Overnight service keeps theme park rides running

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 30, 2006

Deritend's overnight gearbox-rebuild and motor-rewind services are being made available at Thorpe Park to ensure the maximum availability of both their big thrill and family fun rides.

Deritend's overnight gearbox-rebuild and motor-rewind services are being made available at Thorpe Park to ensure the maximum availability of both their big thrill and family fun rides.

Routine daily maintenance checks at the beginning and end of each day are carried out on all the parks rides, including the larger landmark rides such as Nemesis Inferno, Colossus and Tidal Wave rides which employ a large number of motors and gearboxes.

Should any part of the ride require maintenance above and beyond the capacity of the park's own maintenance team, Deritend now provides a high-speed repair service including a 'within the hour' site response time, ensuring that work can be carried out straight away and on virtually any ride, ensuring it can be operational again as soon as possible.

Located just 20 miles from central London, Thorpe Park was one of the UK's first theme parks, and has just passed the million visitor mark.

The Park offers some of the most exciting rides in the whole of Europe, including Stealth, the fastest ride in Europe, Colossus - the world's first ten-loop roller coaster - and Nemesis Inferno, which takes the body through an unbelievable experience of 4.5g force.

Ever conscious of the safety of its visitors, Thorpe Park conducts detailed inspection runs on the rides every morning before opening its gates to the public.

Thorpe's maintenance personnel are able to carry out the majority of immediate maintenance tasks, but should a gearbox or electric motor require servicing or maintenance, the team turns to Deritend.

This type of work is usually carried out during the closed season when there is no pressure for the rides to be up and running quickly, but should any work be required during the open season, Deritend is at hand to deliver, making sure that rides remain available for as many visitors as possible.

Deritend's service is available to Thorpe Park on a 24/7 basis to service and maintain all of its gearboxes, electric motors, pumps and ancillary equipment.

Deritend site engineers will work alongside Thorpe Park engineers to complete most tasks and Deritend's local Luton engineering workshop is conveniently close by.

"The Thorpe Park contract illustrates the benefits of a partnership with a business that is totally dedicated to general industrial service and maintenance", said Deritend's Ian Rockall.

"Deritend, has 220 skilled engineers trained in both mechanical and electrical disciplines, providing a resource that is available to companies not only 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, but also 365-days a year".

"For the customer this means a single source responsibility for both mechanical and electrical operations across all types of equipment; something which no manufacturing company - or OEM - on its own can provide".