Log flumes (colloquially known as log rides ) are amusement rides consisting of a water flume and (artificial) hollow logs or boats. Passengers sit in the logs, which are propelled along the flume by the flow of water.
37-550: Tiger Rock (previously known as Dragon Falls and Dragon River ) is a flume ride at the theme park Chessington World of Adventures in Chessington , southwest London , England . The ride was manufactured by Mack Rides , based on a concept designed by John Wardley , and opened in 1987. It is located in the Land of the Tiger area of the park that was formerly known as Mystic East. The ride
74-468: A ferris wheel that was closed permanently the same day. In 2018, Chessington opened Tiger Rock to the public on 5 May 2018. Its theme revolves around tiger imagery and features a large tiger's head on the second drop, replacing the Angkor Wat heads. Tiger Rock is a water flume ride and features two drops, with the first being smaller than the second. When it was known as Dragon Falls, the station building
111-447: A 75-foot drop at the end. In addition, the ride is one of the few of its kind to use lap bars as a method of restraining riders. Log flume A log flume or lumber flume is a watertight flume constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain using flowing water. Flumes replaced horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails in the late 19th century. Logging operations preferred flumes whenever
148-420: A V-flume’s low grades and curves. Finally, box flumes could move an unprecedented amount of material, up to a maximum capacity of 300,000 board feet (710 m ), or three times as great as the maximum for a V-flume. Proper operation was ensured by "flume herders" who at various locations along the flume checked the flow of lumber and water. On longer flumes, flume herders lived in permanent flume houses along
185-479: A V-shaped flume. The greater weight of the water required a sturdier structure, especially heavier trestles. In 1867, James W. Haines first built the V-shaped log flumes that allowed a jammed log to free itself as the rising water level in the flume pushed it up. These efficient flumes consisted of two boards, 2 feet (0.61 m) wide and 16 feet (4.9 m) feet long, joined perpendicularly, and came in common use in
222-518: A few weeks later at Cedar Point . Log flumes proved to be extremely popular and quickly became staples at amusement and theme parks throughout the world. The ride was so popular that some parks started adding second flume rides to help reduce the long lines. Cedar Point added Shoot the Rapids in 1967, and Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Over Georgia both added second flumes in 1968. When Six Flags Over Mid America opened in 1971, it featured twin flumes. In
259-490: A few years prior to the re-theming of the ride, leaving a bare structure of the flume drop. Half of the dragon tunnel was also removed, meaning boats now travel through exposed back-of-house facilities during the ride. Much of the architectural decoration in the station plaza has also been removed over time. Chessington initially advertised a competition to redesign the ride, claiming the attraction would be rethemed for 2014. However, nothing immediately came of this development, and
296-407: A large rocky structure and some out in the open. Splash Mountain consists of a single trough running in a continuous circuit through the middle of a show building with Audio-Animatronic scenes playing on the left and right of the main flume , with only the largest drops and a few turns positioned outside the show building. Luna Park's Wild River contains a few turns, then a lifthill which holds
333-439: A reliable source of water was available. Flumes were cheaper to build and operate than logging railroads . They could span long distances across chasms with more lightweight trestles . Flumes remained in widespread use through the early 20th century. The logging truck replaced both the logging railroad and the flume after WWII. Today, log flumes remain in the popular imagination as amusement park rides . J. W. Haines built
370-573: A steady supply of water. Often, a log pond or artificial reservoir serves this purpose. The head directs the flow of water into the top of the flume. Flume boxes are built tight with lumber free of knots to prevent leaks. Feeder troughs resupply water on long routes. Logging flumes were only needed in semi-arid regions without rivers or navigable streams. As a result, water rights were often difficult to secure. Often, flumes moved water from one drainage basin to another, with rights settled in court. Flume routes were surveyed by engineers using
407-454: A trick waterfall effect. The boats exit the tunnel into trees, under a bridge, and around a lagoon until reaching a second, taller lift that ascends the side of a rocky mountain. The boats reach their highest point, before dropping into the main splash pool. Prior to the Tiger Rock theme, the boats would pass between two large scenic stone faces resembling Angkor Wat . Right before returning to
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#1733085197906444-451: The 1960s and early 1970s Arrow had a monopoly on the log flume business, producing over 50 flumes by 1979. In 1976, the French company Reverchon Industries started building flumes and in 1979 Hopkins Rides entered the flume building business. Other manufacturers eventually followed with Intamin building its first log flume in 1986 and Mack Rides in 1987. Log flumes are generally out in
481-525: The 1999 season. The ride was manufactured by Mack Rides , and the original concept for the ride was designed by John Wardley . In July 2017, Chessington filed for planning permission to undertake a large overhaul of the Mystic East area of the theme park. Part of this overhaul included the re-theming and renaming of Dragon Falls to Tiger Rock . The ride closed on 10 September 2017 so that the overhaul could take place, which involved nearby Peeking Heights ,
