Theme parks · South East England
Scenic Railway (Dreamland Margate)
The Scenic Railway was a wooden roller coaster located at the Dreamland Amusement Park in Margate, United Kingdom. First opened in 1920, the ride was distinctive compared to modern-day roller coasters
Nigel Cox — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 4 h–8 h
- Best time of year
- School holidays (Apr–Oct)
About
The Scenic Railway was a wooden roller coaster located at the Dreamland Amusement Park in Margate, United Kingdom. First opened in 1920, the ride was distinctive compared to modern-day roller coasters, as a brakeman was required to travel with the train to control its speed, manually applying brakes when needed. UK's English Heritage granted the roller coaster Grade II listed status in 2002 and Grade II* listed status in 2011, when it was the oldest operating roller coaster in the UK and one of only eight scenic railways in the world. The Scenic Railway was non-operational from 2006 until 2015 amid park closure and restoration following an arson attack. The ride was closed in August 2024 due to a derailing incident, and has remained standing but not operating since. In January 2026 it was announced that the ride would no longer operate.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
The Scenic Railway was a wooden roller coaster located at the Dreamland Amusement Park in Margate, United Kingdom. First opened in 1920, the ride was distinctive compared to modern-day roller coasters, as a brakeman was required to travel with the train to control its speed, manually applying brakes when needed. UK's English Heritage granted the roller coaster Grade II listed status in 2002 and Grade II* listed status in 2011, when it was the oldest operating roller coaster in the UK and one of only eight scenic railways in the world. The Scenic Railway was non-operational from 2006 until 2015 amid park closure and restoration following an arson attack. The ride was closed in August 2024 due to a derailing incident, and has remained standing but not operating since. In January 2026 it was announced that the ride would no longer operate.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
In 1919, John Henry Iles bought the European usage rights to the scenic railway from LaMarcus Adna Thompson, who had patented the scenic railway design in 1884. Iles was a co-owner of Dreamland and had the Scenic Railway constructed at Dreamland from local timber and had mechanical parts for the ride shipped over from the US. The ride drew on ideas from several other designers, but was constructed by local carpenters within the area specified by Iles. The Scenic Railway was owned by Iles until 1938, when the ownership was passed to his son Henry Frederick "Eric" Iles. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, the Scenic Railway ceased operations until June 1946. Fire destroyed part of…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.3853, 1.3775
- Address
- Dreamland Margate
- Phone
- +44 1843 295877
- Established
- 1920
- Official site
- www.dreamland.co.uk
Sources
- wikipedia: Scenic Railway (Dreamland Margate) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Scenic Railway (Dreamland Margate)?
- Scenic Railway (Dreamland Margate) is in South-East England, United Kingdom.
- When was Scenic Railway (Dreamland Margate) built?
- Built or established in 1920.
- Does Scenic Railway (Dreamland Margate) charge admission?
- Scenic Railway (Dreamland Margate) typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- Is Scenic Railway (Dreamland Margate) suitable for children?
- Yes — Scenic Railway (Dreamland Margate) is a family attraction designed for children. Most rides and attractions are aimed at the under-12 age band.