The oldest rollercoaster in Britain has taken its last lap around the tracks as it closes for good.
Dreamland Margate amusement park announced that its oldest attraction, the Scenic Railway, will now “take well-earned retirement from operation as a ride”.
The grade II-listed wooden rollercoaster opened in 1920 as part of an attempt to emulate Coney Island in New York.
At the time, it was advertised as the largest rollercoaster in Europe and in its first season nearly one million people rode on its tracks.
More than a century later, the park confirmed that the Scenic Railway would be closed permanently. It had not been operational since a fault was detected in 2024.
A spokesperson for Dreamworld added that the decision to close the ride came after an extensive process of consultations that concluded the Scenic Railway had come to the end of its life.
The ride had been damaged by fires in 1949 and 1957, and was also closed for restoration work between 2006 and 2015 after an arson attack.
However, the structure itself will not be moving any time soon. Dreamland stated that it is “committed to developing a new long-term vision that will not only showcase this remarkable grade-II listed structure, but reimagine its purpose so it can continue to be enjoyed by future generations in a fresh and meaningful way”.
The park will be hosting a pop-up exhibit this summer to celebrate the ride’s history. Long-term, Dreamland says it will reuse the structure for people to “enjoy in a different way”.
Dreamland is calling on people to submit their “reimagining proposal” for the historical ride, while also asking for people to provide memories of the rollercoaster.
Scenic Railways were popular rides in the late 19th to early 20th century, with the first construction appearing in 1887 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
They typically run along a looped track and require a “brakeman” to ride between carriages to slow cars down on steep descents.
There were 31 Scenic Railways built in the UK, but the only remaining operational ride is now found in Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, built a decade after Margate’s structure.
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