518-408: The chance of being soaked, the flume can be designed to be turbulent, or to run underneath waterfalls. Water cannons (typically coin-operated) aimed along the path are sometimes installed alongside the flume. Additionally, the exit path from the ride may cross over or go near to the flume, such that departing riders are drenched by the boat currently en route. One of the first elaborately-themed flumes
555-438: The craft. Passengers described the sensation like "rushing through space suspended between earth and sky". There are a variety of flume terminals. The kind of terminal depends on the materials the flume transports and its disposal at the end point of a flume. An elephant terminal splits from a central trunk into many forked branches. From there, logs are diverted into open branches by closing branches not in use. Logs collect at
592-411: The end of the terminal in a loose pile. Other terminals shoot logs onto rollers that move them onto loading platforms. The water from the flume drives a waterwheel that drives the rollers. This arrangement works well with heavy railroad crossties or mining timbers. In the late 19th century, three rival California lumber companies built log flumes of unprecedented and nearly identical length. Each served
629-631: The end). It provides people with an entertaining way to get wet and cool off on a hot summer day, with certain seating sections usually being splashed with more water for a more fun and wet ride. Log flume rides are named for log flumes used in logging. Log flumes are a variant of the chute rides and old mill rides that were popular in the United States in the early 20th century. Shoot the Chute rides continue to be built today. Both of these types of rides took rather simple approaches to handling water flow. It
666-618: The first successful lumber flume in 1859. The v-shaped trough brought a half-million feet of lumber daily from the eastern Sierra Nevada to the Comstock Lode . The 15 miles (24 km) route was between Lake Tahoe and Reno , terminating at the Virginia and Truckee Railroad terminus in Washoe Valley . Soon, log flumes spread across the mountains of the western United States as artificial rivers that brought lumber to market. Log flumes need
703-570: The flume trough. An open front allowed water in for stability in the curves. A closed back allowed water to push the craft forward. Flat boards across the top created a platform for passengers and cargo. Top speed depended on the grade of the flume. Flume boats on the Sanger Lumber Company flume, the "fastest chute in the world", traveled at 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). Boats traveled over steep trestles and curves with precipitous drops on either side without brakes or other means to slow
740-407: The lumber. Working on the flume was a dangerous job. Occupational fatality statistics are unavailable. But reports suggest that falls resulted in many injuries and deaths. Square lumber was often provided by a temporary, portable sawmill erected at the head of the flume. Other times, round timber trestles of 8 inches (20 cm) to 12 inches (30 cm) diameter were cut and finished from along
777-536: The open, though some may contain enclosed or tunneled sections. The flume is usually made of fiberglass, concrete or galvanized steel. In a typical course, the boatful of riders floats through a small section of channel upon leaving the station, then engages a lift hill that takes them on a winding course in the water-filled trough. A second lifthill then culminates with an exciting drop and a splashdown finale. The amount of splash can be controlled by using rubber belting of differing widths and differing heights. To increase
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#1733085197906814-420: The park was later renamed 'Land of the Tiger'. The parks Ferris Wheel attraction called 'Peeking Heights' was demolished to make way for the new enclosures. The enclosures feature great interactions with the paths, bridges and with the 'Tiger Rock' flume ride in the area and there are also trails in the area where the tigers can walk over the head of guests called 'Tiger Crossings' in a 'Europe First'. A fair bit of
851-404: The ride continued to operate in this half-demolished condition. The ride closed for a tiger retheme on 10 September 2017. In October 2017, it was announced that the ride would be renamed Tiger Rock . As with Runaway Train , the ride itself will remain unchanged, with only the scenery being redesigned. New Amur tiger enclosures were constructed and built into the area and the 'Mystic East' area of
888-482: The riders (usually 4 or 5) upwards for 15 seconds then the log turns left and drops down. The second lifthill lifts up higher with audio playing in the back and then an exciting drop occurs and the riders return. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls is a popular log flume attraction heavily-themed around the animated character Dudley Do-Right . The ride was manufactured by Mack Rides and is located at Universal Islands of Adventure . It features multiple smaller drops before
925-463: The rough shape of the dragon being recognizable, but the artwork replaced with a flat blanket of grey rock texture. Notably, the large Buddha statue themed to Kōtoku-in in the city of Kamakura in Japan has survived the re-theme. Flume ride The ride usually culminates with a rapid descent and splashdown into a body of water, which may happen more than once (normally the largest drop being just before
