WGH LTD - Transportation Engineering Ltd was a British company that manufactured and supplied different types of amusement rides, funicular railways, inclined lift systems, and other transport systems over a 27 year period.
History Founded by Andrew Howarth, John Martin and Tony Brown. The company started as Closechase Ltd from February 1989 until April 1989, then was renamed to Whitley, Geddes & Howarth Ltd from 1989 until 1991.
The managing directors of WGH Ltd previously worked for Gyro Mining Transport (GMT) from 1977 until 1989 when they sold the firm to Hunslet Engineering Company, based in Leeds, UK due to the decline of the mining industry in the United Kingdom.
Andrew Howarth was approached by Mimafab Ltd in 1985 who introduced him to the business of leisure and amusement attractions while working for GMT at the time. Shortly after, GMT worked with Mimafab Ltd, who then became MERIDIAN (MOTIONEERING) LTD, to produce two log flume attractions together for Camelot Theme Park in Chorley, UK and Rotunda Amusement Park in Folkstone, UK.
In 2002, WGH Ltd partnered with South Korean company POSCO to create a concept and design a new environmentally friendly public transport automated transport system that would later be known as the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). In 2005, they officially registered the company VECTUS Ltd, and Andrew Howarth would take on the role as company director. The first PRT system was first tested in Uppsala, Sweden in 2006. In 2007 the PRT vehicle concept was given a safety approval from the Swedish Rail Agency. Andrew Howarth resigned as company director in May 2006.
In late November 2009, the Dreamland Trust were given a grant to restore the Scenic Railway as well as the rest of the park at Dreamland Margate, in Kent, England, after it was victim to arson in 2008. In 2014, Thanet District Council contracted WGH Ltd to rebuild the trains and the rides mechanical systems, while Topbond Plc were contracted to rebuild the wooden structure. The Scenic Railway reopened to the public on 15 October 2015.
In March 2016, it was reported that WGH Ltd was acquired by Stage One Creative Services Ltd, a York based company who specialises in the stage and entertainment industry. Many of the staff moved on to work for Stage One Creative Services Ltd and other companies within the amusement industry such as Garmendale Engineering.
Roller coasters Between 1995 and 2004, WGH Ltd built 6 roller coasters, ranging between mini coasters, custom-terrain, and powered roller coasters. +NameTypeProject No.ParkCountryYearRefRhombus RocketPowered CoasterW315Fantasy Island United Kingdom1995Jellikins CoasterMini CoasterW360Fantasy Island United Kingdom1996The DragonCustom Family CoasterW381Legoland Windsor United Kingdom1998Spook ExpressMini CoasterW466Joyland United Kingdom1998Dragon's ApprenticeMini CoasterW553Legoland Windsor United Kingdom1999Green DragonCustom Family CoasterW940GreenWood Forest Park Wales2004
Water rides WGH Ltd supplied a range of different type of water rides including tub rides (small round boat rides), log flumes, and themed boat rides. +NameTypeProject No.ParkCountryYearStatusThe Magical SeaquriumTub RideW317Fantasy Island United Kingdom1995Big River RideTub RideW347Watermouth Family Theme Park and Castle United Kingdom2001TV's Family FavouritesTub RideW347Crinkley Bottom, Cricket St Thomas United Kingdom1995Cactus CanyonTub RideW431Botton's Pleasure Beach (Skegness) United Kingdom1997Dora's World VoyageTub RideW569Blackpool Pleasure Beach United Kingdom2011Drunken BarrelsTub RideW378Loudoun Castle United Kingdom2006StowawayTub RideW378Dreamland Margate United Kingdom1996Fairy Tale BrookBoat RideW314Legoland Windsor United Kingdom1996FlodfärdenTub RideW409Furuviksparken Sweden1997Jolly Pirate BoatTub RideW211Sundown Adventureland United Kingdom1992River BoatsTub RideW378Halmstad Äventyrsland Sweden2012Gruffalo River Ride AdventureTub RideW265Chessington World of Adventures United Kingdom1990Tommy Tinkaboo's Sweet AdventureTub RideW239Pleasure Island Family Theme Park United Kingdom1993Wind In The WillowsTub RideW1141Twinlakes Park United Kingdom2008Log FlumeFlume RideW316Fantasy Island United Kingdom1995Great Expectations Boat RideIndoor Flume RideW1010Dickens World United Kingdom2007TraitorIndoor Flume RideW427London Dungeon(Tooley Street) United Kingdom1997Störtebeker the boat ride (Hafen Gangs)Indoor Flume RideW623Hamburg Dungeon Germany2000Tyrant Boat RideIndoor Flume RideW1300London Dungeon(South Bank) United Kingdom2013
