Scenic Railway Roller Coaster
Encyclopedia
The Scenic Railway Roller Coaster, known simply as the Scenic or Roller Coaster, is a wooden
triple out-and-back
scenic railway at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach
, Great Yarmouth
, UK. The ride was built at the park in 1932 and has been operational ever since. It stands and operates as the only remaining ride of its kind in the UK; and one of only eight in the world. The ride is virtually unique as a 'brakeman
' is required to ride with the train to control its speed as there are no brakes on the track. It is the second tallest and second fastest wooden roller coaster in the UK.
, which is misleading as the train makes no contact with the side walls of the track; the running wheels are simply flange
d like those of railway vehicles (hence the name scenic railway). The ride features two large drops, the first one of which is a 'headchopper' where the train dives under some of the support structure of the ride. There are also other large drops and a bunnyhop sequence which gives very good air-time
both at the front and back of the train. In total there are nine drops. A typical ride time is 3:05, but can vary depending on the styles of the particular brakemen.
There are five trains to the ride; each train is made up of three cars, each of which has five 2 person bench-seats, allowing 30 riders per train. There are manual lap-bars and grab rails for each seat. The brakeman rides between the first and second cars.
at a Spanish amusement park) and was operated at the Exposition by showman Hugo Hans. At the close of the Exposition, Pat Collins bought the ride for the Pleasure Beach; and he along with Harry and Edward Wadbrook shipped the components to England. They arrived in February 1932 and a team of German workmen began constructing the ride on the sands of the Pleasure Beach site. The ride opened to visitors in April 1932.
Like other scenic railways of the time; the Scenic was clad in mountainous-styled plaster which hung from the sides of the wooden structure. Other scenic features like castles were constructed around parts of the ride. The ride came with five trains, each of the cars of which were made entirely of wood. New trains were built in the early 1960s and these are still in operation today.
The ride was completely re-clad in the late 1960s; with steel sheet replacing the old plaster. The ride was painted in a mountainous landscape with rolling hills and valleys. The ride has been reclad during the down-season since 2002 and stands in its light blue with dark blue band and stars and red stipe.
Coaster Classic, along with the Scenic Railway at Luna Park, Melbourne
, Australia; the only operational scenic railways to obtain this status. A copy of the ride was made by John Collins (Pat Collins' brother) in 1938 which ended up at John's amusement park in Barry Island
in 1940. This ride survived until 1973 when it was severely damaged by gales.
Part of the music video
for the 1982 single House of Fun
by Madness
was filmed at the Pleasure Beach with the band seen riding on the Roller Coaster.
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
triple out-and-back
Out and Back roller coaster
Out and back refers to the layout of a roller coaster. An out and back coaster is one that climbs a lift hill, races out to the far end of the track, performs a 180 degree turn and then races its way back to the station....
scenic railway at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach
Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach
Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach is a historic free entry pleasure park located in the seaside resort town of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on the English east coast. The park first opened in 1909 and has been operating ever since....
, Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
, UK. The ride was built at the park in 1932 and has been operational ever since. It stands and operates as the only remaining ride of its kind in the UK; and one of only eight in the world. The ride is virtually unique as a 'brakeman
Brakeman
A brakeman is a rail transport worker whose original job it was to assist the braking of a train by applying brakes on individual wagons. The advent of through brakes on trains made this role redundant, although the name lives on in the United States where brakemen carry out a variety of functions...
' is required to ride with the train to control its speed as there are no brakes on the track. It is the second tallest and second fastest wooden roller coaster in the UK.
The Ride
The ride's superstructure is entirely timber in construction, the timber being fir and pine; and is completely clad in painted sheets of steel. It measures around 460 ft in length and 100 ft in width. The highest point of the track is 70 ft above ground level. It has a long track length of 3,223.10 feet (982.40 meters) - the second longest scenic in the world. The actual track is wooden and the running rails are in a trough with walkways either side. The ride is often called a side-friction coasterSide friction roller coaster
A side friction roller coaster is an early roller coaster design that does not have an extra set of wheels under the track to prevent cars from becoming airborne. Before the invention of up-stop wheels, coaster cars were built to run in a trough, with wheels under the car and side plates to help...
