Pleasure Beach

Photographs of the scenic railway

By Paul Douch

"The origins of the town's Pleasure Beach date back to the late nineteenth century when a 'switchback' was erected on the North Denes which later developed into a scenic railway.  This was replaced in 1912 with a railway of a superior design and construction but that was destroyed by fire along with other rides and attractions in 1919."  This information is quoted from I remember Yarmouth by J.E. Holmes with Dean Parkin (Rushmere Publishing, 1995)

But these photos were probably taken later at a different site, possibly the South Beach. Do you recall?

Photo:Scenic railway by night, including Joy Wheel

Scenic railway by night, including Joy Wheel

"Judges"

Photo:Scenic Railway, Pleasure Beach, Great Yarmouth, c. 1930

Scenic Railway, Pleasure Beach, Great Yarmouth, c. 1930

Great Yarmouth Museums

Photo:Railway at Wellington Pier - featuring train called "The News Chronicle Special"

Railway at Wellington Pier - featuring train called "The News Chronicle Special"

Photo:The sadly missed 125ft tall double ferris wheel at Botton Brothers Pleasure Beach, Marine Parade which was once a firm landmark on the Yarmouth skyline

The sadly missed 125ft tall double ferris wheel at Botton Brothers Pleasure Beach, Marine Parade which was once a firm landmark on the Yarmouth skyline

Photo:Another view of the amazing 125ft tall double ferris wheel at Botton Brothers Pleasure Beach, Marine Parade with the jets and satellite rides in the foreground

Another view of the amazing 125ft tall double ferris wheel at Botton Brothers Pleasure Beach, Marine Parade with the jets and satellite rides in the foreground

This page was added by Paul Douch on 19/04/2007.
Comments about this page

The night photograph is fantastic isn't it. I've never seen this ride in the dark before. It was actually built in 1911 (designed by William Napier) and openened in 1911 with one other ride called the Katzen Jammer Castle. The Castle was replaced in 1912 with the Joy Wheel.

The Joy Wheel can be seen in its rebuilt state (behind Over The Falls) after the April 1919 fire as can the scenic railway in the second image. This would have to have been taken before 1928 as the scenic railway's lease ran out this year and it was dismantled.

By Richard Mills
On 22/11/2008

It's me again. I wrongly said yesterday that the Napier Scenic Railway was constructed in 1911. It was actually built in 1909 when the Pleasure Beach opened under C.B. Cochran's lease of the site. It and the Katzen Jammer Castle were the only rides there. The Castle was demolished in 1910.

The earliest pictures of the Scenic (and PB) with the Castle, as opposed to the original Joy Wheel always seem to be wrongly dated to 1911 or 1912.

A large water chute was constructed on the site in 1925, and was there for three years and dismantled with the Scenic in 1928. So I would say this dates the second picture between 1919 and 1925.

When the Napier Scenic was demolished in 1928, a small figure-8 scenic was built as a replacement as the Collins' searched abroad for a replacement. This they found in 1929 at the Colonial Exhibition in Paris where they purchased to present scenic railway. This was constucted on the site in February 1932 and opened in May 1932. There is a picture of this scenic just after it opened on viewimages.

The first scenic railway to be contructed in Yarmouth was built on Euston Road right at the end of the 19th century. It was actually 'just' a switchback and I would have guessed been a Thompson designed switchback. It was there for only a few years and apparantly was so popular that it took an amount greater than the annual lease for the site in its first bank-holiday.

By Richard Mills
On 22/11/2008

Hi I go to the Pleasure Beach all the time and love it. All your other pics look the same but the Roller Coaster layout is different?

By Jamie Skinner
On 10/08/2009
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