Tracked rides, suspended monorails and other rides WGH Ltd also supplied track-based rides ranging from ground models and suspended monorails. +NameTypeProject No.ParkCountryYearStatusAnnie McLeod Experience RideSuspended Dark RideW159New Lanark World Heritage Site Scotland1990U.F.O. ZoneSuspended Dark RideW270Granada Studios United Kingdom1993Shipyard RideSuspended Dark RideW1250Titanic Experience Northern Ireland2012TaikasirkusSuspended Dark RideW432Linnanmäki Finland1997Time RideSuspended Dark RideW636Jorvik Viking Centre United Kingdom2001Maritime MuseumSuspended Dark RideW800Khalifa Park United Arab Emirates2003The Knight RideSuspended Dark RideW224Carrickfergus Heritage Centre Northern Ireland1993Crazy Clown RideTracked RideW361Fantasy Island United Kingdom1996Noel's House Party Guest RideTracked RideW313Crinkley Bottom, Cricket St Thomas United Kingdom1994Mischief MansionTracked RideW700Flamingo Land United Kingdom2001TransdemoniumTracked RideW784Parc Astérix France2003Whisky Barrel RideTracked RideW1154Scotch Whisky Experience Scotland2007CadabraTracked RideW410Cadburys World United Kingdom1997Wallace & Gromit: Thrill-O-MaticTracked RideW1294Blackpool Pleasure Beach United Kingdom2013El tren del terrorTracked RideW772Museo de Cera de Madrid Spain2002Adventures of DreamielandTracked RideW757Trafford Centre, Manchester United Kingdom2002Opel ExperienceTracked RideW500Messe Frankfurt (Auto show IAA) Germany1999The Water Droplet JourneyTracked Ride(Unknown)Kahramaa Awareness Park Qatar2010Champagne Cellar TourTracked Ride(Unknown)Piper-Heidsieck France(Unknown)The Balloon RideBalloon RideW368Fantasy Island United Kingdom1996Balloon SchoolBalloon RideW555Legoland Windsor United Kingdom1999Ferris WheelFerris WheelW1260Bayt Abdullah Children's Hospice Kuwait2013Regatta Ferris WheelFerris WheelW1347(Unknown) Singapore2013(Unknown)Funicular RailwayFunicular Railway(Unknown)Ebbw Vale Garden Festival Wales1992The Hill TrainFunicular RailwayEO519Legoland Windsor United Kingdom1991
Other projects As well as supplying and manufacturing leisure attractions, WGH Ltd were also involved in projects that involved modifications, refurbishments, extensions and other cosmetic work to existing leisure attractions. +NameTypeProject No.ParkCountryYearToucan ToursRestraint systemW669Fantasy Island United Kingdom1995The DragonNew 3rd trainW1216Legoland Windsor United Kingdom2009The FlumeNew log flume boatW950Alton Towers Resort United Kingdom2004London Eye (Millennium Wheel)Automated platform systemW585London Eye United Kingdom1999London Eye (Millennium Wheel)Passenger control gatesW613London Eye United Kingdom1999Underground Experience TourSimulator VehicleW300Rhondda Heritage Park Wales1994The Oxford StoryAGV VehiclesUnknownOxford Castle United Kingdom2003Inclined LiftInclined LiftW663Urbis Centre United Kingdom2002Inclined LiftInclined LiftW532National Railway Museum United Kingdom1999Inclined LiftInclined LiftW1161Blists Hill Victorian Town United Kingdom2009Cliff liftInclined LiftW729Polperro Sewage Works United Kingdom2011Tram No. 40Horse drawn tramW193Bradford Industrial Museum United Kingdom1992Newcastle Corporation No. 114Replica TramEO692Beamish Museum United Kingdom1993Scenic RailwayTrains and mechanical systemW1377Dreamland Margate United Kingdom2015People MoverLift SystemW401Royal Victoria Dock Footbridge United Kingdom1998Klondike CreekLog flume extensionW560Flamingo Land United Kingdom1999Nightmare NiagaraLog flume extensionUnknownAmerican Adventure Theme Park United Kingdom1993SagotågetSuspended monorail vehiclesEO706Junibacken Sweden1996Scenic Route TrommelTrommelW970Conkers, Leicestershire United Kingdom1999Ray Heath football tunnelTrommelW559Premier League Hall of Fame County Hall United Kingdom19994-man BobsleighBobsleigh braking systemW1443University of Bath United Kingdom2015Rocky River FallsLog flume refurbishmentE1115Wicksteed Park United Kingdom2003Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)Launch System TechnologyW1057Alstom United Kingdom2009Mole System DemonstratorMOLE Underground Freight PipelineW1342Mole Solutions Ltd United Kingdom2015DrenchedNew restraint systemW1008Oakwood Theme Park Wales2004The UltimateNew wheel chevron mount and housing & track sectionsW322Lightwater Valley United Kingdom1992
Notes 178H31.82 Gyro Mining Transport Projects Technical Drawings 1987-1988
178H31.81 Mimafab Projects Technical Drawings 1988-1989
178H31.84 Big Country Motioneering Projects Technical Drawings 1988-1989
References
External links
WGH Transportation Engineering - DRdb - Dark Ride Database WGH Rides Collection - Collections at the National Fairground and Circus Archive - National Fairground and Circus Archive - The University of Sheffield