Grand National is a racing wood coaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Designed by Charles Paige, this is one of two mobius loop wood coasters still in operation. This ride features a series of action-packed drops that pack a wallop in the back car. Some call it too rough, but I think it’s the best wood coaster in the UK.
Video Credits
Grand National POV (Sean Flaharty)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzPutnSWURE&pp=ygUSZ3JhbmQgbmF0aW9uYWwgcG92
Background Music
Upbeat Indie Funk by Infraction, Independence [No Copyright Music] / Hill of Fun- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNf3umF1ync
Thumbnail Credit- WillMcC
source
megafobia is the best
Absolutely love this ride! it's brutal but such good fun!
So you like grand National more than wicker man?
Not a good coaster,just a basic layout.
We rode this coaster in the dark in 1977. A very rough ride. Never again.
If I have to gamble on wether or not ill not get a wheel seat just to somewhat enjoy a mediocre layout then it's dead last in the UK for me. No other coaster has ever made me fear for my physical health quite like this one
My favourite line is about the audio saying its a wonderful ride, it actually says white knuckle ride. It did make me chuckle, as I think Nash is far from wonderful 😂
An inconsistent and basic brutal woodie just cannot beat Megafobia
On Grand National, I’ve probably had the best rides I’ve ever had on a UK coaster, and also some the worst rides I’ve had on a UK coaster. And everything in between. I feel like anything can happen when you ride the Grand National. I wish those bunny hills on the final furlong were more like Nick Streak’s, although they do offer airtime when it’s batting it round. It’s a shame that 89 years later and we’re still waiting for another full blown ejector airtime machine (apart from maybe Megaphobia that I’ve never done). It’s mainly about short coasters that go upside down or round corners fast in the UK ☹️.
People talk a lot about rough coasters, but this is one of the few I've been on that have caused genuine pain. The layout is definitely fun though.
Last time I went on this, I smacked the back of my head on the seat back, and then threw up after getting off of it, brutal is an understatement.
It has had some retracking done since and they've replaced some of the padding on the trains so It might be better now.
The ride is awesome tho, best airtime in the park, just wish theyd give it a proper full retrack and new trains, so it is less of a gamble whether or not it will beat you up.
It is good but too rough to actually be enjoyable
Have you not rode Wickerman?
Back in it's heyday the grand national would run longer trains and at least 3 trains per side. The trains used to be open fronted with no restraints too.
It had insane capacity and throughput.
The current set of trains and the control system really spoilt it after the fire. Slows down operations a lot.
Speedy pass "Ok now ypu gonna want to jump onto the train as its riding by, on the count of 3 jump"
It's a brilliant coaster and is in my UK top 10. It's really nice to see some love for this classic 🙂
Obviously was better with no restraints, but nothing more fun than making obscene gestures at your mates in the other train. I miss school trips. 0:52 my first credit, last time I went on was a couple of years ago, but surprisingly fun as an adult.
back row nash in the dark and cold and wet is terrifying in the best way possible, the drop towards the structure after the 2nd turnaroud is so intimidating as the janky ass wood looks downright broken in the dark
I have so many Grand National memories and it's so lovely to have the world's most comprehensive coaster reviewer (imo) talk so highly of it.
I think it was my first ever credit, I rode it in about 2000 as a 7 year old with my dad, where the buzz bar stopped at his thighs and it was complete madness, on the first double down he god leg cramp and spent the entire rest of the ride with his left leg STICKING OUT OF THE TRAIN and trying to hold me in with his arms, screaming and swearing the whole time. Back then they also has no trim before the final dip under the footbridge so you got crazy ejector and genuinely felt like you were going to be decapitated by the bridge.
I'd love to say this is what made me an enthusiast but it did the opposite, I also rode dripper and the insane wild mouse as a kid but they all cemented in me that roller coasters are terrifying and want to kill me. So when I went to Alton towers as a 12 year old I was too scared to go on Nemesis or even Air (Galactica) as I assumed these bigger, scarier coasters would be completely ridiculous. I only get back into coasters last year and went to Alton to discover that all these modern (comparatively) rides were super smooth and safe feeling. Smiler and Oblivion were still scary at first but now they're just fun. To this day even with the new trains/restraints Grand National is still scarier and more exciting than most new rides, and it's currently no.8 in my (fairly limited) overall rankings. I have to admit though, I like to be thrown around a bit XD
Sounds like a good candidate for some Gravity Group pre-cut track.
