Britain’s oldest rollercoaster already has a storied past, and it suffered yet another setback during the festive season when high winds blew part of the structure away. The Grade II-listed ride was undergoing restoration at the
time as part of the renovation of the Dreamland amusement park in Margate, Kent.
The park said it hopes the incident will not affect the planned opening date of May 2015.
The Scenic Railway rollercoaster was about one-third of the way through renovation works when the accident happened. The well-loved wooden coaster, which first opened in 1921, is the amusement park’s signature ride and is central to
the relaunch of the venue.
“A small section of the north curve of the structure was affected by the wind on the evening of 26 December, 2014,” a statement from Dreamland said. “This is part of the structure that has not yet been completed.”
The coaster is no stranger to this type of drama. The Scenic Railway was heavily damaged by fire in 1949 and parts of the structure were again hit by fire in 1957. In 2008, an arson attack destroyed one-quarter of the ride, including the station, lift hill, workshop and original cars.
Dreamland, the UK’s oldest theme park, closed its doors in the mid-2000s, but following an 11-year long battle against the property being sold off for development, the park is set to re-open in May. The Scenic Railway was expected to re-open at the same time.
“Contractors are now on site and an initial assessment is that thankfully there has not been significant damage,” Dreamland said. “Contractors will work to repair the section affected and are hopeful this won’t impact on the projected timescale for completion.”
The renovation of Dreamland, which will be in keeping with vintage style of the park’s heyday of the 1950s and 1960s, is part of a larger drive to bring the once-buzzing seaside town back to life.
According to the Prince’s Regeneration Trust, the Scenic Railway is central to this. “The ride suffered terrible fire damage in 2008 and its dereliction is symbolic of much more profound economic and social decline of this well-known seaside town,” said a 2011 report from the Trust. “Sustainably restoring this precious heritage would be a vital step in attracting new visitors.”
