Grand National (roller coaster)

The Grand National is a wooden roller coaster located at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Blackpool, Lancashire in the United Kingdom. It was designed and constructed by Charles Paige in 1935 and is now one of only two surviving wooden Möbius Loop roller coasters in the world (the other being Racer at Kennywood). It is themed and named after the Grand National; with elements of the ride signposted to mimic features of the horse race. 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'. The ride stands at 62 feet (19 m) high and has a track length of 3,302 ft (1,006 m) (i.e. 6,604 ft or 2,013 m in total). The current trains for this ride were manufactured by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters [1]

Grand National
Grand National
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
LocationBlackpool Pleasure Beach
Coordinates53°47′31″N 3°03′11″W
StatusOperating
Opening date1935
General statistics
TypeWood Racing
DesignerCharles Paige
ModelRacing
Track layoutMöbius Loop
Lift/launch systemChain lift
Height62 ft (19 m)
Drop54 ft (16 m)
Length3,302 ft (1,006 m)
Speed40 mph (64 km/h)
Inversions0
Max vertical angle39°
G-force3.2
Height restriction46 in (117 cm)
Trains4 trains with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 18 riders per train.
Grand National at RCDB
Pictures of Grand National at RCDB

The ride was designated as a Grade II listed building on 19 April 2017.[2]

Special events

Andy Hine, the chairman of the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain, was married on the ride in the early 1990s. A plaque with his name is installed on one of the trains.

On 2 March 2019, the world record for "most naked riders on a theme park ride" was broken on the ride by 195 people.[3]

Incidents

On 20 May 2004, an electrical fault in the lighting system of the roof of the station caused a fire which destroyed the station and parts of two adjacent rides as well as the trains of the ride.[4] The station was rebuilt and new trains installed and 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.

In 2014, 58-year-old Robert Sycamore broke his neck whilst riding. He had an underlying back condition.[5]

See also

References


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