The announcement isn’t “wonderful ride”, it actually says “this is a white-knuckle ride”. Many assume the National is a family ride, but it delivers some of the best forces of any traditional wooden coaster in the world.
The 4 coach trains I the 90s was an experiment for a few years (they also ran BD and NS on 4 coaches too), but for most of the time from construction up to the mid 90s and from then to now the Nash has only had 3 coaches.
Absolutely good and it was fun ride
Fantastic review, grand national is currently my number 1 coaster. I am English though and Pleasure beach is only a few hours away from me. 😊
I did the very back row and that's why it's my favourite coaster ever. 😲
If a company like GCI re-tracked it…..
You must have gotten lucky, this is the roughest ride I've ever experienced. I'd rather lap Infusion for 4 hours than ever step foot on this hunk of junk again. 0/10
When I first went to Blackpool with a friend last year, all day he was telling me he wouldn't do it because it was so rough. We went on nickelodeon streak and I saw the view of it from there's and I got so damn excited. I convinced him into it. It was an insane experience. Pretty much just a station wait. The double downs blew my socks off,Crazy ejector, although the roughness might have added to the perceived force of it. We ended up doing it 12 times over 2 days and it's the main reason I go back there. I think I could reride it all day on non wheel seats. I went with a different friend who after riding a load made the whimsical mistake of saying eh, let's try train 1 back row. Oooooof
I twinged something in my neck on the first drop that hurt the next day still. It didn't stop us riding it again and again .
I'm a bit crazy but I think it might be my number 1. The age ,station and the laughter with other rides makes it so special.
I don't think I'll ever get bored of it.
I'm so happy to see you talking about it :))))))
Do you know something called Megafobia? What would you rate it?
I'd've guessed Megaphobia to be the U.K.'s best woodie, but I've not yet ridden it. Having said that I was pleased to discover you prefer Grand National to The Big Dipper, despite the fact that the latter is so historical and has such a great and long layout. My favourite seat in the 2nd back row of the last car as it's not a wheel seat. I'd also consider it to be the best coaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach after Icon. Thanks for posting!
This is the best ride in the park
This is also my home park so I have been on this loads
(Also it says 'white knuckle ride', I thought the same)
I rode the old beast 18 moths ago and ooh my it is now so rough … it was always a bumpy fun ride but I'm sure it is rougher now by far and time to give it some TLC… it is iconic but it needs to be thoroughly enjoyable too ..
Always wanted to ride this one. I’ve loved the look of it ever since i saw the rct recreation.
HELP GN best woodie in the UK and best racer in the world?!?!?
What about Wicker Man?
I have ridden the National for 58 years every year and love it to bits! It’s the best ride at Blackpool, but much as my heart goes out to it,, the newly profiled Megafobia IS the best in Uk. Then I would say the woodie in Ireland , then the National, then Whicker Man!
Definitely isn’t the best wooden coaster in England, we ain’t like it over here at all 😂
3:42 there’s only every 2 trains on the track because the other 2 trains have been cannibalised into the running trains to keep them alive, the mismatched coloured parts you can see in your video are the other parts of the other 2 (blue and purple) trains
I absolutely adore this coaster 🥹 (in the Back Back row)
My favoutite coaster in the uk and nr. 2 wood coaster overall
I first rode the grand national back in the 1960's when it had no restraints just a hand grip bar fixe to the seat in front, there was no waving your arms in the air in those days you were too busy applying the death grip ti the hand bar! I remember standing up being pulled down the slopes (not by choice) and then being sat down forcibly as the ride reached the bottom of the slope before standing up again being pulled up the next slope. Best fun I ever had and I wish I could ride it like that once more for old times sake but I know it will never be allowed.
The grand national has always been my favourite coaster and always will b. I am 70 now and it will be a sad day when I have to give up riding this iconic coaster.