Ghost Train (Pleasure Beach Blackpool)
Encyclopedia
Ghost Train is a dark ride attraction at Pleasure Beach Blackpool
, in Blackpool
Lancashire, England. It opened in 1930 and was designed by Joseph Emberton. It is notable as being the first real "Ghost Train" in the world, and the first to use the name of Ghost Train. It is one of the few Ghost Trains left in the UK that is not portable. It has also undergone several refurbishments over its years of operation.
Today, the ride uses consists mainly of special effects using luminescent paint, lit by blacklights. Many scenes in the ride are based on horror stories, characters or films, such as Dracula
and more recently The Exorcist
.
The ride has an open station, which is decorated with different creatures such as trolls, ghosts and witches. The ride travels through the first section of scenes before going down a small drop in the station area, and pulling up again to go into the second section.
at some parts of the ride. The song was written for the movie "Sorcerer", and notably the drum beat and electric guitar sections of the song have been removed for the ride.
Pleasure Beach Blackpool
Pleasure Beach Blackpool is a family owned amusement park and resort situated along the Fylde coast in Blackpool, England. It is the most visited amusement park in the United Kingdom, and one of the top twenty most-visited amusement parks in the world with an estimate of 5.5 million visitors in...
, in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
Lancashire, England. It opened in 1930 and was designed by Joseph Emberton. It is notable as being the first real "Ghost Train" in the world, and the first to use the name of Ghost Train. It is one of the few Ghost Trains left in the UK that is not portable. It has also undergone several refurbishments over its years of operation.
Design & History
In the 1920s, "Pretzel rides" were becoming a big hit in the USA. During the late 1920s, Pleasure Beach decided to buy one of these types of dark rides. The designer, Joseph Emberton, called the ride "Ghost Train", based on the name of the popular play at the time, The Ghost Train.Today, the ride uses consists mainly of special effects using luminescent paint, lit by blacklights. Many scenes in the ride are based on horror stories, characters or films, such as Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
and more recently The Exorcist
The Exorcist
The Exorcist is a novel of supernatural suspense by William Peter Blatty, published by Harper & Row in 1971. It was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University, a Jesuit school...
.
The ride has an open station, which is decorated with different creatures such as trolls, ghosts and witches. The ride travels through the first section of scenes before going down a small drop in the station area, and pulling up again to go into the second section.
Music
The ride uses the song "Impressions of Sorcerer" by Tangerine DreamTangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
at some parts of the ride. The song was written for the movie "Sorcerer", and notably the drum beat and electric guitar sections of the song have been removed for the ride.