It’s no secret that roller coasters seem to be getting shorter in terms of total track length but theme park attraction designers and roller coaster engineers are figuring out clever ways to extend the overall ride duration. We’re also in the middle of a family coaster renaissance with far more family-friendly coasters being built over record-breaking scream machines. A perfect example is the newly opened Gold Rush roller coaster at Drayton Manor in Staffordshire, England. This family lift-and-launch coaster from Intamin has a multi-experience layout configuration. Meaning, you can ride it twice and get different experiences.
While the track length is only 1,945 feet (593 meters), the total amount of track experienced is 2,650 feet (808 meters). How is this possible?
- A tire-driven lift-hill that the train is capable of ascending forwards or backwards
- A tire-driven mid-ride launch
- Two fast-track switches
© Intamin Amusement Rides
Gold Rush POV – Both Sequences
First, if you’ve not yet ridden Gold Rush or watched the POV then take a ride by watching Theme Park Worldwide’s video below. Both ride sequences are shown back-to-back as each one is around two-minutes long.
Gold Rush Layout Explained
Intamin’s website has a great explanation for each layout and the experience numbers correspond to the order of the video above. Each version features a roll-back down the lift hill and a trip completely over the lift hill – just at different times.
© Intamin Amusement Rides
Wikipedia also has a great Gold Rush layout diagram so you can clearly see which segments of track are traversed forwards only, backwards, or both:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Rush_(Drayton_Manor)
Even with the multiple configurations, Gold Rush is still able to operate with two twenty-four passenger trains. The tallest point is only 56 feet (17 meters) above ground and the height requirement is only 1-meter (about 39 inches), putting it firmly in the family-thrill coaster market.
Have you been on Gold Rush? Even if you haven’t, just by watching the POV, which cycle do you think is superior? What other parks should get the next multi-experience roller coaster? Let us know in the comments below!
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