, which is misleading as the train makes no contact with the side walls of the track; the running wheels are simply flange
Flange
A flange is an external or internal ridge, or rim , for strength, as the flange of an iron beam such as an I-beam or a T-beam; or for attachment to another object, as the flange on the end of a pipe, steam cylinder, etc., or on the lens mount of a camera; or for a flange of a rail car or tram wheel...
d like those of railway vehicles (hence the name scenic railway). The ride features two large drops, the first one of which is a 'headchopper' where the train dives under some of the support structure of the ride. There are also other large drops and a bunnyhop sequence which gives very good air-time
Air-time
Air time is the feeling of weightlessness or negative gravity force experienced on a roller coaster or other amusement rides. On roller coasters this feeling is usually achieved by the train going over a hill. Hypercoasters such as Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point and Bizarro at Six Flags New England...
both at the front and back of the train. In total there are nine drops. A typical ride time is 3:05, but can vary depending on the styles of the particular brakemen.
There are five trains to the ride; each train is made up of three cars, each of which has five 2 person bench-seats, allowing 30 riders per train. There are manual lap-bars and grab rails for each seat. The brakeman rides between the first and second cars.
History
In 1929 Pat Collins, the owner of Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, attended the Paris Colonial Exposition where the largest attraction was a scenic railway. The Scenic Railway had been designed by German Herr Erich Heidrich of Hamburg especially for the Exposition (Heidrich was a scenic railway designer, having the previous year designed and built Montaña SuizaMontaña Suiza
Montaña Suiza is a steel side-friction scenic railway roller coaster located at Parque de atracciones Monte Igueldo on the coast at Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain...
at a Spanish amusement park) and was operated at the Exposition by showman Hugo Hans. At the close of the Exposition, Pat Collins bought the ride for the Pleasure Beach; and he along with Harry and Edward Wadbrook shipped the components to England. They arrived in February 1932 and a team of German workmen began constructing the ride on the sands of the Pleasure Beach site. The ride opened to visitors in April 1932.
Like other scenic railways of the time; the Scenic was clad in mountainous-styled plaster which hung from the sides of the wooden structure. Other scenic features like castles were constructed around parts of the ride. The ride came with five trains, each of the cars of which were made entirely of wood. New trains were built in the early 1960s and these are still in operation today.
The ride was completely re-clad in the late 1960s; with steel sheet replacing the old plaster. The ride was painted in a mountainous landscape with rolling hills and valleys. The ride has been reclad during the down-season since 2002 and stands in its light blue with dark blue band and stars and red stipe.
Popularity
The ride continues to be the most popular attraction at the Pleasure Beach; its popularity largely due to its uniqueness. The ride is an ACEAmerican Coaster Enthusiasts
The American Coaster Enthusiasts is an organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of roller coasters. Membership is open to anyone with payment of yearly dues, and membership benefits may include discounted admission to certain amusement parks...
Coaster Classic, along with the Scenic Railway at Luna Park, Melbourne
Luna Park, Melbourne
For other amusement parks of the same name, see Luna Park; for other uses of the phrase, see Luna Park Melbourne's Luna Park is a historic amusement park located on the foreshore of Port Phillip Bay in St Kilda, Victoria, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Australia...
, Australia; the only operational scenic railways to obtain this status. A copy of the ride was made by John Collins (Pat Collins' brother) in 1938 which ended up at John's amusement park in Barry Island
Barry Island Pleasure Park
Barry Island Pleasure Park is an amusement park situated on the coast at Barry Island in the Vale of Glamorgan, about 10 miles south west of the capital city Cardiff, Wales. The park opens annually at weekends from Easter onwards and daily during the school summer holidays, until the first weekend...
in 1940. This ride survived until 1973 when it was severely damaged by gales.
Part of the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the 1982 single House of Fun
House of Fun
"House of Fun" is a song by British ska/pop group Madness, credited to Mike Barson and Lee Thompson. It was released as a one-off single on April 30, 1982, and reached #1 in the UK charts, spending 9 weeks in the charts. The song was re-released in 1992, reaching #40...
by Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
was filmed at the Pleasure Beach with the band seen riding on the Roller Coaster.