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| Grand National in 2006 | |||||||||||
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| Statistics | |||||||||||
| Builder | Charles Paige | ||||||||||
| Type | Wooden - Möbius | ||||||||||
| Propulsion | Chain lift hill | ||||||||||
| Height | 18.9 metres | ||||||||||
| Top speed | 64.4 km/h | ||||||||||
| Length | 1006.4 metres | ||||||||||
| Inversions | 0 | ||||||||||
| Duration | 2:20 | ||||||||||
| Rolling stock | |||||||||||
| Manufacturer | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters | ||||||||||
| Riders per train | 18 | ||||||||||
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Grand National is a wooden roller coaster at Pleasure Beach Resort in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK. The ride was designed and constructed by Charles Paige. Grand National opened in 1935, replacing the Scenic Railway. It is the only Möbius loop roller coaster in the UK, and one of only five in the world.
History
The Grand National opened in 1935.[1][2] At the time, it was the biggest roller coaster at the park. The ride was built by Charles Paige, and the station was designed by Joseph Emberton, an architect of many Pleasure Beach buildings during the 1920s and 30s.[3]
In the early 1990s, Andy Hine, the chairman of the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain, was married on the ride. A plaque with his name is installed on one of the trains.
On 20 May 2004, an electrical fault in the lighting system of the roof of the station caused a fire which destroyed the entire station and both the trains, as well as damaging two nearby rides.[4] The station was rebuilt and new trains were installed. The ride re-opened on 28 October 2004 after repairs were completed.
At the start of 2010, Pleasure Beach staff said that due to an electrical fault the ride had, it would not run for some time. However it was running again in July 2010.
The ride was designated as a Grade II Listed Building on 19 April 2017.[5]
Design
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Colour scheme
Unpainted track and white supports.
Trains
4 trains with 3 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows, for a total of 18 riders per train.
Theming
The Grand National is themed and named after the horse race of the same name. The trains climb the lift hill and pass under the 'They're Off' sign and race through 'Becher's Brook', 'Valentine's' and 'Canal Turn' before returning to the 'Winning Post'.
Images
References
- ↑ "Belgium learns from Blackpool". Manchester Evening News. 1935-02-20. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ↑ "Blackpool: High-Speed Joy". The Guardian. 1935-04-18. p. 11. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- ↑ "Grand National, Pleasure Beach Blackpool". Coaster Kingdom.
- ↑ "Fire damages famous Blackpool ride". BBC News.
- ↑ "The Grand National". Historic England.
External links
- Grand National on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
