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 three surviving wooden Möbius Loop roller coasters in the world and one of the only two in Eurasia. 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 | |
| Location | Blackpool Pleasure Beach |
| Coordinates | 53°47′31″N 3°03′11″W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 1935 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood – Racing |
| Designer | Charles Paige |
| Model | Racing |
| Track layout | Möbius Loop |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift |
| Height | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Drop | 54 ft (16 m) |
| Length | 3,302 ft (1,006 m) |
| Speed | 40 mph (64 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Max vertical angle | 39° |
| G-force | 3.2 |
| Height restriction | 46 in (117 cm) |
| Trains | 4 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]
The ride is notorious for being rough and uncomfortable, and in the 2018 season a sign was placed at the entrance that indicates that all riders must be fit and well enough to ride.
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
- Marden, Duane. "Grand National". Roller Coaster DataBase.
- Historic England, "The Grand National (1436382)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 21 April 2017
- "Most naked riders on a theme park ride". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- "Fire damages famous Blackpool ride". BBC Lancashire. 21 May 2004. Retrieved 10 April 2008.
- Byrne, Paul (28 October 2014). "Man breaks neck on Blackpool Pleasure Beach roller coaster". Mirror.