08/04/08

Margate’s listed Scenic Railway destroyed by fire

The Society was devastated to learn that a fire on Monday April 7th has destroyed Britain’s oldest roller coaster-- Margate’s impressive and historically important Scenic Railway.  The C20 Society has been campaigning for the preservation of the railway since 2005.  

Although currently a matter of intense local speculation, the fire is widely considered by local people to be the work of arsonists and a police investigation is now under way.  

The owners of the site have long wanted to clear the site for new development but have been unable to get consent to demolish the country’s only listed wooden roller coaster. Only 20% of the structure now remains, with the fire destroying the station, the lift hill all the central portions of track and perhaps most tragically, the American-made cars, which each featured the head of a different animal.

Constructed in 1919-20 and restored after fires in both 1949 and 1957, the Scenic Railway was developed by John Henry Iles. It was a roller-coaster of tremendous historical importance, and only one coaster, at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen was known to be older – dating from 1914.

Thanet Council have pledged that if this was an arson attack, they hope criminal proceedings will follow – the Society supports this. Demolition of a listed building, by whatever means, is a crime that should carry stiff penalties, the message to developers must be clear – you cannot ‘factor in’ fines as part of the development costs—they need to be high enough to act as a meaningful deterrent.

It is yet to be decided whether or not Thanet Council will push for the re-building of the listed structure—it would be possible for them to take “enforcement action” to require this.  Fire has affected the coaster before, in 1949 and in 1957, when all the timber struts were destroyed – after both incidents, it was re-built. The Society, Thanet Council and English Heritage all must now decide whether this would be the right thing to do.  The cost of rebuilding, and the fact that the site would not then be available for a new development would certainly mean that no financial gain would result from this fire, but unless far more survives than currently seems to be the case, the end result would be at best an accurate replica.   

We remain saddened at the loss of this spectacular piece of Twentieth Century heritage and remain deeply concerned about other buildings on the site which remain at risk – including the 1935 Dreamland Cinema which closed in November of last year.

Save Britain’s Heritage comment on Dreamland fire

“This is a tragic loss and a terrible blow to all those who have campaigned locally and nationally to protect and preserve this rare and delightful structure. The Scenic Railway was a remarkable survival and its recent listing an acknowledgement of its national significance. The people of Margate were immensely proud of the Railway and SAVE hopes that its reconstruction will be seriously considered as an option. In the meantime SAVE remains concerned for the Dreamland Cinema, another fine listed building on the site which closed last year.’ William Palin, Secretary, SAVE Britain’s Heritage

Notes for Editors

Scenic railways are a special sub-section of a general class of roller coasters.  Unlike a modern steel roller coaster a scenic railway does not have wheels that wrap around the track and prevent it leaving it when it turns a sharp corner at speed.  Instead a highly skilled brakeman controls the ride. The brakeman, who sat at the front of the second car in the Margate example, had to gauge the mass, and hence the potential momentum, of the moving cars and control the speed accordingly. The ‘train’ was pulled up the lift hills by a cable, which the brakeman grabbed with a lever. The Margate example, of 1920, was the oldest scenic railway remaining in the United Kingdom and one of only two – the other being at Great Yarmouth built 1932. It was also the second oldest example in the world, the oldest, in Copenhagen, is much altered. It was the world’s most complete example of a timber-structured roller coaster. It was large, 180m x 30m. The fact that it had survived on its original site since 1920, and outlived all the other rides, was testimony to its enduring appeal. It was Listed grade II 1/3/2002.
      

For more images or information please contact:
Jon Wright (jon.wright@c20society.org.uk) telephone 020 7250 3857
Out of hours: 07855 406718

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