Coaster Kingdom
http://www.ukrollercoasters.co.uk
Grand National (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
It's
strange to think that here at the beginning of the 21st century, with technology
allowing for more and more sophisticated thrill rides, that some of our best
coasters were thrilling people before the war. The Grand National is one of
those rides. Designed by Charles Paige, the Grand National opened somewhere in
the mid-to-late 1930s (most people agree on 1935), and replaced the park's
Scenic Railway coaster. After this the history of the ride is far less eventful
than that of its brother, the Big Dipper. Only the Belle Vue Bobs in Manchester
challenged the ride for the title of "Britain's Best Woodie". When the
Bobs was demolished in 1970, the National the title to itself, although it
has now been challenged by the new pretender, Megafobia.
Being
hidden from the view for virtually all of its life by the park's Fun House and
now Valhalla, the Nash has always seemed to be forgotten by the public, who
don't fancy handing over their cash for a ride they can't see. This is quite
ironic, as part of the appeal of a racing coaster to park owners is the fact
that it doubles a ride's capacity, while the Grand National seems to struggle to
find enough punters to fill its trains. Hopefully, with the increasing use of
wristbands, people will be more
The
station was designed by Jospeh Emberton, architect of many of the Pleasure Beach
building during the 20s and 30s. The classic white tower has seen a few changes
over the years, but was restored to its original look in 1991, only to be
dwarfed by the turnaround of The Big One, which does seem to belittle the ride
in every sense of the word. The first thing you notice when you arrive in the
station is that it is horribly cramped. When there is a queue, the crowding on
the platform is ridiculous. This lack of room means that choosing your seat is
out. Usually, however, there's no crowd to fight through, and with some
careful timing, you can pass through the turnstile to find a totally empty set
of gates.
The
trains are of the same design as the Big Dipper, although with only three
benches to a car. Early in the 1998 season, a car was removed from each train,
leaving only 18 seats per train. This no doubt shocked some enthusiasts, but in
truth the back car gave a ride which was rough beyond the point of enjoyment,
and as such I haven't mourned their removal.
Once
the lap bars are checked by the staff, the trains are away. They leave roughly a
second apart, which theoretically makes up for the fact that one train has a
slightly longer track, due to being on the outside of more corners. The trains
turn away from each other, and out of sight toward the lift hill. Usually they
arrive together, leading to the traditional round of joining hands as they make
their way up the lift(s).
After
passing under the "THEY'RE OFF" sign, the trains turn to the left and
toward the famous double first drop.
The
drop is great fun, and the extra dip gives a nice bit of airtime, coupled with a
moment of silence from the wheels as they part company with the track. Climbing
up toward "Beecher's Brook", the trains turn right, ending up facing
directly toward the top of the first drop. There are three such turns as the
ride progresses, designed to enhance the thrill of racing as the trains
constantly change position, the train on the inside of the turn rapidly gains
ground on its opponent. Traditionally, these turns would be the scene of hand
slapping between enthusiasts who have split themselves between the two trains.
After
Beecher's, the trains head over "Valentine's" and into the left handed
second turnaround. Front seat riders are given a major dose of airtime rising
into this turn, while back seaters will have been given their fix on the
previous drop. The next diagonal section (i.e. crossing the middle of the figure
8 ride) is the reason that for me not missing the four car trains. After a good
drop, the track heads into another hill, the crown of which is directly
underneath Valentine's. Here, riders in that fourth car would be subjected to
such a jolt that even as a "prepared" rider, I found it difficult not
to feel as if my legs had been snapped in two. The drop out of this is another
double drop, although this time, the second is too small to really notice.
From
here, the trains rise into the final main turnaround, which is directly
underneath the first, the structure of which enhances the feeling of speed, and
into the back straight. A nice little series of dips keeps the interest up,
although the final dip of this section is one to watch out for! A final
90-degree right turn brings you toward the station. Nothing of any real note
happens here, although this is where riders in the leading can savour their
victory. Some brakes ruin what could have been a spectacular dive under one of
the park's main walkways and up into the station. Famously, the trains finish
the ride having swapped sides, and it is surprising how many people find this
baffling. A hint to any of you who still don't know: It happened even before the
lift hill!
For
a time, the Grand National suffered a major problem in that the racing aspect
was lost due to the fact that one train was hopelessly slower than the other.
This has since been improved, and the ride is back to its full glory. For
maximum enjoyment split your group between the two trains, and you can enjoy
racing your friends, as the trains jockey for position the turns, and take drops
side by side. It really is an immensely enjoyable experience.
My
biggest criticism of the ride is that the area where the real action takes place
looks pretty shambolic. BPB has never gone in for Nemesis-style
"staging" for its rides, but to have a classic coaster running through
what looks like a scrap yard is a little sad. Take your eye off the other train,
and you are likely to see old signposts, bits of long gone rides, barbed wire
fences, and all sorts of junk lying around. Surely there's somewhere better to
put this rubbish!
So,
is it Britain's best woodie? Well, it's close but I'd say no. At its best, I'd
rank it about level with Megafobia, but my personal favourite has to be BPB's
Big Dipper - I'm perfectly aware, though, that I'm in a minority! It is though,
hard to rate a racing coaster against a "normal" one, as the Nash may
have a slightly less exciting layout, but is perfect for creating the atmosphere
of a big race, you only have to listen to people exiting the ride to know that,
as comments are invariably of the "We would have beaten you if..."
style.
So
another classic ride for BPB, and while it doesn't quite have the relentlessness
of the Big Dipper or Megafobia, it's an absolute classic and one of the best
coasters in the country.
4/5 John Phillips