vann98 wrote:Been following the progress of this restoration for a few days now. It is really coming along and shows what a lick of paint can do among other things!
Makes me wonder if any of the original historic rides have had the same treatment yet or whether they are scheduled for restoration nearer down the line.
As you can see from the photos the Jets ride is having a nuts and bolts rebuild which will include the following:
A full strip down and repaint of the chassis and structure of the machine.
A full overhaul of the air and hydraulic systems including the replacement of all air pipes, valves and seals.
Pressure testing the arms and replacement of all air systems.
A new three phase soft start motor with fixed ride timer system.
Restoration of the original artwork as required.
A new set of gratings (perimeter walkway)
A full rewire and replacement of the electrical systems.
That is just a summary but you get the general idea. These rides tend to suffer from years of running repairs and this machine is no different, bearings / washers and just about every moving part has been bodged along and will need to be totally replaced before this machine can enter daily service.
Someone mentioned lights on the ride. At the moment we are waiting for guidance as every option has its problems. The old fashioned light bulbs are almost impossible to buy anymore and require someone changing them on a constant basis. The new style LED's are cheap to run and easy to look after but do they look right? my own view is no. Other options are being considered.
At the moment we are concentrating on the Jets ride and you are welcome to follow the progress on Facebook. In addition I will try to answer any questions you may have on this forum.
We are also about to start on the double decker kids ride which again you can watch the progress of on Facebook and there will be an announcement on a further adult ride before Christmas.
We will be working on several rides in Wakefield and we envisage that at some point prior to the reopening of Dreamland we will have a test run of all these rides at our premises in Wakefield and perhaps combine this with an open day. Don't start booking train tickets to Wakefield yet as this is just an outline idea but I will keep you in touch with this over the coming months.
Regards
David Littleboy