Grand National (roller coaster)

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Grand National
Grand National's station
Location	Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
Type	Wood - Racing
Status	Open
Opened	1935
Designer	Charles Paige
Model	Racing
Track layout	Moebius Loop
Lift/launch system	Chain lift
Height	62 feet (18.9 m)
Length	3,302 feet (1,006.4 m)
Max speed	40 mile per hour (64.4 km/h)
Inversions	0
Grand National at Theme Park Junkies
Grand National at RCDB
Pictures of Grand National at RCDB

The Grand National is a wooden racing coaster at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool. It is one of only three surviving Moebius Loop roller coasters in the world, and the only one in Europe.

Opened in 1935, it is named and themed after the horse race with the same name. Both trains climb the lift hill, pass under the 'They're Off' sign and the race begins. Elements of the ride are signposted and mimic features of the horse race. Both trains race each other over Becher's Brook, Valentine's, and Canal Turn before a final dash for the Winning Post.

Throughout the years, it has gone through many changes, including a fire that ravaged the station building in 2004, closing the ride for the majority of the year. New trains were installed in the 2006 season.

It stands at 62ft high and 3300 feet long (making for a total track length of 6600 feet). It has an uneven number of turns, so one of the trains exiting from the station is slightly staggered. It is possible for riders on each side to slap hands with people on the opposite train.