With Halloween in the rearview, the festive season is on the way, and fast approaching for most UK theme parks is winter shutdown. As the theme park season winds down, it’s that time of year when our clients start thinking about winter strip-downs and refurbishments. Never mind about Christmas, winter shutdown is our favourite holiday. We love restoring rides to their former glory and preparing theme parks for the 2025 season.

Whether it’s a beloved family ride, a heart-stopping rollercoaster, or a specialist one of a kind ride system, Garmendale can revive any ride to it’s former glory. Not even the best ride in the world can avoid the effects of time, after repeated use these ride systems suffer from wear and tear, and need some TLC. Something Garmendale Engineering know a thing or two about.

Earlier this year our friends at Alton Towers invited us back for annual works on the Go Jetters family aerial roundabout also known as Garmendale’s quad-star. We originally designed, manufactured, and installed this family attraction, so there’s no better team for the annual shutdown works. To the clients specification the chassis refurbishment included a full shot blast, and powder-coating. We managed to turn this project around quickly, meeting out clients tight window for the project.  Above is the chassis before our refurbishment, and below is the chassis’ prepared for the return to trip to Alton Towers.

The team at London Dungeons have called on Garmendale time and time again to refurbish the ride systems hidden within the depths of the dungeons. One of our favourite projects in the last few years has been the complete overhaul of the Tyrant Boat Ride vehicles. To bring these galleons back to there former glory the team stripped the vehicles down replacing parts beyond repair, whilst refurbishing the components that just need a varnish and a touch up. In the past Garmendale have also refurbished, repaired, and re-fitted larger ride systems, from Chessington World of Adventures’ Kobra to the London Eyes’ capsules.

Wear and tear, is a natural part of the theme park ride life cycle, whether it is superficial damage or internal degradation Garmendale can have any ride looking brand new. No refurbishment project is too big, let us know if there’s anything we can help you with over the winter shutdown or anytime of year.