962-576: The route. Some trestles achieved staggering heights to maintain a desirable grade. Three percent was ideal for a straight flume. Sometimes grades of up to 75 percent were used on short stretches. The steeper the grade the more gradual the curves had to be, or else lumber would jam or go over the sides. The maximum curve was 8 degrees. Early logging flumes were square wooden chutes known as box flumes. These were prone to jams that could cause damage and required constant maintenance. They were also costly to build. A square box carries much more water compared to
999-462: The route. Light signals, and later telephone lines, enabled communication up and down the line. On occasion, despite it being exceedingly dangerous, flume herders and others would ride down the flume in small craft or boats, either for inspection or for thrills. Such rides were the precursor of the modern log-ride amusement park attractions . Every flume boat was one of a kind, but they shared common design characteristics. They were V-shaped to fit
1036-760: The same methods as a railroad survey. However, flumes had several advantages to logging railroads in steep terrain. They could span gulches using much lighter trestles and they took up less space, fitting inside narrower canyons where there wasn’t room for a railroad. The main disadvantage of the light construction was they were damaged more easily by fire, floods, wind, and falling timber. But they could be repaired more cheaply. Flume sites were mostly in rough, undeveloped wilderness. Unlike railroad construction, this required lumber and supplies to be carried in by hand. Flume boxes and trestles were built onsite. Construction crews included six to eight workers. On trestles, four worked aloft continuously. One low man handled and sent up
1073-583: The same purpose: to link their logging operations in the Sierra Nevada to railroad shipping depots in the San Joaquin Valley . All three were purported to be "world's longest flume". However, some measurements may have been exaggerated or subject to inaccurate surveying methods. Contemporary attempts at confirmation are inconclusive. Logging trucks started to replace flumes in the 1910s. Trucks offered mobility, lower operating costs, and did not rely on
1110-571: The station, they would also pass an animatronic elephant that sprayed water at passing riders from its trunk. The surrounding area is Oriental themed and features multiple bridges, viewpoints of the flume and a large fibreglass Buddha statue based on the Great Buddha of Kōtoku-in . The original faux-rock mountain with waterfall, which the boats climbed up on the second lift, was demolished in 2005. The boats are themed to resemble wooden canoes with inline seating. The original Dragon sculpture for
1147-410: The theming of the area has been changed including a few buildings have been repainted to fit in with a new tiger theme, the 'Angkor Wat' structure on the second 'main' drop of the ride has been replaced with a large rock structure centrepiece that the ride drops through that looks like a tiger head. Noticeably, the 'Dragon tunnel' has been repainted and re-purposed to look like a rocky cave structure, with
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1184-478: The tunnel was created by Aden Hynes Sculpture Studios, along with the two stone Angkor Wat Buddha faces that framed the large flume drop. These sculptures were installed in 1987, having been hand carved from polystyrene, and coated with glass fibre for long time durability outside. Both the dragon and the stone faces were repainted over the years, contributing massively to the rides impressive theming. The Buddha heads and remaining rock scenery were demolished in 2013,
1221-406: The western United States during the late 19th century. Box flumes were not made obsolete. They continued to be built when a large volume of water was desired for a secondary use, such as irrigation. Box flumes were also more capable of handling materials uneven in size and weight simultaneously. Lumber, pulpwood , shingle bolts, and whole logs move at different speeds and were prone to double-up in
1258-509: Was Timber Mountain Log Ride at Knott's Berry Farm . Originally built as a concession run by Hurlbut Amusement Company, most of the ride is inside a man-made mountain. Bud Hurlbut and his right-hand man Harry Suker were responsible for the theme of the ride. Upon his retirement, Hurlbut sold the ride to Knott's Berry Farm where it is still in operation. Log Chute at Mall of America 's indoor park Nickelodeon Universe contains sections within
1295-414: Was designed as a pagoda and the first drop featured a sculpted dragon tunnel. The ride began its journey by passing out of the station, and then along a picturesque stream lined with traditional Japanese plants and trees. Bridges are positioned above the ride at certain points, allowing guests to view passing boats. The boats go up the first lift hill, and then drop down into a tunnel which originally housed
1332-452: Was not until Karl Bacon of Arrow Development got involved and studied hydrodynamics that the use of water flow in an amusement ride was fully exploited. The first modern day log flume amusement ride constructed by Arrow was El Aserradero at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas , which opened in 1963 and is still in operation. The Mill Race , Arrow Log Flume number two, opened just
1369-421: Was originally extensively themed, although the majority of its scenic design was later removed due to lack of maintenance and durability over time. A contest was held in 2014 that focused on possible new themes for the ride. In September 2017, the ride closed for refurbishment and reemerged on 5 May 2018 as Tiger Rock. The ride was named Dragon River when it opened in 1987, but subsequently named Dragon Falls since
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