Margate's Earliest Roller Coaster

[Tonybeachcomber]

The Metropole Hotel was demolished in 1938 as part of the Fort Hill clearance scheme. Neptune Square, Paradise Street, Seamans Institute Ship Inn , Caudles resturant and the Metropole were all demolished. I have the detailed History.

The earliest date for the Switchback Railway would be the date of the opening of the Marine Palace in 1876.

In early 1897 before the storm, it was announced the Pyramidical Investment Syndicate had plans to redevelop the the Marine Palace into what was to become the Grand Margate Pavilion. However, the great storm of November 1897 changed all that.

[furie]

The earliest date wouldn't have been until the 1880's, as the Switchback wasn't invented until some time in the early part of that decade

I don't think they were particularly common until the late 1880's/1890's in the UK.

I love the pier Switchback - it' just perfect

I hate seeing pictures of demolished rides.

[Nick]

The first known date of a switchback in the UK is 1885 at Skegness. The earliest in the world was 1884 in Coney Island, I believe. However, this whole area is under-researched as 'undiscovered' (i.e. those that don't appear in books on the subject) switchbacks keep popping up. Several of them operated for only a few years and some were dismanlted and erected elsewhere.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

According to my book "Roller Coaster" by David Bennett ...

Such was the public interest in dry slides in Paris that in 1817 two magnificent wheeled roller coaster rides were opened, the Les Montagnes Russes at Belleville and the Promenades Aeriennes in the beautiful Beaujon Gardens in Paris. ...many would argue that Paris was the birthplace of the first roller coaster.

Les Promenades Aeriennes

[Nick]

With thanks to Mick Twyman and Alf Beeching, who trawled through old local newspapers, we have now got an opening date for the Margate Switchback Railway. The Marine Palace Switchback opened for business on the 23rd June 1888. This is only three years after the Skegness Switchback opened in 1885 and only four years after the world's first switchback. So Margate was not the first, but it was certainly a roller coaster pioneer.

Mick tells me that he has never seen any pictures apart from those of the 1897 storm, so if anybody can uncover another photograph of the ride (and bear in mind the 1897 photo shows the ride in pieces) we will be very grateful as we piece together Margate's amusement history.

[Joss]

I've seen pictures like these at Margate Library. Are they part of the same collection? Have they been published and if so where can I buy a copy?

[Joss]

Hi
No answer? I have seen the ones at the Library and they are obviously from the same collection. So if you have an album,they presumably have been published. Can you tell me the name of the publisher?
Thanks

[Nick]

I don't believe any of these have been published. They were taken from old copies of local newspapers in Margate Library.

[Joss]

That's extremely good quality if it's from a newspaper from 1897! The prints from newspapers are usualy very high contrast.
I have had a look at the Houghton collection and seen the other pictures of this event but this one doesn't seem to be there.
Next time I am in the library, I will have a look at the newspapers for that year and find it.

[Joss]

The only papers from 1897 at Margate library is the Kebles Gazette and the Thanet Times and it is not in either.A photo as good as this could not have come from papers as old as 1897.
It looks more like an original print. Which is obviously what it is.

[Nick]

I have looked into this further and the photo comes from a 'Photographic Souvenir of the Great Storm' published by George Houghton of 55 Fort Road, Margate.

[Joss]

Yes. I know that. What I am asking is, is it an original print from Margate Library's collection?