The Great Scenic Railway

The Great Scenic Railway
Luna Park Melbourne
LocationLuna Park Melbourne
StatusOperating
Opening dateDecember 1912
General statistics
TypeWood
ManufacturerLaMarcus Thompson
Lift/launch systemCable lift hill
Height16 m (52 ft)
Length967 m (3,173 ft)
Speed60 km/h (37 mph)
Inversions0
Height restriction100 cm (3 ft 3 in)
Trains3 trains with 2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 5 rows for a total of 20 riders per train.
WebsiteOfficial website
The Great Scenic Railway at RCDB

The Great Scenic Railway is a heritage-listed wooden roller coaster located at Luna Park Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia. The roller coaster is the oldest continuously operating roller coaster in the world. The ride is one of only seven roller coasters remaining that requires a brakeman to stand on the train.

History

The Great Scenic Railway opened in December 1912, and has remained continuously in use since, making it the oldest continuously operating roller coaster. The roller coaster was originally built with 65,674 metres (215,466 ft) of Canadian Oregon pine. The roller coaster is regarded as an ACE Classic Coaster.[1] The Great Scenic Railway, Luna Park Sydney’s Wild Mouse and Sea World's Leviathan are the only three operating wooden roller coasters in Australia.[2]

Characteristics

The Great Scenic Railway is a 967 metres (3,173 ft) long coaster which has a height of 16 metres (52 ft) and a top speed of 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph). A brakeman is required in order to brake the roller coaster.[3]

The roller coaster has three trains with two cars. Each car can sit up to 10 riders. Each train weighs about 2 tonnes.[4][5]

Ride experience

The roller coaster begins by entering a cable lift hill. It then reaches its highest point. The ride starts with a few large drops and goes through a series of small structures. The ride then goes through a series of smaller drops.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ^ ACE Coaster Classic Awards Archived 8 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Parkz (7 December 2020). "Six upcoming roller coasters you can ride without leaving Australia in 2021". Parkz. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  3. ^ "The Great Scenic Railway". Luna Park Melbourne. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Scenic Railway Overview". Parkz. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  5. ^ Wilson, Richard (6 March 2006). "Scenic Railway". Parkz. Retrieved 27 October 2021. As its name would imply, it is more of a scenic journey than anything, with great views of the nearby Port Phillip Bay.
  6. ^ Wilson, Richard (6 March 2006). "Scenic Railway". Parkz. Retrieved 27 October 2021. A series of bunny hills makes up the second half of the ride.
  7. ^ Theme Park Review (2 April 2011). "Scenic Railway Wooden Roller Coaster Front Seat POV Luna Park Melbourne Australia". YouTube. Retrieved 27 October 2021.

37°52′04″S 144°58′35″E / 37.8678°S 144.9765°E / -37.8678; 144.9765

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