintenance, a refurbished station, a yellow duck, shower and other bath-time theming. In 2008, the area in which the ride operated was re-themed to Mutiny Bay, however the ride retained its bath time theme. |
In 2004 the ride was re-themed to 'The Flume' with a bath theme, as sponsored by a soap manufacturer; new 'bath' boats replacing the logs, new lining, maintenance, a refurbished station, a yellow duck, shower and other bath-time theming. In 2008, the area in which the ride operated was re-themed to Mutiny Bay, however the ride retained its bath time theme. |
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Revision as of 08:31, 12 December 2017
| The Flume | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Alton Towers | |
| Area | Mutiny Bay |
| Coordinates | 52°59′20″N 1°53′20″W / 52.988995°N 1.888847°W |
| Status | Closed |
| Opening date | 1981 |
| Closing date | 10 October 2015 |
| Replaced by | SW8 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Log flume |
| Manufacturer | Mack Rides |
| Height | 27 m (89 ft) |
| Drop | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Length | 886 m (2,907 ft) |
| Speed | 45 km/h (28 mph) |
| Capacity | 1,400 riders per hour |
| Duration | 6 minutes |
| Vehicle type | Boat/Bath Tub |
| Boats | 35 boats. Riders are arranged 1 across in 5 rows for a total of 5 riders per boat. |
| Height restriction | 100 cm (3 ft 3 in) |
| Site area | 5 1/2 acres |
 Must transfer from wheelchair | |
The Flume was a Log Flume at Alton Towers in Staffordshire. It opened in 1981 and was rethemed in 2004 coinciding with its sponsorship by Imperial Leather. The ride was a bath time themed log flume with three drops. It was the longest log flume attraction in the world at the time of opening. The attraction closed in 2015 and was removed a year later for the area's redevelopment into the SW8 rollercoaster.
Ride Experience
The ride was about 6 minutes long and starts by loading in the circular station. Once the 'bath' had dispatched from the station it went round a few turns and up to the first lift hill. The car then dropped down a small drop and turned around the woodland until it came to the second lift hill which was enclosed in a hut-style building & a drop which was in the dark. At the bottom there was a giant rubber duck that you go past. The ride then wound around the woodland again and then went 86ft up a lift hill and then dropped 85ft down a drop into some brakes. Finally the 'bath' went through two showers and back into the station.
History
In 1980, Alton Towers opened the ride Corkscrew along with a few other amusement attractions. Alton Towers gained popularity so for the 1981 season they decided to open a log flume. Construction started in late 1980 to open the ride for the 1981 season.[citation needed] the park's first major scale engineering project including purpose built reservoir sunk into a former field. The 5.5-acre site was bordered on two sides by the Park Railway. initially access to the new ride was via a railway bridge over the tracks, by 1982 the Railway had been shortened to allow easier access for the popular new ride. [1]
In 1981 the 'White Water Flume' opened to the public as the world's longest log flume with its 2600-foot waterway themed around the Canadian Falls; by 1983 the ride had acquired its traditional and more popular name of 'The Log Flume' and for the next 23 years operated as such. Between 1984 and 1995 it also featured props from 'Dinosaur Land' which had been closed the previous season to make way for The Black Hole, including a prehistoric family inside the tunnel section of the flume.[1] In 2004 the ride was re-themed to 'The Flume' with a bath theme, as sponsored by a soap manufacturer; new 'bath' boats replacing the logs, new lining, maintenance, a refurbished station, a yellow duck, shower and other bath-time theming. In 2008, the area in which the ride operated was re-themed to Mutiny Bay, however the ride retained its bath time theme.
Weeks before the beginning of the 2016 season, Alton Towers announced that the ride was to be closed permanently.[2] On March 16, 2016, the park posted a photo through their Towers Loving Care Twitter page of a sign on the perimeter of the former area of the attraction that reads "SW8. Ground breaking new ride development",[3] marking the construction site for the resort's next large investment SW8.
After the ride's closure and during the construction of SW8, the resort held charity auctions with lots containing a variety of items from The Flume. This included various queue line and warning signage, as well as the ride boats.
Media gallery
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References
- ^ a b "The Flume - The Park of the Past - Your premier Alton Towers guide". towersstreet.com.
- ^ Alton Towers retires Flume water ride - Ride Rater - UK Theme Park News
- ^ [1] - Towers Loving Care Twitter page
External links
- http://old.towerstimes.co.uk/attractions/mb/flume.htm at the Towers Times website
- Clips of old Log Flume ride
- Youtube clip of the Log Flume (retheme as bath tubs)
