When and why a huge crane will be placed on Blackpool promenade near the Pleasure Beach 's Big One rollercoaster

It’s all to do with work underway to maintain the famous Big One over the winter months. The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach is the UK’s tallest rollercoaster, towering 235ft above Blackpool’s famous promenade. The ride is currently undergoing some winter maintenance which will see sections of the track removed and replaced by new sections.

In total 103M of track is being replaced and this weighs 23 tonnes. In order to replace this, a huge crane is to be positioned on the promenade from February 7 and then this will lift the track into the park – making for an impressive visual. The track has been made by Chorley based Taziker who have been working with Blackpool Pleasure Beach on re-tracking projects since 2019.

The famous rollercoaster, which originally opened on May 28, 1994, as the Pepsi Max Big One, was then the tallest roller coaster in the world. Although those records were soon toppled the Big One is still up there. The year 1994 was dubbed the year of the rollercoaster by the British Tourism Board, with the £12m Big One, Alton Towers’ Nemesis and Drayton Manor’s Shockwave all opening and beating records and standards previously held in America. The Big One marked its 25th anniversary in 2019.

Millions of people have experienced the stomach churning yet exhilarating rollercoaster and its presence catapulted Blackpool even further up the tourism map. When it was under construction, every part was documented. The first pieces to be fitted were the large foundations for the main supports. Once all the supports were fitted, the tubular track was then put in place. The red tubular track and supports were airlifted from Bolton to Blackpool and stored at nearby Blackpool Airport. Designed by Ron Toomer and manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, it took two years to construct. By the time it was completed it had cost a mighty 12m to build.

*Blackpool Pleasure Beach is recruiting for young people to be on its junior board and the deadline is February 3. You can apply by completing a form and answering some initial questions at https://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/junior-board/